Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and Riccardo Illy, the president of the regional government of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia, have expressed concern over the fact that the act protecting the Slovenian minority is still not being implemented.
Speaking to the press after a meeting, Illy said that he briefed Rupel on problems that have caused a standstill in the signing of a decree that would define municipalities in the region where the act would be implemented.
Rupel and Illy also discussed the strengthening of cooperation in science and research, not least because Slovenia's Janez Potocnik has been appointed the European Commissioner of Science and Research.
The pair agreed that they would initiate the establishment of a special working table for cooperation in science, particularly in infrastructure, at the session of the joint commission in charge of discussing common development issues on Wednesday.
Illy expressed readiness to improve bilateral relations. Rupel said that this year's 60th anniversary of the end of WWII was high time for bilateral issues to be solved as it has been done by other European nations. "All that can be done to overcome issues from the past is welcome," Rupel said.
Illy would like to see a meeting of Slovenian, Croatian and Italian presidents to take place soon in a bid to close the painful chapter of history and be able to look forward into future without being weighted down with the burden of the past. Rupel said he cannot wait to see a common celebration of some events from the past.
The pair also touched upon the initiative to establish a Euroregion between the Alps and the Adria. Illy also expressed Italy's readiness to participate in the completion of transport connections within the 5th pan-European transport route.
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