SLOVENIA, June 5 - Between June 3 and 4, 2024, the Commission for Relations with Slovenians Abroad and Around the World visited Washington D.C. This visit marked the final leg of a tour through Canada and the USA, which began in Ottawa and included stops in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

The program in Washington focused on familiarizing the Commission with the recent and historical activities of the Slovenian community in the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia). The Ambassador welcomed the Commission at the embassy, providing an overview of the embassy's operations, the consulate in Klagenfurt, and the network of honorary consuls across the USA.

During their time in Washington, the delegation visited the U.S. Congress, the Slovenian Chapel at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and met with members of the Slovenian community at the Embassy. At an event hosted at the embassy, the delegation learned about the construction of the Slovenian Chapel, which was dedicated in 1971, the establishment and objectives of the new American-Slovenian Business Club, the formation of a new association of Slovenians in New York, and the embassy's efforts to integrate the Slovenian community in the USA.

Such visits significantly enhance the understanding of the Slovenian community's dynamics in the USA and, more importantly, strengthen the bonds between emigrants and their homeland.