The President supports the Route of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea project

Ljubljana, 11.5.2011  |  press release

President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Danilo Türk organised a discussion on the Route of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea project, in which representatives of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, the Foundation for Routes of Peace in Posočje and the TIGR Primorska Association for Cultivating Patriotic Traditions all participated. During the discussion, the participants reviewed the activities for the implementation of this project, which is dedicated to preserving, restoring and presenting the historical and cultural heritage of the First World War in the area of the Soča (Isonzo) Front for the purposes of study and research, tourism and education. Partners from Slovenia and Italy are taking part in the project, which is seeking financial support from the European Union.

In his statement to the press, President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Danilo Türk said that during his recent state visit to Italy, he proposed to President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano a joint patronage over this project. He recalled that we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, which was a historical catastrophe for Europe and left its mark on the continent throughout the 20th century. All kinds of totalitarian regimes emerged from the devastation left by the First World War. Dr Türk went on to note that our present-day Europe, which respects human rights and is oriented firmly towards lasting peace, has its foundations in the very recognition of the absurdity and fatality of the tragedy of which the Soča Front was a part.

The Soča Front was one of the great battlefields of the war, in which vast numbers of young people from a very wide area of Europe lost their lives. The President firmly believes that it is important to highlight this memory in a full and proper way. He noted that he has also been discussing the project with other Central European presidents who are interested in having the memory of the victims from their respective countries treated with proper respect and in ensuring the understanding of all dimensions of this major European tragedy.

The president of the management board of the Foundation for Routes of Peace in Posočje and head of the Tolmin Administrative Unit, Zdravko Likar, explained that a 100-kilometre path of the Route of Peace from Log pod Mangartom to Most na Soči has already been completed and that the remaining part of the route through the Gorizia and Trieste Karst to the Adriatic Sea at Duino is expected to be finished by the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. The Route of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea project includes the setting up of memorials, linking museum collections and open-air museums, a historical library, a guiding service and preparation of promotional materials and websites. The Foundation is also planning to set up a European Memorial Park.