The vessel, used as a patrol boat on the Slovenian coast, has already successfully participated in the Mare Nostrum search and rescue mission organized by Italy in 2014.

According to the government’s estimates, four months of Triglav’s operation in the Mediterranean would cost approximately EUR 1.6m, explained Slovenian PM Miro Cerar, adding that these expenses could be covered by Slovenia to a certain extent, or perhaps in its entirety. As the costs are substantial, various options will be explored, attempting to determine if the EU could cover the expenses; however, Slovenia is prepared to contribute financially to support the humanitarian gesture with concrete measures.

Slovenia is also open to cooperation in a voluntary pilot programme of accepting refugees to alleviate the burden on EU member countries facing the greatest immigration pressure. “The
number [of refugees] could range between 15 and 20, but these are all preliminary estimates,” concluded the Slovenian PM.

K. Št., K. S., MMC; translated by K. Z.