Under the proposal adopted on Thursday, the country would become an associate member before becoming a full-fledged member in five years.

Slovenia started membership talks in 2009, but the process ground to a halt soon after, with the membership fee mentioned as the main reason.

Education, Science and Sport Minister Maja Makovec Brenčič told the press after the government session that a big step had been made today and that membership in CERN would bring a number of opportunities for Slovenia in science, economy and education.

"By becoming a CERN member we will get access to research infrastructure and technological projects and unlimited access to educational programmes, especially in engineering and doctoral programmes, as well as summer schools, courses for little children and training of teachers," the minister added.

The move will also be an opportunity for the industry sector to establish itself in demanding markets by selling high-tech products, the minister also said.

The proposal backed today comes after Makovec Brenčič visited CERN in November and is pending an endorsement from the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee.

CERN is the world's leading particle physics laboratory and one of the most elite scientific institutions, which frequently produces new discoveries and has helped spur the development of a range of new technologies.