UN membership represented the apex of independence efforts and made the country an equal member of the international community, the Foreign Ministry said.

Slovenia has achieved a lot since, having become a credible member of the international community that is active in all key international fora, according to the ministry.

Every year a notable diplomat is in the spotlight on Diplomacy Day. This year it is Izidor Cankar (1886-1958), a mid-20th century ambassador and minister.

He was the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's ambassador to Argentina in 1942-1944, which he followed up with a posting in Greece in 1945-1947 for the Democratic Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Also a writer and art historian, Cankar left an indelible mark on Slovenian politics and culture in the first half of the 20th century.

He is considered the pioneer of art history in Slovenian lands. Co-founding Moderna galerija, the national museum of modern art, is only one of his notable achievements.

Slovenian Diplomacy Day will be marked at a special ceremony at arts centre Cankarjev dom on Thursday, with addresses to be delivered by President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Miro Cerar and Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec.