SLOVENIA'S DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT MINIMAL

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000288 SIPDIS SENSITIVE S/GPI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV BEXP BTIO EAID SUBJECT: SLOVENIA'S DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT MINIMAL REF: STATE 86401 Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) Approximately 500,000 Slovenians currently live abroad. Countries with large Slovenian populations are Austria, Italy, The United States, Argentina and Australia. Cleveland, Ohio is home to the largest Slovenian-American population in the United States. Slovenian communities in Austria and Italy are generally indigenous and live near the Slovenian border. Slovenes living in the United States, Argentina and Australia emigrated to those countries for economic or political reasons. Slovenian-American relationship with Slovenia -------------- ¶2. (U) There is little political involvement in Slovenia by Slovenian-Americans. Some Slovenes abroad retain the right to vote in Slovenian elections but they do not have a significant impact on Slovenian politics. Interest in Slovenia by Slovenes abroad has increased since Slovenia's independence but this interest and increased exchange is generally limited to, particularly with regard to Slovenian-Americans, cultural interest and exchange. Academic exchange -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Bostjan Zeks, Minister for Slovenes Abroad, told CDA on September 8 that Slovenia is interested in attracting high-level academics/scientists of Slovenian origin living abroad to return to Slovenia as guest speakers/professors. Zeks commented that there is some resistance to this from the academic community in Slovenia, particularly for job security reasons. Economic exchange -------------- ¶4. (U) Economic ties between the Slovenian Diaspora and Slovenia are minimal. In 2008, an Ohio based public-private business initiative EMTEC entered negotiations with JAPTI, a Slovenian government office created to promote FDI in Slovenia, to develop a partnership to help Slovenian and American businesses develop relationships. No agreement has been reached but the process continues to progress incrementally. FREDEN