President meets minority reps ahead of Vienna trip
Ljubljana, 20 April - President Nataša Pirc Musar met representatives of the Slovenian minority in Austria in Ljubljana on Thursday ahead of her first official visit to Vienna scheduled for Monday. The meeting focused on the minority's rights, which, Pirc Musar said, were basic human rights.
Ljubljana
President Nataša Pirc Musar meets representatives of the Slovenian minority in Austria.
Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA
Talking about the minority's position and the challenges it faces, the community representatives pointed to efforts to preserve the Slovenian language. They underlined the right to education in Slovenian language from kindergarten on, and the right to use the language in judiciary and official institutions.
"The rights of minorities are basic human rights," said Pirc Musar, expressing her support for the minority's efforts, the president's office said in a press release.
The president and minority representatives shared the view that Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen is an honest partner involved in regular dialogue about these topics.