''We are gathered here to mark the formal launch of the three projects that will make a major contribution to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region – EUSAIR in the coming years. The projects are a tremendous opportunity and responsibility at the same time. Slovenia has been an active advocate for the strategy ever since 2014, promoting in particular the economic, cultural and scientific collaboration among the entities in the region,'' said Minister Jevšek in his opening remarks.

The central EUSAIR governance support project, i.e., EUSAIR Facility Point, led by Slovenian lead partner, has been running since 2016. It is the first of its kind in Europe. Support to EUSAIR governance will also be provided by the strategic projects EUSAIR Stakeholders Engagement Point (StEP), led by Italian lead partner, and Support to Development and Implementation of Strategic Implementation Formats (SP4EUSAIR), led by Croatia.

The conference brought together the stakeholders from the Adriatic and Ionian Region who expressed political commitment and support for the three projects and their role in EUSAIR implementation. The EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region - EUSAIR is a macro-regional strategy of the EU. Ten countries participate in the strategy, four EU member states (Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia) and six non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino and Serbia). The strategy covers a territory that is home to 70 million people.  

On the sidelines of the kick-off conference, Minister Jevšek and Minister Erlić met to discuss various bilateral issues, focusing particularly on the flood risk management project that will improve flood resilience along the rivers flowing through Slovenia and Croatia. The project will be implemented by the two countries as part of the cross-border cooperation programme Interreg VI-A Slovenia-Croatia 2021-2027.