Slovenia to Seek to Increase Recognition at Expo Show

Speaking about Slovenia's presentation at a press conference in Ljubljana on Monday, Agriculture Minister Dejan Židan said the country would pursue three goals at the Expo between 1 May and 31 October.

"Improving Slovenia's recognition and the I Feel Slovenia brand, increasing the recognition of trade marks and brands in Italy and within the European area, which will promote exports, and showing Slovenia as an exceptional tourism destination," Židan said.

He underscored that Italy was the biggest market for Slovenian tourism, as well as Slovenia's second biggest trade partner and the third by incoming investment.

Around 20 million visitors are expected at the world show in Milan, which the head of the Tourism and Internationalisation Directorate, Marjan Hribar, sees as a major opportunity for the Slovenian economy.

Considering the theme of the Expo relates to food, Hribar said an important goal was to reduce the distance between pitch fork and fork.

The commissioner-general for the Slovenia Expo Milan 2015 section, Jerneja Lampret, noted that the country would be presented under the motto "I Feel Slovenia - Green, Active, Healthy".

The presentation will focus on five areas as stories about salt pans, honeybees, spa springs, hiking and the black carbon project. Slovenian companies have also been invited to make their contribution to the presentation in the Slovenian pavilion.

The latter will be built by Lumar, a prefabricated houses maker, which offers active houses - which generate more energy than they consume - as an answer for the future.

Also highlighted at today's news conference was food production that is sustainable and based on tradition.

Italy is the prime market for the Slovenian food industry, accounting for almost a quarter of its exports, according to the head of the branch at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tatjana Zagorc.