President attends the ceremony commemorating the Bazovica heroes

In her address, the President stressed that the Bazovica heroes had in them an undeniable moral, spiritual, emotional and intellectual greatness: "Their actions stemmed from their inner self, from the depths of heart and spirit, from their longing for freedom and love for others. Together with like-minded allies, they resolutely and courageously resisted the cowardly, violent and systematic denial of ethnic, linguistic, cultural, political and economic rights perpetrated by the fascist regime and its squadrists. They stood strong and did not accept terror, arson, humiliation, the shutting down of Slovenian associations, cooperative, and schools, the suppression of the Slovenian language, and the destruction of the political and economic foundations of Slovenian identity."

"The people of Primorska endured more than twenty years of fascist violence. Writer Boris Pahor vividly stated that 'the first Bazovica trial was a terrible blow that struck at the very heart of Slovenian identity in the Primorska region'. Fascist repression struck at the very core of the nation, penetrating all aspects of free human activity, fulfilment, feeling and expression. Historical wounds are usually deep; their healing requires time, wisdom, sincere understanding, tolerance and compassion. I am pleased that, 95 years on, official relations with the Republic of Italy are very good. This is reflected in political, economic and cross-border cooperation, support for national minorities, cultural and educational projects, and friendly relations between residents along the border.  Joint initiatives that respect history and painful memories, including on the basis of an increasing knowledge of places such as Bazovica, should serve as proof that cooperation, understanding and mutual respect build strong and lasting ties between countries. While honouring the memory of historical facts, pain and suffering, we must continually strive for reconciliation and forgiveness and ensure that the atrocities of both world wars are never repeated," said the President.

In conclusion, she emphasised that Bazovica is not only a place, but also a symbol of Slovenian, Croatian, Italian and European anti-fascism. It represents inner strength, maturity, wisdom, humanity and the ability of nations to live in peace, harmony, mutual understanding, justice and shared responsibility for future generations. She concluded by stressing that it is our shared responsibility to preserve freedom, respect the rights of all people and build a society where diversity is a source of progress and strength, not of conflict. Only with courage, wisdom, sincere reflection, tolerance and mutual respect can we prevent historical mistakes from being repeated. The world needs this now more than ever before.