While I am writing this, we find ourselves in between New Year’s celebrations. The world bid goodbye to 2022 and welcomed 2023.

When welcoming the new we must do the inventory of the old. As far as myself, last year brought me and my family to South Korea. Coming from literally the other side of the world, this is a big change which we embraced with open hands. The opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in the Republic of Korea and being the first Ambassador of Slovenia to Korea is both an honor and of course a demanding path on which me and my colleagues endeavor with our Korean friends - working together paves the way to deepening of our cooperation and partnership.

Slovenia and Korea have a lot in common. Our economies are export oriented and we both strive to guarantee respect for international law and the rules-based international system. If Slovenia and South Korea are voted to become non-permanent members of the UN Security Council we will be seating side by side in the most important multilateral forum and take the responsibility to play important roles in the United Nations.

Slovenians also like to pride ourselves that we are green, creative and smart. Same goes for Koreans. So yet another common feature of both nations. We need to focus on the future of our planet, therefore we need to take into account climate change and focus more on sustainable energy as well as on promoting the green economy. In order to do that we need to be creative and in order to be creative we need to focus on being smart. The future is already here and we just need to grasp it and to live it. I hope that 2023 will bring us some concrete actions in this directions. I am certain that there will be many opportunities for our common endeavors towards a better tomorrow.

Nevertheless, excitement often leads to disappointment. One must be ready for this. And being a diplomat, I tend to be a cautious idealist, looking forward to our joint navigation, avoiding the reefs and using the opportunities available. This is a toast to 2023, and spirit of the new year is not over yet. So, I raise my figurative pen to health and prosperity, respect and dignity, trust and security, smart actions and green awareness, happiness and creativity. Wars to end and not start.