On Friday 26 September, Ambassador Ian Biggs had the pleasure of visiting three regional centres in Slovenia, discovering both the rich history and the innovative spirit that connect Australia and Slovenia.
The visit began with a solemn wreath-laying at the “Peace Monument” dedicated to Australian and allied soldiers who lost their lives during the Second World War and are buried at Cemetery Pobrežje in Maribor.
While in Maribor, Ambassador Biggs also met with Dr Tomaž Rotovnik, CEO of SkyLabs d.o.o., a leading Slovenian space industry company. The meeting highlighted opportunities for innovation and collaboration in advanced technologies between Australia and Slovenia. SkyLabs recently participated in an Australian-hosted business event ahead of the 76th International Astronautical Congress held in Sydney from 29 September to 3 October and contributes to the SpIRIT nanosatellite project, led by the University of Melbourne and the Italian Space Agency.
In Celje, Ambassador Biggs was warmly welcomed by Mayor Matija Kovač. The meeting was an opportunity to learn about Celje’s history – which is symbolised today by the three stars on the Slovenian flag and coat of arms – as well as the importance of people-to-people links with Australia. Ambassador Biggs also visited the statue of Slovenian writer and novelist Alma Karlin, one of the first European women to complete a solo, eight-year around-the-world journey from 1919 to 1927 that also brought her to Australia.
The trip concluded with a visit to Adria Mobil, a leading producer of motorhomes and campervans, whose high-quality products are popular among Australians – an impressive example of how regional businesses contribute to the growing economic partnership between Australia and Slovenia.
