On her visit to Veneto, President Pirc Musar expressed the hope that every individual can live in freedom, with pride and respect for their roots

She congratulated the children on learning and preserving the Slovenian language and told them to be proud of their bilingualism, which is a tremendous asset in today's world. Mastering two languages, Slovenian and Italian, and perhaps another language, opens the door to a better understanding of the world, teaches them to accept diversity and gives them more opportunities in life. She told them to be proud of their cultural heritage and the Slovenian language, which is an important part of their identity. Further, she stressed that education is key to their personal development and future, regardless of the language of education, as it will allow them to develop into confident and successful people.

The President of the Republic then met with the mayors of the eighteen municipalities in the Province of Udine, which are also governed by the Slovenian Minority Protection Act. These mayors play an extremely important role, helping to strengthen the common identity of the province of Udine and the whole Veneto region through policies of inclusion and cooperation, building bridges between the Slovenian and Italian nations.
The President highlighted the great importance of preserving the Slovenian language for the Slovenian minority and the local support for educational and cultural institutions, such as the ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the Pavel Petričič school, which is a success story.

In closing, the President of the Republic called on mayors to tackle all the challenges that lie ahead together. The preservation of the language, culture and identity of the Slovenian minority is not only the task of the Slovenian community, but also of society at large, which must recognise and respect the richness of its multiculturalism. The President thanked the mayors for their efforts to develop their local municipal communities and in particular for their concern and support for the Slovenian minority, which has lived for centuries in this beautiful area at the crossroads of Slovenian and Italian cultures. She expressed the hope that they will continue to work together to create an environment where everyone can live in freedom, with pride and respect for their roots.

The President also visited the SMO centre (Landscape and Narrative Museum), where she held talks with representatives of Slovenian associations and organisations from the Province of Udine. She thanked them for preserving and strengthening the awareness of Slovenian linguistic and cultural belonging. Her working visit came to a close with a meeting with the women's group from Veneto.