Minister discusses minority representation with Friuli Venezia Giulia president
Trieste, 17 February - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon met Friuli Venezia Giulia President Massimiliano Fedriga in Trieste on Friday to discuss minority representation and changes to the Italian region's statute. The pair also discussed the cross-border European Capital of Culture 2025 project in Nova Gorica and neighbouring Gorizia.
Arčon and Fedriga talked about topical issues that concern Slovenia and Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the problems of the Slovenian minority in Italy.
They discussed the issue of representation of the Slovenian minority and the upgrading of the autonomous statute of Friuli Venezia Giulia, which marks the 60th anniversary of its statute this year.
They agreed the statute should be updated to give appropriate status to the minorities living there, the Office for Slovenians Abroad said.
According to Primorski Dnevnik, Slovenia and Friuli Venezia Giulia will initiate the procedure to change the statute as the new regional council is formed after the upcoming election on 2 and 3 April.
They will strive for all three minorities living in the region to be mentioned and for the Slovenian community and other communities living in the area to be represented in the regional parliament.
Arčon presented to Fedriga an initiative for expanding socio-psycho-pedagogical services in the Trieste area and its expansion to the Gorizia and Udine areas.
Arčon said in a statement for the press that the purpose of today's visit had been to thank Fedriga on behalf of the Slovenian government for his work and efforts to the benefit of the Slovenian minority in Italy.
"This is a very important area where different nations and cultures intertwine," said the minister, stressing that cross-border connections had been extremely important for the candidacy for the European Capital of Culture title that Nova Gorica and Gorizia will hold in 2025.
The latter was also a topic of today's meeting, with Arčon and Fedrigo agreeing that all due care needed to be devoted to the project.
Before meeting Fedriga, Arčon held talks with Senator Tatjana Rojc, a member of the Slovenian minority in Italy, the representatives of the umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Italy, and regional councillors Marko Pisani and Daniel Slokar.