STA, 13 May 2019 - President Borut Pahor will host Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, for a visit on Tuesday and Wednesday during which the pair will celebrate the first Slovenia-UK Friendship Day in the southern region of Bela Krajina.
The visit will "celebrate the history and future of the enduring friendship between the UK and Slovenia", the British Embassy in Ljubljana said ahead of the visit.
Slovenia-UK Friendship Day will be launched on 14 May near Vinica where the locals helped the surviving members of the crew of a British bomber downed by the Germans close to the end of World War II.
Ever since, the links have been leading into a strong bilateral partnership in the field of common security and defence, the British Embassy said.
With just 1 day left until the visit of HRH The Earl of Wessex to ??, here is an overview by @HMASophieHoney of things we look forward to the most over the next two days. #Excited? We know we are ?#RoyalVisitSlovenia #SloUKFriendship #SloUKFriends @RoyalFamily @BorutPahor pic.twitter.com/0WtE16LcJL
— UK in Slovenia (@UKinSlovenia) May 13, 2019
On Tuesday evening, Prince Edward will take part in the annual reception hosted by the embassy at Ljubljana Castle to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 93rd birthday.
As a tribute to the long-serving monarch and the friendship between the two countries the castle will be illuminated in the colours of the Slovenian and UK flags.
On the second day of the visit, the prince and Pahor will take part in an event in Ljubljana's Tivoli Park as part of the MEPI youth programme which will see more than 200 young people participate in various workshops.
As the guests of honour, the president and the earl of Wessex will plant a tree symbolising the friendship between Slovenia and the UK.
MEPI, the Slovenian for the International Award For Young People, is a global non-formal education framework which challenges young people to spend their free time in creative ways and to explore and develop their potential.
The prince will also attend a business event at Union Hotel organised by MEPI and the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce in which the countries will share experience in how they educate new generations and shape the future of work.
The debate will also feature NLB bank chairman Blaž Brodnjak, Education Minister Jernej Pikalo and the head teacher of the Celje-Center Secondary School, Gregor Deleja.
The president's office expects the visit by the British prince to give an new impetus to the bilateral relationship.
The countries have had good cooperation within the EU and NATO and share similar views on preservation of peace, security and prosperity in the world, boosting democracy and the rule of law, and efficient multilateral cooperation.
Pahor invited the youngest of the four children of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Slovenia during his official visit to the UK to meet the queen at the end of February.
After Slovenia, Edward will also visit Croatia.
Prince Edward visited Slovenia in 2013 along with his wife, the Countess of Wessex. He met Pahor at the time.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited Slovenia in 2008, Prince Charles in 1998, Prince Andrew in 2007, and Princess Anne in 1996.
