By Charm Carcueva
MANILA – Slovenia sees opportunities for cooperation with the Philippines in digital economy-related sectors, particularly cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and other information technology (IT) areas.
In an interview in Makati City on Saturday, Tone Kajzer, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, said they could benefit from exchanging technological solutions and expertise, with each bringing its own experience to possible areas of cooperation.
“We could bring our solutions or we could also learn, because you also have certain solutions,” Kajzer said.
On AI, Kajzer highlighted the technology’s growing role across industries, saying how it “empowers all sectors.”
He likewise underscored the importance of ensuring that emerging technologies remain people-centered.
“AI should be operated on the human-friendly basis,” he said, noting that Slovenia and the Philippines share democratic values and standards that could guide their approach to emerging technologies.
Kajzer said Slovenia has vast experience in cybersecurity, including its cooperation with France in establishing a joint cybersecurity center in Montenegro.
Beyond digital technologies, he identified potential synergies in areas such as healthcare, energy resilience and sustainability-related solutions. He cited water purification systems and wastewater treatment that could help essential systems more resilient.
Kajzer likewise discussed the possibility of pursuing further regional cooperation involving Central European partners, with the broader goal of creating synergies and enhancing competitiveness.
He said he would consult with Slovenia’s minister of economy and the country’s economic diplomacy and competitiveness council to determine which areas could offer opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the IT sector.
The interview came ahead of Slovenia’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), as Southeast Asia also advances regional digital cooperation through the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
The agreement seeks to strengthen the region’s digital economy through cooperation in areas including digital trade, data protection, cybersecurity and emerging technologies like AI. (PNA)
