Ljubljana (MOREL)- On the occasion of Catalonia’s National Day, La Diada, the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to Central Europe organised an Event on the 8 September in the City Museum in Ljubljana. Because of the recent devastating floods in Slovenia, the delegation decided to change the focus of the event and seek the cooperation with the Lions Club Ljubljana Rožnik. The delegate of the Government of Catalonia to Central Europe, Krystyna Schreiber, emphasises: “As a delegation we are extremely proud and thankful for the good relations we are able to foster with the Slovenian nation. But there are not only common visions that connect Slovenia and Catalonia. What truly unites our people goes beyond political or economic interests: it is a very human principle - Affection. That is why today we decided to dedicate our Diada, to the reconstruction of areas in Slovenia, devastated by the recent floods. It is not just about “reconstruction”, it is about Hope. This is not about charity, it is about Solidarity. It is about respect and recognition of the other.

“ Therefore the delegation decided to offer Slovenian people a platform during the Catalan Diada event, so the voluntary humanitarian organisation Lions Club Ljubljana Rožnik could collect donations for the affected areas. President of the Lions Club Ljubljana Rožnik Rajko Kotnik: “Solidarity is in our DNA, only together we will rebuild our demolished towns.” All donations collected by the Lion’s Club will be deposited into a special transaction account of the Municipality of Črna, which sustained extensive damage in the catastrophe. Mayor of the Municipality of Črna na Koroškem, Romana Lesjak participated as well in the event and underlined: “We are really thankful to the Delegation, for organizing this event, which is giving us hope, that we are not alone in this disasters.

” Culture supporting reconstruction More than 70 people followed the invitation to the closed event, moderated by choreographer, ethnologist, and cultural anthropologist, Dr. Tomaž Simetinger. The Catalan guitar duo, Ribera Sàbat and the Ukrainian violin duo Sofiia and Anya Kysliak performed for the audience unique pieces. Among the guests were also Milan Kučan, the first president of Slovenia, Dominika Švarc Pipan, Minister of Justice and Ivo Vajgl, former Foreign Minister, who wanted to express solidarity during the event to strengthen the bonds of friendship and solidarity between Catalonia and Slovenia. As Catalonia and Slovenia join hands in the spirit of solidarity and unity, they send a powerful message, that together European nations can overcome challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Lucille Matscher Communications & Project Manager Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to Central Europe (end)