President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, visits Lendava

Lendava, 25.3.2008  |  press release

President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, today visited the Slovenian town of Lendava. At the town hall, President Türk met the mayor of Lendava, Anton Bala¾ek, the Minister of Transport, Radovan ®erjav, the representative of the Pomurje Hungarian Self-Governing National Community, Jo¾ef Kocon, and other representatives of the local municipality and educational institutions.

The President of the Republic was briefed on the municipal development plan, which focuses on the development of Lendava as a multicultural logistical and tourist centre. According to the mayor, Lendava has drawn up ambitious plans despite facing a shortage of staff, a high structural unemployment rate and adverse demographic trends. The Minister of Transport underlined that major regional development projects include the completion of the Pomurje section of the motorway and establishing a railway link as part of the fifth pan-European transport corridor. The representative of the Hungarian National Community informed the President of the status of the Hungarian minority and regarding problems encountered by its members. The minority enjoyed a high degree of protection, he pointed out, nevertheless action could be taken to strengthen the rights of the national communities in practice.

President Türk emphasised Lendava’s special situation in experiencing positive and optimistic development despite difficult circumstances. ‘Adverse demographic trends pose greater risks in the nationally mixed areas. If there is no appropriate development potential, minorities are at risk as well. Therefore coexistence is important and this is also demonstrated by the fact that the development projects benefit the members of all national communities in the region,’ said Dr Türk.

President Türk concluded his visit with a discussion of the operations and development plans of Nafta Lendava, one of region’s most important companies.