(ANSA) - TRIESTE, JAN. 19 - A very fruitful meeting that has allowed us to achieve a very strong collaboration and common intentions on strategic subjects such as infrastructure, education, culture, environment and healthcare, which are topics on which we have been paying close attention since the beginning. I believe that by working together in the joint committee we have greatly improved the relations between our two countries'', said the President of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Debora Serracchiani, at the end of the bilateral meeting with the vice premier and Slovenian foreign minister Kark Erjavec and the plenary session of the FVG-Slovenia Joint Committee. ''Our friendship'', the deputy premier said, ''will continue regardless of the outcome of the elections''. ''We know that general election are scheduled in Italy for March 4, and in Slovenia they will be held in June, a crucial moment''. The bilateral meeting was divided into six tables, and it was attended by the Italian ambassador to Ljubljana, Paolo Trichilo, and his Slovenian counterpart in Rome Bogdan Benko, and the Minister for Slovenians Abroad Gorazd mavc. In a joint press statement, the FVG Region and Slovenia therefore expressed their ''satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation'' and ''commit themselves to a more effective joint action within the European Macro-regional Strategies, European Programming and European Territorial Cooperation, sectors in which both Slovenia and the FVG Region will encourage the promotion of the results achieved by the Interreg Italy-Slovenia projects''.

Slovenia and FVG also commit themselves ''to favour the complete affirmation and promotion of minorities''. Among the issues, even the improvement of transport: ''it was agreed to define a strategic project aimed at improving sustainable mobility in the cross-border area and, in this context, restore the Trieste-Ljubljana railway connection, with possible local branches on the Udine - Gorizia - Nova Gorica - Soca Valley line''. During the meeting, Serracchiani reiterated ''the FVG Region's steady opposition to the Zaule LNG terminal project and the need to strengthen the collaboration in terms of scientific research in view of Trieste Esof 2020''. Erjavec fully agreed with Serracchiani on the LNG terminal project, ''taking into the need to save the delicate ecosystem of the Adriatic Sea''. The Foreign Minister showed appreciation for the establishment of the Slovenian Language Office in Trieste and agreed with the president of FVG Region to pursue the application of Collio/Brda to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List''. (ANSA).