Diaspora minister completes Latin America visit
Sao Paulo, 18 October - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited the community of around 5,000 Slovenians in Sao Paulo in Brazil on Sunday, thus completing her ten-day visit to Latin America, the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad said on Monday.
Minister Jaklitsch attended a reception organised by the Union of Slovenians in Brazil. In her address, she thanked the union's members for their contribution to the international recognition of Slovenia 30 years ago.
The minister also said she was glad to see generations of Slovenians outside the home country maintain their Slovenian identity, culture and language, adding that this also reflects in their work for the community.
Jaklitsch then met Slovenia's Honorary Consul in Rio de Janeiro Wanda Kranjc Alves, Honorary Consul in Sao Paulo Octavio Tavares de Oliva Filho, and the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia and Brazil - SLOBRAZ.
The representatives of SLOBRAZ presented the organisation's plans, while they all highlighted good cooperation and agreed on some concrete activities.
The minister's visit to the Slovenian community in Sao Paulo marked the end of a busy and very important ten-day period among her compatriots in Argentina and Brazil, said the office.
During this difficult period marked by the Covid-19 epidemic, appropriate attention, cooperation and encouragement to further strengthen community action are all the more welcome, the office added.