"The status Slovenia has now, and will continue to hold for another two years, is substantively and financially more favourable," Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said after talks on Tuesday with ESA director Eric Morel de Westgaver.

For cooperating member states the scope of cooperation and the financial contribution is lower than for full members. At the same time, Slovenia can participate in all ESA programmes, Počivalšek was quoted as saying in a ministry press release.

Slovenia last year engaged in talks on full-fledged membership, motivated by the prospective benefits to the corporate sector and science. Around 40 Slovenian firms have expressed an interest in participating, according to the ministry.

"Slovenia wants to participate in programmes with high potential for businesses. These include Earth observation, navigation and space technology," Počivalšek said.