Slovenian Cultural Holiday also marks the ceremonial opening of the cross-border European Capital of Culture

9. 2. 2025

Ministry of Culture

Yesterday, on the occasion of the Slovenian Cultural Holiday, the opening ceremony From station to station took place to unite Nova Gorica and Gorizia as the European Capital of Culture for a year. Before the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture Asta Vrečko, together with European Commissioners Marta Kos and Glenn Micallef, addressed local and international journalists in Nova Gorica and hosted a reception for distinguished guests with delegations at Hotel Perla.

Over the past two and a half years, the Ministry of Culture has worked with cultural institutions and professionals to strengthen international cultural relations and cultural diplomacy. This has included leveraging two exceptional opportunities to enhance the global visibility of Slovenian culture and art: Slovenia as the Guest of Honour at both the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Bologna Book Fair. Now, a new opportunity lies ahead – the European Capital of Culture 2025, Nova Gorica.

»We are proud of this project because it speaks of both the past and the present, of the transformative power of art and culture, and of their contribution to this region, Slovenia, and Europe,« said Minister of Culture Vrečko in a statement to the media. She emphasised that this was one of the most significant international cultural events in Slovenia’s history.

In addition to Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport, the reception at Hotel Perla was attended by, among others, the Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia, Jerneja Jug Jerše, Italian Minister of Culture Allesandro Giuli, Greek Deputy Minister of Culture Iason Fotilas, Representative of the Polish Ministry of Culture Marta Cienkowska, German Minister of State for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Culture Mario Maruška, Montenegrin Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović, North Macedonian Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Culture and Sports dr. Sanja Vlaisavljević, Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska Željka Stojičić, Assistant Minister of Culture of the Republic of Serbia Stanko Blagojević, Albanian Ambassador to Slovenia Oljan Kanushi, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Assistant to the Minister of Civil Affairs Suvad Džafić, the Director of Directorate for International Cultural Cooperation and European Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Anja Jelavić, President of the Frankfurt Book Fair dr. Juergen Boos and the Director of Franfurt Archeological Museum dr. Wolfgang David.

As Minister Vrečko said at the reception, the slogan of the European Capital of Culture GO! Borderless is not just about the freedom of movement within the European Union but also about the extending culture beyond borders. Culture extends the borders of our world. The slogan GO! Borderless offers a vision of a future in which culture transcends historical differences and national borders, bringing people and communities together and calling for peace: »No culture exists in isolation. A look through history shows that people who have migrated to a particular geographical area have always contributed to and enriched the culture of the local community.« She expressed her wish that cultural differences would become a source of inspiration rather than fear. In closing, she highlighted the importance of fostering dialogue on key cultural and artistic issues at both national and international levels, as both culture and art play a vital role in promoting democratic values and ideas. »It’s time to start looking at culture as the heart of a democratic society«, she added.