On this occasion, Mr Bobinac presented Prime Minister Golob with a special official gift from the Slovenian Olympic Committee – a silver coin with the image of Leon Štukelj, a Slovenian Olympic sports icon, who won two Olympic gold medals in Paris 100 years ago.

Prime Minister Golob was given a tour of the entire Slovenia House, which also includes the studio of Val 202 radio channel, where he greeted the teams and spontaneously joined the programme. He greeted the listeners and invited everyone who will be in Paris to visit the House. Prime Minister Golob also watched the passing of the Olympic torch.

In a statement to the media, the Prime Minister congratulated the athletes taking part in this year's Olympic Games in Paris. This year, Slovenia is represented at the Paris Olympics by the largest ever Olympic delegation consisting of 197 members, including 90 athletes. In his statement, the Prime Minister pointed out that he and the president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee had also discussed tax changes. President Golob and Franjo Bobinac agreed to meet on this issue in September. "We are always happy when we see our athletes standing on the podium, making our country visible. It is fitting that we somehow give back to them and that we address the needs of athletes after the end of their career by changing tax and pension legislation," the Prime Minister added.

He also congratulated the Slovenian Olympic Committee and all the partners and colleagues who worked on the Slovenia House project. "When the representatives of the Slovenian Olympic Committee came to the Government to seek approval for this project, the Government unanimously supported the project," the Prime Minister said. "We agreed that we should make the most of this year's Games and the opportunities they bring, including in terms of promotion. I am confident that we will be very proud of our athletes in the days to come. Today, let us also be proud of what we have in the Slovenia House," he said.

The Prime Minister will continue his visit to Paris with a brief meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. "This will be an opportunity to thank him for his support for the largest investment in the automotive industry – Renault's investment in Revoz, which we finalised just this week. Without President Macron's support, this would not have been possible. With this in mind, I am here in Paris to thank him personally for his support," the Prime Minister added, concluding that we should be very proud of Slovenia.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Golob attended a reception hosted by Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, and his wife. Today, he will attend a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, followed by the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. Tomorrow morning, he will watch the men's handball match between Slovenia and Spain, attend the opening of the Slovenia House, and watch the kayak and canoe races.  

During the Olympic Games, from July 27 to August 11, the Slovenia House will serve as Slovenia's information, presentation and event hub for the French and global public at The Parc de la Villette, the site of some other national Olympic committees' houses, including that of France as the host country, a French television studio and the largest official fan zone.

The Slovenia House Paris 2024 project, which was supported by the Slovenian Government, is managed by the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations in cooperation with the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, the public agencies SPIRIT Slovenia and the Slovenian Tourist Board, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Paris and the Government Communication Office. 

The Slovenia House will focus on promoting Slovenia in the broadest sense, serving as a place where sport meets the Slovenian economy, tourism, culture, science, natural heritage, gastronomy and more. The attendance of high-level representatives of the state highlights their support for and encouragement of athletes, acknowledging their hard work and their role in promoting Slovenia.