The event will feature European commissioners for regional policy and for transport, Corina Cretu and Violeta Bulc, alongside some 500 participants.

The event, organised by the Foreign Ministry and the European Commission, marks the launch of EUSALP, which is the fourth macro-regional strategy of the EU.

Slovenia is the first country to hold EUSALP's presidency, so the maiden session of its general assembly will be held on the sidelines of the conference.

EUSALP envisages cooperation between five EU members (Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Slovenia) as well as Lichtenstein and Switzerland, and encompasses 48 regions.

It is to tighten cooperation in research and innovation, support SMEs, promote mobility and tourism and the management of energy resources to the benefit of more than 70 million of people.

A political resolution supporting it was signed by foreign and European affairs ministers of seven Alpine countries in October 2013, while the European Commission finally confirmed it in July last year.