Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel highlighted the strategic importance of Primorsko for Slovenia on Saturday as the country marked 60 years since regaining this western region under the Paris Peace Treaty between Italy and the Allies.
Slovenia gained the right to its own sea and free access to the open seas under the 1947 peace treaty and the 1975 Osimo Agreements, a right it has kept after Yugoslavia broke up, Rupel told a high-profile ceremony in a small village in Brkini.
Among other senior guests, the event was attended by Prime Minister Janez Jansa and Speaker of Parliament France Cukjati, who in a written message labelled the reunification of Primorsko with Slovenia one of the most important events after the war.
Rupel said the reintegration of the region into Slovenia was the right solution, just like Slovenia's decision to return to Europe. According to him, Primorsko gives Slovenia a Mediterranean temperament and the weight of a Mediterranean country. "Slovenia is not just a Central European nation, but also a Mediterranean country," Rupel said and added that Slovenia was also a maritime country. "Today, the role of Trieste has been taken over by the Slovenian coast and the port of Koper. When Slovenia insists on its vested right to territorial access to international waters it follows its strategic interests."
Rupel also noted that today the border in Primorsko was virtually gone, referring to Slovenia's upcoming accession to the Schengen passport-free area.
The foreign minister flattered the region by comparing it to Tuscany in Italy, Provence in France or California in the US, while he praised the people of Primorsko for their courage and dedication.
He also called for unity among Slovenians, regardless of their convictions, noting that experience had taught Slovenians that unity was required in the policy towards neighbour countries.
The 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, which took effect 60 years to the day, allocated a large part of Primorsko to the former Yugoslavia, and hence to Slovenia as its legal successor. The day was designated as the national holiday by parliament in 2005.
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