Vatican City, Nov 29, 2007 / 11:02 am
Today in a meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, invited the Holy Father to visit Slovenia in 2009 “for the occasion of the Year of Young People and for the closure of the National Eucharist Congress.”
Also within this meeting, "Prime Minister Jansa outlined the priorities and principal initiatives for the forthcoming six-month Slovenian presidency of the European Union, from January to June 2008. In this context, the Cardinal Secretary of State expressed his hope that the six-month Slovenian presidency may bring positive results and, in particular, peace and stability in the region of southeastern Europe.
The prime minister and the cardinal spoke about the process of church property being returned that was nationalized under the communist regime and the prospects for creating a diocese for the Slovenian military as well.