The twin towns Nova Gorica and Gorizia were inaugurated as the European Capital of Culture at the Europe Square that connects the Slovenian and Italian town on Saturday, 8 February 2025, which is also the national day in Slovenia – the Prešeren’s Day. The ceremony was opened by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, and the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Asta Vrečko, and the Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, addressed the audience, emphasising that the project of uniting Nova Gorica and Gorizia was a historic moment of connecting cultures. The programme continued with the artistic performance on the Edvard Kardelj Square, and the common element of the entire programme was the composition Insieme (Together) by Toto Cutugno.
On the second day, a working meeting of the ministers of culture of the Western Balkans countries was held in two sessions, the topic of which was the best practices from the countries and possible joint activities between the Western Balkans and the EU to promote culture as a public good, whereby emphasis was placed on cultural heritage, digitisation and cooperation between the countries.
In her presentation, Federal Minister of Culture and Sports Sanja Vlaisavljević spoke about multicultural projects implemented by the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports with the aim of connecting customs, culture and identity. She emphasised that culture connected differences and created paths, connections and networks among its promoters, creating solid foundations for the future.
The working meeting was ended with the conclusion, emphasised by all speakers, that the contribution of culture and international cultural projects was crucial for sustainable development.
In addition to the ministers of culture and high-ranking officials, the working meeting was attended by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and European Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sports Glenn Micallef.
