Co-financed with EUR 13.3m from cohesion funds, the deeper channel will allow easer docking of larger container ships, enabling the port to be used more effectively, the ministry wrote in a press release.

The project is part of the operative programme of the development of spatial and transport infrastructure for the 2007-2013 period.

The ministry described Slovenia's sole commercial port as Europe's southern gate for international maritime routes.

Its position, which secures a link between trade centres in central and eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries, makes it a major logistics and distribution centre.