Petrini, who is curating the conference, talked about a world divided by Brexit, migration crisis, populism, isolationism and destruction of the environment, but food, on the other hand, "is something that connects us".

"Differences between nations and cultures are too divisive. We should allow European gastronomy to connect us," added Slovenia's Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who also labelled the Food Summit one of the key European culinary events.

"It's no surprise that this prestigious culinary event is hosted by Slovenia, a small, unique country with an extraordinarily diverse gastronomy," said Počivalšek, mentioning that the country has 24 gastronomic regions, 365 regional dishes and beverages, as well as three winemaking regions.

Pak, the director of the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO), said in her address that Slovenia had become one of the top culinary destinations in the world.

Slovenian chefs, such as Ana Roš, Tomaž Kavčič, Igor Jagodic, Janez Bratož, David and Gregor Vračko, Jure Tomič, Luka Košir and Mojmir Šiftar, are at the forefront of culinary innovation, Pak said.

"In Slovenia, we view sustainable gastronomy as exploring and making contact with other people, cultures and ideas. We see it as fusion of tradition, culture and innovation, as a key aspect of diplomacy, an inspiration fuelling our confidence to shape the future in our own, distinctive way," said Pak.

The first edition of the European Food Summit, which began on Saturday and is meant to become an anual event in Slovenia, will wrap up tomorrow with a skiing competition at the Krvavec ski slopes.

The summit attracted not only Petrini but also a number of top chefs from around Europe, including Andoni Luis Aduriz, Jordan Kahn, Andreas Caminada, Christopher Pele, Esben Holmboe Bang, Leonor Espinosa and Riccardo Camanini.