Obama meets with Slovenia's P.M.

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor met with U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in Washington Wednesday.

Pahor and the president reaffirmed the countries' "strong bilateral relationship," the White House said in a statement afterward. Obama thanked the prime minister "for Slovenia's strong support for the people of Afghanistan and its contributions to NATO's International Security Assistance Force."

They also discussed the current situation in southeastern Europe.

Biden and Pahor discussed ways in which the United States and Europe "could work together to advance the integration of all of Slovenia's neighbors into Euro-Atlantic structures," the statement said. Along those lines, Biden pressed the "United States' and Slovenia's shared interest in and support for Croatia's European Union candidacy."

They also discussed trade and investment opportunities, Biden expressed appreciation for Pahor's efforts to improve the investment climate in Slovenia, which this year marks the 20th anniversary of its independence.

Obama also talked by phone with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to confer on the situation in Egypt. The White House said Obama "emphasized the importance of taking immediate steps toward an orderly transition that is meaningful, lasting, legitimate, and responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people."

Obama also reiterated the United States' desire to see peace and security in the region.