After two years of preparations, the Slovenian Government opens the Euro-Mediterranean University in Portoroz, one of the goals of the six-monthly presidency of the EU. The morning saw the meeting of the International Academic Council and a public conference on advanced learning and intercultural dialogue. The official ceremony will be held in the evening in the presence of Ljubljana’s president Janez Jansa, the president of the EU Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering. In addition, guest speakers will include Amre Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, several national ministers and MEPs. The international university, that supports the Union’s Erasmus mundus project, aims to "preserve the cultural, artistic and human heritage of the euro-Mediterranean area". According to Veronika Stabej, Slovenian ambassador to the EU, "multiculturalism and youth exchanges already mean more employment, mobility and social inclusion". Today’s ceremony will also be attended by the delegates of some companies that intend to support the university, which will receive EU funds.
