Government of the Republic of Slovenia

05/15/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/16/2024 02:32

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs on the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty

On the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs would like to emphasise that the Austrian State Treaty is of lasting importance for the Republic of Slovenia, as Article 7 of the Treaty provides an international legal basis for guaranteeing the rights of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia and Styria. The Republic of Slovenia is the legal successor to the Treaty and the state protector of the Slovenian minority.

Ensuring the realisation of the rights of the Slovenian minority therefore remains a priority for Slovenian diplomacy.

After almost seven decades, the obligations laid down in Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty have still not been fully met. Their implementation is particularly important in the areas of ensuring adequate bilingual education from pre-school to the end of compulsory schooling, public use of the Slovene language and visible bilingualism.

We expect the Republic of Austria to make additional efforts to fulfil the commitments contained in the Treaty and to ensure the full implementation of the rights of the Slovene minority, also in accordance with international conventions on the rights of minorities to which it is a party. We call for the speedy implementation of appropriate solutions to the issues raised by the minority.

In this context, the Republic of Slovenia will continue to promote, in an open dialogue with the neighbouring and friendly Republic of Austria, the deepening of partnership relations based on the membership of both countries in the European Union and the pursuit of common interests in bilateral, regional and international settings.