Slovenian minority business associations launch cross-border cooperation
Lipica, 13 December - Business associations of Slovenian minority communities in Austria, Croatia, Italy and Hungary have signed an agreement which will allow them to coordinate their activities, network and share information and knowledge in the framework of a new coordinating body.
Lipica
Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon at the signing of the agreement on Slovenian minority business coordination.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
Lipica
Economy Minister Matjaž Han at the signing of the agreement on Slovenian minority business coordination.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
Lipica
The event at the signing of the agreement on Slovenian minority business coordination.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
This is the first time that all involved Slovenian minority business organisations will be connected to Slovenia, Economy Minister Matjaž Han said of the grass-roots initiative. He believes that will help answer questions on how to face today's challenges in a shared regional business space.
Neighbouring countries are responsible for 30% of Slovenia's goods trade, and that is in a large part thanks to the help of members of Slovenian minority communities, said Han.
Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon noted that a shared Slovenian national and cultural space and the strengthening of the joint economic space are two key components of the coordination. He believes that Slovenian minority businessmen can form a bridge towards business with neighbouring countries.
"We live in a small shared space and we all know that the problems, not only economic, are so complex that we will not be able to solve them without cooperation," said Benjamin Wakounig, the president of the Slovenian economic association in Klagenfurt.
The agreement also founded a coordination committee which will prepare an action plan for specific activities.