Diaspora minister completes visit in Argentina, travels on to Brazil

Buenos Aires, 17 October - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch completed her visit to the Slovenian community in Argentina on Friday to visit Slovenians living in Brazil before completing her ten-day visit to Latin America in Sao Paulo on Sunday, the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad said on Saturday.

Jaklitsch discussed Slovenian-Argentinian economic cooperation with members of the Slovenian-Argentinean Chamber of Commerce in Buenos Aires on Friday.

The chamber, which was established in early October, aims to connect Slovenian businesses in Argentina to enhance economic ties with Slovenia.

The minister welcomed such cooperation and pledged full support of the Government Office for Slovenian Abroad, the office said.

Jaklitsch also met representatives of the office providing spiritual care to the community in Slovenian, which she said was of great importance to national identity.

She also discussed the community's concern over a shortage of Slovenian priests in Argentina, and laid a wreath at a memorial to the victims of communist violence.

Challenges of Slovenian education were also discussed with head teacher Marko Bajuk, foremost a course is attended by 116 secondary school students. They learn the Slovenian grammar, history and songs over a period of some 20 Saturdays a year.

This year changes to the curricula were undertaken to bring the course closed to the new generations, but they face a shortage of teachers, while they would also like to engage in closer links with secondary schools students in Slovenia.

The minister also met the editor-in-chief of Svobodna Slovenija (Free Slovenia), a publication of the Slovenian community in Argentina, before travelling to Brazil.

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