During the visit, government officials will meet many business executives. Companies in the region improved their operating results last year, but are still lagging behind Slovenia's average.

Director of the regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry Robert Grah says that Pomurje companies have been seeing a steady improvement in profitability indicators in recent years, but there is still a considerable gap to other regions when it comes to productivity and value added.

The region is 32.8% behind Slovenian average in earnings per an employee, 31% behind in net value added and 19.3% behind in terms of net pay.

The net value added per an employee in Pomurje was EUR 25,879 in 2011 (EUR 25,799 in 2010), which compares to the Slovenian average of EUR 37,512 (EUR 36,044 in 2010).

On a more positive note, Grah pointed to a 17% increase in trade between Pomurje and abroad to EUR 1.1bn in 2011.

Data from the Agency for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES) show that 1,669 active businesses in Pomurje in 2011 generated a total of EUR 1.957bn in revenue and EUR 715,000 in after-tax net loss.

Labour-intensive manufacturing industries and big companies have contributed most to an improvement in operating results, while small businesses showed best performance.

Companies in the region increased their capital by 13% and indebtedness by 11% last year. The proportion of own funds in financing sources grew to EUR 156 debt per EUR 100 in capital, from EUR 158 at the end of 2010.

Pomurje businesses represent 2.9% of all companies in Slovenia, employ 3.7% of the workers and generate 2.5% of all company revenues in the country.

Data from last month also indicate an improvement in employment statistics. The total registered jobless figure fell to 8,815 at the end of April, down 9% from the end of 2011 and down nearly 20% year-on-year.

The Murska Sobota Employment Service office registered the biggest fall in unemployment in the country, at the annual rate of 10.4%, but still records the highest unemployment in the country at 19.2% (average 12.4%).