Rupel said that joining the UN had been a great success and Slovenia could look back at it with pride and joy. "Joining the UN was a turning point and a symbolic moment, as Slovenia joined the company in which all countries appear at one time or another," he added.

While joining the UN was not that simple and automatic, it was only natural, Rupel said, adding that countries that do not make it into the organisation were missing something and could find themselves in a harsh situation.

The former foreign minister acknowledged that the UN had not been really enthusiastic about letting Slovenia in at the time, as it was on Yugoslavia's side, despite the fact that it clear that Slovenia would become an internationally recognised country.

Davorin Kračun, who headed Slovenian diplomacy between 1996 and 1997, moreover stressed that Slovenia became a full member of the international community by joining the organisation.

According to him, Slovenia ranks among the most developed countries and has "a good hand for future development, despite the economic recession".

The head of the committee, Jožef Horvat of the junior coalition New Slovenia (NSi) moreover praised 22 May 1992 as the final chapter in Slovenia's independence efforts.

"The young Slovenian country joined...the international political arena, where it acts as an active and responsible member," he stressed.

Apart from PM Janez Janša and Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec, who excused themselves, all seven former foreign ministers have been invited to the session, but only Rupel and Kračun attended.

To mark the occasion, the Foreign Ministry held an open day and presented a textbook on the UN for the last years of primary school, for which the foreword was written by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In his address to visitors, State Secretary Božo Cerar stressed that the last two decades, in which the world saw drastic changes with shifts in economic and political power, were successful for Slovenia's diplomacy, as the country has become a member of all important international organisations.

The world is increasingly connected and the democratic, multilateral approach to complex issues on all levels has become necessary and indispensable, Cerar noted, adding that Slovenia remained an advocate of effective multilateralism and true to the principles of the Charter of the UN.

Janos Tisovszky, the head of the UN information office in Vienna, which helped publish the primary school textbook, said he was happy that Slovenia had chosen to mark the anniversary by addressing the young generation, as working with and for the youth was a strategic goal of the UN in the next years.

The textbook, presenting the functioning of the UN in a simple fashion and the role and work of Slovenia in this 193-country-strong organisation, will be sent to all Slovenian primary schools and will also be available in libraries.