Senators’ Visit Boosts Bilateral Ties with Slovenia, Croatia

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian lead discussions with officials of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration during a meeting organized by the Philippine Embassy in Vienna under Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad (leftmost). (Vienna PE/PM Photo)

ZAGREB 04 June 2018 – The recent visit of a high-level delegation has boosted Philippine bilateral ties with Slovenia and Croatia, particularly in the field of science and technology, the Philippine Embassy in Vienna said.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad, who also heads the Philippine Mission in Vienna, said the delegation was led by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian. Also part of the delegation were Dr. Carlo Arcilla of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute and Undersecretary Donato Marcos of the Department of Energy.

“In our pursuit of ‘science diplomacy’ we direct our efforts towards contributing to our long-term national vision of having well-educated, innovative Filipinos who will continuously improve the quality of life in the Philippines,” Ambassador Natividad said.

“With this vision in mind, we seek closer cooperation with relevant institutions and contacts in Slovenia and Croatia,” she said. The visit of Senator Pimentel, who led the discussions, provided a great boost to our bilateral ties with these countries which could open up opportunities for our people,” Ambassador Natividad added.

In Slovenia, the world’s smallest nuclear country, the delegation met with the head of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, the independent regulatory body which regulates its nuclear facilities. There were also meetings with the Director General Martin Novsak of Gen Energija, a major power distributor, and the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant. In the past, Slovenia, through its nuclear reactor institute, Josef Stefan Institute, has hosted capacity building fellowships for Filipino scientists.

In Zagreb, the delegation met with Zeljko Reiner, Deputy Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, and  with heads of companies focused on science and technology and energy, including Zrinka Corak of the Institute of Nuclear Technology (INETEC), Marko Cosic of HEP.

Philippine Honorary Consul General to Croatia Davor Stern and Honorary Consul to Slovenia Srecko Debelac helped facilitate and took part in the activities in their respective countries of jurisdiction. END

For more information, visit www.viennape.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philippine-embassy.at or @pevienna on Twitter