28. 10. 2025
On the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, retired Slovenian and Italian diplomats met in Gorizia and Nova Gorica to reflect on half a century of efforts for peace, cooperation, and the strengthening of relations between the two countries.
Former Slovenian ambassador Božo Cerar emphasized that the Osimo Agreements “remain the foundation of friendly relations between the two countries in the spirit of the Helsinki Final Act.” According to him, it was precisely dialogue and trust that enabled Italy and Yugoslavia – later Slovenia – to resolve numerous outstanding issues. As a positive example of cooperation, he also mentioned the recent return of Carpaccio’s painting.
The symposium also included Italian diplomat Francesco Bascone, Slovenian ambassador Andrej Grasselli, and historian Raoul Pupo. Bascone recalled that the Helsinki Final Act was proof that countries could negotiate during the Cold War, emphasizing that Europe today needs a similar vision of cooperation. Grasselli highlighted the legal aspects of the Osimo Agreements, while Pupo added that the Helsinki process and Osimo were both products of the same spirit of collaboration in the 1970s.
The event, also held in the context of the upcoming European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia, once again highlighted the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in strengthening trust and a shared European future.
Summarized from Primorski dnevnik.
