I am delighted to address the distinguished readers of The Wall Street Journal from Slovenia, a country of 2 million inhabitants and 20,000 sq. km that borders Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. My country is home to innovative and hardworking people and has an exceptional number of world-class athletes that includes NHL hockey star Anže Kopitar, NBA basketball magician Goran Dragić and the 2015 Alpine Skiing World Champion Tina Maze, who triumphed at Beaver Creek, as well as the 2016 Overall World Cup Winner in Ski Jumping Peter Prevc.
Slovenia – a young state that thinks big – is a member of the EU, NATO and the OECD, and has close ties with its international environment. The urge to explore opportunities around the globe has a long tradition in our national history. With our profound ambition to truly globalize our businesses the US remains our top overseas objective. Our economy is strongly export driven and we are pleased with our positive statistics in trade, services and tourism with the US.
Slovenians are known for their drive toward innovation and passion for the development of new technologies. The traditions of a good educational system, our knowledge-based society, a sense for rule and discipline, the qualities of persistence and creativity, respect for work, and profound respect for nature are among the key drivers of our nation’s progress.
Our cooperation in science and technology is creating an ever-greater footprint. A great example is the Slovenian ultra-light aircraft producer Pipistrel, which was awarded a NASA prize for the most energy-efficient product. Another example is the software company Celtra that developed technology for displaying interactive ads on mobile phones and also gained recognition also through American business awards.
The country unified its strengths in its ambition to become a green reference point in digital Europe. This project was first presented during my December 2015 visit to the US. On that occasion Memorandums of Cooperation were signed between my Government and Microsoft, Oracle and IBM.
Our industries are following suit. It is thrilling that our automotive components producers have pre-developer status with premium automotive manufacturers. There are some flagship Slovenian components that make these premium products even more innovative and competitive, such as high-tech Akrapovič’s exhaust systems for motorcycles and automobiles, or Hidria’s glow plugs with integrated pressure sensors for diesel engines.
We are keen to deploy even more technologies in the global green mobility sector, as we are confident that the US could also greatly benefit by relying ever more on our technological solutions. To name just a few state-of-the-art Slovenian products in this emerging cluster I would cite the development of new generation of lithium-sulfur electric batteries at the National Institute of Chemistry and Elaphe in-wheel-electric motors.
US investments in my country are spread throughout the banking sector, hi-tech companies and producers of machinery and equipment. Let me conclude with the wish that my address will contribute to a greater number of American investors choosing Slovenia for their operations and that it will encourage American tourists to discover what Slovenia has to offer. My country is predominantly a green and pleasant environment for living in or visiting. Situated at the heart of Europe, it offers the perfect starting point from which to visit our neighbouring countries quickly and easily.
Miro Cerar Prime Minister of Republic of Slovenia