Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the Briefing on the Threats to International Peace and Security

Madam President,

Slovenia reaffirms its condemnation of the act of sabotage directed against the Nord Stream pipelines in September of 2022. First and foremost, we are concerned about the environmental impact the incident has caused in the Baltic Sea, as this appears to have been the single largest discharge of methane ever recorded.

Humanity increasingly relies on critical undersea infrastructure. It represents the main communication line among our countries, as 99 % of the world’s data is transmitted through a global network of submarine cables. For many countries, underwater pipelines and electricity connectors are a vital lifeline for their economies and populations.

It is crucial for critical submarine infrastructure to be protected against advertent or inadvertent damage. This has become uncommonly frequent in recent times, for instance in the case of cut submarine communication cables in the Red Sea in March of this year or the damage done to the Balticconnector gas pipeline last October.

Slovenia is ready to support action in framework of the UN in relation to the security of underwater infrastructure, including Nord Stream pipelines. We are ready to support all meaningful initiatives that are in line with the principle of the rule of law and support ongoing investigations.

Madam President,

Slovenia appreciates the transparency of the countries investigating the act of sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines, and notes that Denmark and Sweden have concluded their national investigations on the incident in line with the fundamental principles of rule of law.

At the same time, we note that the investigative efforts of German authorities are progressing. Slovenia commends German authorities for their dedication in pursuing a comprehensive and impartial investigation of the incident and we fully support their efforts to get to the bottom of it.

I thank you, Madam President.

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