Dear Citizens,

Dear People of Prekmurje,

The day on which we remember the Unification of the Prekmurje Slovenes with the Mother Nation is a holiday for all of us.

The time when Europe was healing its wounds after the devastation of World War I also opened up possibilities for drawing more sustainable and fairer solutions on Europe’s complex map. The opportunity to live together, as one nation, with our fellow Slovenes from Prekmurje, presented itself at the Paris Peace Conference and we grabbed it with both hands.

To a significant extent, the credit for us living in one country today is due to our great national awakeners. Dr Matija Slavič, Dr Jožef Klekl, Ivan Jerič and Miloš Küzmič – to name only a few – helped fulfil the longstanding ambitions of earlier generations with their persuasive, fact-based activism and consummate diplomatic skills.

The unification with the mother nation provided much-needed impetus for fostering the native culture, language identity and national awareness of Prekmurje’s people. It formed the basis for a new chapter in their political, cultural and economic life.

Now that we are forming increasingly stronger ties with the wider, trans-European community, Prekmurje is justifiably a synonym for a thriving multicultural and multireligious environment, and its people are known as respectful, modest and solidary members of our community.

We often hear that Prekmurje is a land of growth and opportunity. After years of seeking solutions for a breakthrough in development, it is time for us to be more specific and sincere in our wishes to recognise and support innovation, local knowledge and aspirations for the new, sustainable approaches burgeoning in the region. The Slovenian Government is determined to meet these ambitions in its desire to create a better living environment for the population of this great region.

Dear people of Prekmurje, dear citizens, I wish us all a wonderful Unification Day.