Parliament Speaker France Cukjati met on Friday in Tainach his Austrian counterpart Barbara Prammer, discussing bilateral relations and possibilities for their improvement. Cukjati pointed to the importance of solving open questions regarding the Slovenian minority in the province of Carinthia and the minority's inclusion in cross-border cooperation.
Cukjati pointed to good cooperation between the countries both at the EU and the regional level. Stable economic growth in Slovenia provides hope that the country will soon come close to Austrian GDP, Cukjati added during his visit to Carinthia. He said that opportunities for economic cooperation should not be missed, primarily between the Slovenian region of Gorenjsko and Carinthia. Slovenian-speaking executives in Austria can play an important role in the process, added Cukjati.
Slovenia as the mother country has the moral responsibility for its minority in Carinthia, said Cukjati, expressing his concern over the funding of bilingual kindergartens and Slovenian music school.
Prammer regretted the fact that the proposal by the Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer on bilingual signs was not confirmed, adding that the issue should not remain in limbo only because of opposition from a single person, referring to Carinthian Governor Joerg Haider. She meanwhile emphasised "Slovenia's success story in the EU" and promised Austria's support during Slovenia's upcoming six-month spell as EU president. Prammer is convinced that Slovenia will on 30 June 2008 be able to "look back at the last six months with pride".
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