Minister Tanja Fajon | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve

In her address at the 9th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon stressed that Slovenia has always had a strong Alpine identity so our participation in the Strategy is invaluable. "During its Presidency, Slovenia has advocated for enhanced transnational cooperation in the field of sustainable water management. Water is our most precious resource in the Alps. We must therefore ensure that it remains a precious commodity and not a destructive force." She went on to stress the importance of young people: "In Slovenia, we believe that we need to pay special attention to young people and future generations. That is why we have invited EUSALP experts in the field of water management and civil protection to come to Kamnik to address our young people on the consequences of climate change and the solutions for sustainable water management. We must ensure a good quality of life for young people in the Alpine region and we must listen to them." In her address, the Minister also focused on the circular economy, saying that these priorities - water, youth and the circular economy - must remain the focus of the Alpine region in the years to come.

After the official opening, a high-level panel on the importance of a competitive, circular and smart Alpine region was held with the following panellists: Minister Tanja Fajon, Dominique Hasler, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport of Liechtenstein, Anton Mattle, Regional Governor of Tyrol (Austria), Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region (France), Eric Beißwenger, Regional Minister for European and International Affairs, Bavaria (Germany), Luciano Caveri, Regional Councillor for European Affairs, Innovation and National Policies for the Mountains of Valle d'Aosta (Italy), and Norman Gobbi, Regional Councillor of the Ticino Region (Switzerland). The panellists agreed that macro-regional strategies are an effective tool for cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience on challenges that transcend national borders.

After the panel discussion, Minister Tanja Fajon symbolically handed over the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region to Liechtenstein's Foreign Minister Dominique Hasler and the Governor of Tyrol, Anton Mattle, and the Governor of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser. "Slovenia has achieved a lot during its Presidency, but the work is far from over. We are leaving the EUSALP in good shape to the next two Presidencies - Austria and Liechtenstein - and I trust that they will continue to work in the direction we have set out."

Minister Tanja Fajon chaired the General Assembly of the EUSALP and introduced the meeting underscoring the need for a common vision for the Alpine region, which the macro-regional cooperation can help to achieve. Participants also adopted the Brdo Declaration, which sets out important policy orientations for the implementation of the Strategy and for the revision of its Action Plan. In her concluding remarks, minister Fajon thanked all the participating countries and regions for their support during the Slovenian Presidency.

Slovenia is the only country that participates with its entire territory in three of the four EU macro-regional strategies: the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, the Adriatic-Ionian Region and the EUSALP. The latter was created in 2015 and includes seven countries - Slovenia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein - and 48 regions. During its Presidency, Slovenia organised more than 15 meetings of the Organising Structure, 30 thematic events and more than 40 other meetings. Slovenia's participation in the EUSALP focuses on mobility, renewable energy, the Common Agricultural Policy, green infrastructure and disaster response.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Minister Tanja Fajon met with Dominique Hasler, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport of Liechtenstein to discuss the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Minister Fajon also met with Peter Kaiser, Governor of Carinthia. In their talks, the Slovenian minister advocated further steps towards the full realisation of the minority rights of the Carinthian Slovenes. Minister Fajon also held a discussion with the Bavarian Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Eric Beißwenger, focusing on the preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Permanent Slovene-Bavarian Commission, which offers an excellent opportunity to mark 2025 as the year of Slovene-Bavarian cooperation.