The Porabje Slovenians and the Prekmurje Hungarians represent a strong bridge between our two countries

In the morning part of the programme, President Pirc Musar went to Monošter to meet with the representatives of the Slovenian national community in Hungary and then attended a bilateral meeting with Hungarian President Sulyok. The meeting mainly focused on economic cooperation and the development of the border regions. The presidents agreed that the regions of Prekmurje and Porabje have great potential for increasing opportunities for entrepreneurship, tourism and new jobs through cooperation between the two countries. They stressed that there was extensive and growing economic cooperation between the two countries that must be further developed with new investments and projects, particularly for the benefit of young people in border areas.

Both presidents then attended the main ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the National Slovene Self-Government in Hungary. In her address, President Pirc Musar described the long journey of the Slovenian community in Porabje and their determination to preserve their identity. She said that the Slovenian community in Porabje "has trodden a path which shows that, even from a once unfavourable minority position, it is possible to build a connected, successful and confident community focused on the future". She addressed young people in particular, emphasising that "bilingualism and multilingualism are a treasure, and growing up with two or more cultures is a privilege".

In Monošter, the President highlighted the excellent cooperation between the two countries regarding the protection of national communities. She said that the attendance of both presidents at the ceremony was proof "that Slovenia and Hungary have an exemplary cooperation in the field of protecting national communities, as both are aware that the Porabje Slovenians and the Prekmurje Hungarians represent a strong bridge between our two countries".

The afternoon part of the visit continued in Lendava, where the presidents were received by the Hungarian national community in Slovenia. Speaking at the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian self-governing national community in Pomurje, President Pirc Musar said that national minorities are the key custodians of the values that enrich our society. "National minorities live cultural and linguistic diversity, tolerance, harmony and cross-border cooperation. These values enrich our shared European space."

In Lendava, President Pirc Musar reaffirmed Slovenia’s ongoing commitment to fostering a supportive environment for the Hungarian community in Slovenia, stressing the importance of continued bilateral cooperation.

The full-day joint visit confirms the strong political will to further strengthen cooperation between Slovenia and Hungary, upgrade development projects on both sides of the border and support young generations that represent the future of Porabje and Prekmurje. In conclusion, President Pirc Musar said that "harmony and successful cooperation are the guarantee for the well-being of everyone in this area and for the progress of the region as a whole".