He called it an interesting coincidence that the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is being celebrated just ten days after Slovenia celebrated its own 20th anniversary.
"Slovenians should be proud of given how far they have come in so short a time. Slovenia's achievements have been nearly miraculous," the ambassador said.
He nevertheless regretted that the celebrations fell short of uniting all Slovenians, given how all Slovenians joined together 20 years ago in the vote for independence.
Divisions in Slovenia between left and right, rich and poor, young and old are deeper than 20 years ago, he noticed, saying that America had also struggled with divisions throughout its history. However, now Americans strive for inclusiveness on July 4, he stressed.
In this spirit, he proposed a toast to "all Americans, those on the right and those on the left", those who "thought it wiser to remain a British colony and those who died to be rid of British domination".
He also toasted to to all Slovenians, "both of the right and the left, those who have sought greater freedom and those who seek greater security; those who fought against and were victims of totalitarianism, whether fascist or communist".
SOURCE: The Slovenia Times
