Slovenian president and entrepreneurs visit the Netherlands

Rotterdam, The Hague, 28.11.2011  |  press release

The Slovenian president, Dr Danilo Türk, today arrived in the Netherlands on an official visit, accompanied by a delegation of 40 Slovenian entrepreneurs. He first met with Dutch entrepreneurs at the Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce and then attended the opening of the Dutch-Slovenian business conference. The conference was attended by over 80 Dutch business representatives. Several separate meetings were also held between the representatives of companies from both countries.

In his address at the business conference, the Slovenian president drew attention to the high trade volumes, a balanced trade in services and the wide variety of forms of bilateral economic cooperation involving several companies. Moreover, he recalled the valuable advice and assistance provided by the Netherlands to Slovenia in its endeavours to accede to the European Union. President Türk described Slovenia as a country with a strategically important geographical position – at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean – that can learn a great deal from the Netherlands in terms of benefiting from this advantage.

According to the Slovenian president, there is potential for the development of economic cooperation in a wide range of activities, ranging from the construction industry and logistics on the one hand to information technology, agriculture, financial services and banking on the other. Dr Türk especially highlighted cooperation in business education and training.

He said that Slovenia should adopt additional measures to encourage foreign investment and ensure that environmental protection provisions are observed. On the other hand, much has already been done to simplify the procedures for establishing companies that provide assistance to foreign investors. Slovenia also needs the strong and resolute engagement of the business sector. To this end, the business conference in Rotterdam could make a significant contribution.

In the evening, the Slovenian president met with Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in the Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague. In a pleasant atmosphere, they discussed the situation in Europe and the challenges faced by the European Union and the wider European environment, as well as the crucial social and development issues at hand, including those related to youth unemployment. The Slovenian president, Dr Türk, invited Queen Beatrix to visit the Republic of Slovenia at the next convenient opportunity.