Paris - President Borut Pahor will start a three-day visit to France on Thursday during which he will attend the opening of the Paris Peace Forum and an event marking the 7th anniversary of UNESCO.

Attending the forum at the invitation of French President Emanuel Macron, Pahor will be a panellist at a debate entitled Everyone's responsible: Accountability to end the pandemic. He will also attend a formal dinner hosted by Macron.

The president's office said the forum was an opportunity for strengthening political relations between Slovenia and France, which signed a strategic partnership agreement ten years ago, while Pahor was prime minister.

"Slovenia wants to sustain a regular political dialogue with France and deepen the cooperation," the president's office said.

On Friday, Pahor will attend a high-level meeting marking the 75th anniversary of UNESCO, where he will deliver a speech and hold talks with director general Audrey Azoulay, who has just received a second four-year term at the helm of the organisation.

The visit will wrap up on Saturday when Pahor confers the Order of Merit on Franco-Czech writer Milan Kundera. The Slovenian artist Evgen Bavčar, who lives and works in Paris, will accept the order on behalf of his friend, who is ill.