Fajon and Drexler discuss Slovenia-Styria cooperation projects
Celje, 10 January - As a session of the Slovenia-Styria joint committee chaired by Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and Styria Governor Christopher Drexler was held in Celje on Wednesday, the two discussed a number of cooperation projects, including an effort to open a Slovenian centre in Graz within two to three years.
Celje
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon (right) and Styria Governor Christopher Drexler hold a press conference after a session of the Slovenia-Styria joint committee.
Photo: Gregor Mlakar/STA
Celje
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon (right) and Styria Governor Christopher Drexler hold a press conference after a session of the Slovenia-Styria joint committee.
Photo: Gregor Mlakar/STA
The latest session of the joint committee, which has been active for ten years, was aimed at reviewing cooperation activities in various areas.
The participants, who met in person for the first time since the Covid pandemic, agreed on efforts to further strengthen cooperation, Fajon said.
The Slovenian minority in Styria is a link between Slovenia and the Austrian region that contributes to the development of both.
Slovenia supports the minority's efforts to ensure long-term and systemic solutions to fully implement the minority's rights, including under Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty, the minister said.
She expressed the hope that the Styrian authorities would continue to cooperate with the minority and hear its proposals to strengthen minority rights, for example when it comes to Slovenian language classes. The governor showed a great deal of understanding for this, she added.
Several cooperation projects in tourism, culture, business and public administration were discussed during the session.
The minister stressed the importance of economic cooperation, as Austria is a major economic partner of Slovenia. This is particularly true for Styria, where 15,000 Slovenians commute daily for work, according to some estimates.
Fajon and Drexler also talked about the Slovenian House, a future cultural hub in Graz dedicated to the Slovenian-Austrian cooperation.
The two nations share many interests, said Drexler and pointed to common positions on the Western Balkans at EU level and efforts to tackle certain global challenges, such as climate change.
Stressing the importance of economic and cultural cooperation, he expressed support for the Slovenian House project. The centre would reflect good relations between Slovenia and Austria, he added.
"I cannot of course predict a specific opening date today, but if we start immediately, we can realistically expect the project to be realised in two or three years," the governor said.