First, I mentioned already that’s center for in the [IB] perspective which is promoting interface intercultural dialogue in the region, secondly, we have initiated; especially it was in the Council of Europe and interoriginal mobility project for Western Balkans by which by 2012 we should abolish school fees for students for the region, for that purpose Slovenia will also increase number of scholarship for Western Balkans and certainly which has a broader dimension as an instrument of enhancing original cooperation we have assisted and established Euro-Mediterranean universities so called EMUNI which was inaugurated in June 2008 during our EU presidency as our direct contribution to what I have defined as a priority during our EU presidency.  So EMUNI is now acting as coordinator and facilitator of a joint academic and research activities together with its partner institutions EMUNI is network of over one hundred member institutions from 32 states so this is really Euro-Mediterranean scope and it brings together representatives of different culture, national ethnic and religious background.  We believe in Slovenia when you go, you know, from holistic debate that education is really critical in fostering the respect and understanding among cultures, so that’s the area where we believe the investment is worthwhile and where we should engage, you know, and encourage our schools to open up to local, regional, national and international environment and to design curricular scholastic change, you know, students and professors to train, you know, both categories students and professors and thus create, you know, a most safer environment within reach tolerance and dialogue can be promoted.  Thank you.

Interviewer:    Thank you.

Interviewee:    We now, we’re open up for questions but I think I will go first if it’s okay with everyone, I made notes several.  In the beginning you spoke about how Slovenia, the people of Slovenia have maintained their culture and can you share a little bit about, you know, sort of the history and how that has affected how Slovenians have defined and currently define themselves in their culture and how’d they’ve been able to maintain their rich culture in the midst of all of that and so..?

Interviewee:    Well, as a small nation you have to be able to adopt not to be subjective  but to adopt to the environment but at the same time stand strongly for what, you know, defines your identity and, you know, five hundred years ago we wrote the first book in Slovenian and we, you know, we are the only country in Europe that erected a monument to Napoleon, you would be amazed because we don’t like warriors but Napoleon brought to Slovenians the very providences of prosperity which ensure, you know, strengthening of Slovenian culture and education so now in the midst of Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, we have a monument of Napoleon which comes to a great surprise not only to French but to many others, but at the same time at our main square in Ljubljana we have a monument to our greatest poet, so you we’re in vane search for monuments of warriors, so the poet is t he reference to our national identity and, you know, nurturing the language is something that is deep in our mind and in our blood and even when we gained our independence now as a small country, we acquire significant number of resources but also GDP for culture because that is something that at the end of the day defines a nation.  So, this history was turbulent and we were so often exposed to challenges but in the decisive moments,you know, each nation has decisive moments where you have to stand up where poets are not helpful anymore when you have to take arms and… Well, that was needed, we have done that.  We were challenged in particularly of course in the Second World War through Nazis and Fazis and at that time our nation stood up, took arms.  And secondly, in you know, in 1991 when Yugoslav army, you know, somehow abandon this period of community and, you know, was simply let it to wipe us out we have to stand up.  So, you know, you have to know when you have to stand up for yourself.  But of course, the more important is that you look for solutions for instruments that, you know, enabling the growth of your nation in a larger community that’s why we feel now so safe within the European Union.