Pahor meets Carinthian governor, mayors
Globasnitz, 18 July - President Borut Pahor visited the Austrian state of Carinthia on Monday, meeting Governor Peter Kaiser and attending a get-together of mayors of communities with Slovenian population.
Following their meeting, Pahor and Kaiser said Slovenia and Austria cooperated excellently in a number of fields, also mentioning the potential of future regional cooperation and working together on challenges of the EU.
The president and the governor also discussed the Austrian federal government's proposal for a reform on bilingual judiciary. The draft has been coordinated with the Association of Slovenian Carinthian Jurists and minority's umbrella organisations.
Pahor expressed the wish that Carinthia will not hamper the passage of the reform and will thus implement the rights of the Slovenian minority.
Pahor and Kaiser also visited the Peršman Museum, a former farmhouse where two Slovenian families were killed by the SS and a local police regiment shortly before the end of World Warr II.
The meeting with mayors focused on cross-border cooperation between municipalities, Pahor's office said in a press release.
At the event, the president said there was harmony between Austrians and Slovenians, pointing to the joint commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite in 2020.
Talking to the press, Pahor expressed hope that any potential problems in the future will be addressed in the same spirit.
He moreover expressed concern over the decision of the Klagenfurt University to abolish the MA course of Slavic studies. He hopes a solution will be found soon to re-introduce the course.
Kaiser said too few students enrolled in the programme, adding that a cooperation with universities in Carinthia, Graz and Ljubljana has been agreed, Austrian Press Agency APA reported.