18 March 2016 - State Secretary Aleš Cantarutti of Slovenia’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology expressed optimism that the visit of the Slovenian Business Mission from March 02 to 03 will lead to the deepening of bilateral relations.

The business mission was organized at the invitation of Philippine Ambassador to Austria Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson. Ambassador Collinson discussed the proposed business mission with State Secretary Cantarutti and officials of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia following her presentation of credentials in Ljubjana last October 2015.

The program of the business mission was packed with bilateral meetings, plenary presentations and B2B exchanges held at the historic building of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI) which hosted their Slovenian counterparts. The Philippine Embassy in Vienna worked closely with CCPI and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) - Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations (OUIER) and Office of European Affairs (OEA) in organizing the Mission’s program and schedule. 

State Secretary Cantarutti made separate calls on DFA Undersecretary for International

Economic Relations Laura del Rosario, Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Fernando Manalo, and on CCPI’s Chairman Emeritus Ramon A. Pedrosa and President Jose Luis U. Yulo Jr.

Philippine and Slovenian businessmen agreed to maximize the strategic positions of their two countries in their respective geographic regions, with the Philippines serving as Slovenia’s gateway to the enlarged ASEAN market, and the latter as the Philippines’ entry point to Southeastern Europe, particularly to the nations of the former Yugoslavia. The key is long term partnership beyond trade.  The two sides also agreed to cooperate and build mutual capacities in the areas of defense, energy, waste management, small hydro power stations, consumer electronics and appliances, wood products, automotive parts. END