Slovenia celebrates 25 years of independence
Slovenia on Saturday, June 25, celebrated its 25th anniversary of independence. In an official statement marking this day and 25 years of Slovenian Diplomacy, it is argued:
“Twenty-five years is a period long enough for us – as a state and as individuals – to look back and assess what has changed, what has improved and what has stayed the same. We can definitely be proud of the path we have taken. After 25 years, which brought numerous challenges and turning points, Slovenia and Slovenian diplomacy are mature, confident, penetrating, creative and innovative, just like the Slovenian people.
If we look back at the period since its beginnings in 1990, we can say that Slovenian foreign policy and diplomacy co-created the growing ambitions and goals of the Slovenian state and considerably contributed to their fulfilment. Today, Slovenia is a Member State of the European Union and NATO, and it has presided over the OSCE, the European Union and the Council of Europe. As a newly-established state, Slovenia has served a term on the UN Security Council, become a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the second time, and is also a member of the UNESCO Executive Board.
But the work of Slovenian diplomacy is far from complete. Last year, the Foreign Ministry invested a significant amount of work in preparing two new strategic documents for Slovenian foreign policy – the Declaration of Foreign Policy of the Republic of Slovenia and the Foreign Policy Strategy of the Republic of Slovenia – in collaboration with many partners from political, expert and academic circles and the interested public. Both documents contain the fundamental guidelines for the work of Slovenian diplomacy in the future, and will improve and facilitate Slovenia’s responsiveness to current developments in international relations.
The past 25 years have given rise to many positive stories about Slovenian diplomacy, foreign policy and other spheres; they have been collected in the web publication entitled 25 Years, where developments in various areas are briefly outlined over 40 pages. You are invited to read the stories at www.slovenia25.si, a website presenting various topics related to the 25th anniversary of independent Slovenia.”
Photo: Slovenia’s Entry into the EU. Photo: Salomon 2000, source: UKOM / slovenia25.si
