This year’s Maritime Day, celebrated in memory of the Resolution on the Maritime Orientation of Slovenia, adopted on 7 March 1991, was accompanied by a series of professional events organised by the Slovenian Maritime Administration in cooperation with the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport Portorož, the Port of Koper, the National Institute of Biology – Marine Biology Station Piran, and the Maritime Museum Piran. The central theme uniting all the events – including the roundtable The Sea Connects Us, organised by the Maritime Administration ahead of the main ceremony – was the resolution itself and its continuing commitments. The closing event was attended by the document’s co-authors, Mag. Gregor Velkaverh and Aurelio Juri, who shared insights into the drafting process and reflected on the historical context in which the resolution was adopted.
The celebration then continued at the main ceremony in the Monfort warehouse, where Director Jadran Klinec and Minister Alenka Bratušek addressed the audience. In his remarks, Klinec highlighted the challenges faced following the sale of Slovenia’s only shipping company, which has left young maritime students without opportunities to gain practical experience on domestic vessels. He emphasized that this gap poses serious questions about how to ensure and train qualified personnel capable of maintaining high-quality maritime and port services and upholding the competitiveness of Slovenia’s maritime sector in the international arena.
As in previous years, the event also served as an occasion to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to the field. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rok Sorta, a long-time professor at the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport in Portorož, who dedicated his life to maritime education. Minister Bratušek was presented with framed postage stamps featuring ships once operated by the former Slovenian shipping company – a symbolic reminder of the commitments made in the still-relevant Resolution on the Maritime Orientation of Slovenia.
“Preserving maritime heritage is our responsibility. Through sustainable solutions, innovation and cooperation, we must ensure a safe and prosperous future for Slovenian maritime affairs. At the same time, we must not allow our maritime nation to lose its seafarers,” emphasised Minister Alenka Bratušek, expressing her gratitude to all those dedicated to developing and preserving Slovenia’s maritime legacy.
