Arčon hosts holiday reception for minority reps
Ljubljana, 11 December - Minister for Slovenian Abroad Matej Arčon hosted a holiday reception for representatives of umbrella organisations of Slovenian minorities in neighbouring countries in Ljubljana on Monday. Addressing the event, he underlined the importance of preserving the heritage of Slovenians outside of the country.
When the incumbent government took office, one of the objectives was to make "Slovenians around the world more than just a topic of the departments, and that the entire government would be aware in all of its decisions that there are Slovenian's living outside the country's borders".
The minister believes that the government is successful in pursuing this goal. He said that despite the damage caused by the August floods, the two main funding calls for next year entail the same amounts as last year.
Arčon said that funds from other departments for the communities outside Slovenia are growing as well, as the economy and agriculture ministries will start funding businesses and agricultural organisations.
A business development programme is already running in the Raba Valley in Hungary and in 2025, it will also be launched in Austria, Croatia and Italy.
"Last year, we managed to increase funds for Slovenian language course scholarships. We created a programme for the preservation of archive material of Slovenians in neighbouring countries. The preservation of heritage of Slovenians outside the country's borders is very important, as well as a connection to contemporary Slovenian culture," said Arčon.
The reception was attended by the representatives of organisations of Slovenian minorities in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, as well as civil society representatives, journalists and heads of diplomatic and consular missions.