by InTrieste
President Sergio Mattarella of Italy begins a two-day state visit to Slovenia on Tuesday, his first official trip to the country since the election of Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar. The visit highlights the close political, economic and cultural ties between the two European Union neighbors.
Mr. Mattarella, accompanied by his daughter, Laura, met with Ms. Pirc Musar in Ljubljana on Tuesday afternoon before holding talks with Prime Minister Robert Golob and the president of the National Assembly, Urška Klakočar Zupančič. The discussions were expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations, which both sides have described as already strong.
Italy and Slovenia have worked to overcome difficult chapters of 20th-century history, when the border region was marked by conflict and repression. In 2020, Mr. Mattarella and then-Slovenian President Borut Pahor stood together at memorial sites in Trieste, issuing a symbolic message of reconciliation that resonated across the region.
Today, Italy is among Slovenia’s leading trading partners, and Slovenia represents a growing market for Italian exports. Membership in the European Union and the Schengen zone has eased cross-border flows of people and goods, deepening economic integration.
On Wednesday, the Italian president will meet staff at his country’s embassy in Ljubljana before traveling with Ms. Pirc Musar to Koper, on Slovenia’s Adriatic coast. There, they will inaugurate the restored Collegio dei Nobili, a historic building that houses the Gian Rinaldo Carli Italian high school and the Pier Paolo Vergerio il Vecchio elementary school. After two years of renovation, the facility is once again ready to host students, many of whom come from both the Italian minority and Slovene-speaking families seeking access to Italian-language education.
Enrollment in Italian schools in Slovenia has remained steady despite the country’s demographic decline, a trend attributed to the perceived quality of teaching and the opportunities it provides for university study in Italy.
Later in the day, Mr. Mattarella and Ms. Pirc Musar will meet leaders of Slovenia’s Italian minority community, including representatives of the Unione Italiana and Felice Žiža, the Italian deputy in Slovenia’s Parliament. The program will conclude in Koper with a municipal council session, a visit to the cathedral, and a meeting with Bishop Peter Stumpf.
Mr. Mattarella is scheduled to return to Italy on Wednesday evening from Trieste’s Ronchi dei Legionari airport.
