The country is meeting its requirements towards NATO, he said, and is especially valuable for its experience in the Balkans.
Slovenia sends troops to NATO-led operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan, which Rasmussen labelled a very concrete contribution.
Moreover, Slovenia participates in a number of multilateral projects, Rasmussen said, pointing to a joint effort of ten allies and two partner countries to acquire three C17 transport aircraft.
"Individually, these nations could not afford to buy these expensive transport aircraft, but by joining efforts...by pooling and sharing of resources, they have been able to purchase these three aircraft."
"Slovenia is also part of other similar multinational projects. That is also a significant contribution."
The NATO secretary general also pointed to Slovenia's influence in the region. It is a part of Adriatic Charter initiative under which five countries from the region joined efforts to provide police training in Afghanistan.
Touching on Slovenia's defence budget, Rasmussen said that almost all governments are faced with economic challenges. "So far, Slovenia has lived up to its obligations and our requirements; among other things by contributing to international military operations."
Rasmussen said he had discussed the defence budget with Prime Minister Janez Janša and other government members, when he visited the country earlier this year.
It was agreed that once the economy recovers, "we should recover defence budgets and find ways and means to invest more in defence and security because that is also about protection of the political values we share."
"In the mean time we have to spend our defence money more efficiently. To that end, we need more multinational cooperation. Individual nations cannot purchase expensive advanced military equipment. But if they help each other, they can."
When asked about the added value of a small country like Slovenia in NATO, Rasmussen said that small countries can contribute in a number of ways. Apart from taking part in military missions, it is also important politically "that smaller countries can join the bigger countries around the same table."
Small countries can also provide valuable input, he moreover said. "Slovenia for example has particular expertise when it comes to the challenges in the region." This is very helpful in pursuing the vision of having all countries in the region integrated in NATO and the EU.
"It is not just about size, it is also about arguments and political input, and in that respect Slovenia has played, and I am convinced it will continue to play, an important role within our alliance."
Source: SloveniaTimes
