"Without Primorsko, there is in fact no Slovenia. Primorsko is at the very heart of Slovenian self-determination and statehood," Türk said in his address to a crowd that filled a central square in the port town.

The western region is a symbol of patriotism and statehood, which Slovenia celebrates today, the president said on the Reunification of Primorsko Day, which was designated national holiday in 2005.

The decades long struggle by the people of Primorsko, who through their resistance carried out "a continuous, all-out and lasting plebiscite" is of an epochal importance for the Slovenian nation, state and international peace, according to Türk.

He remembered the suffering the people of this region went through, noting that they were the first victims of Fascism and that they responded to oppression with the first anti-Fascist resistance movement in Europe.

He said that the struggle against Fascism culminated in the victory under the leadership of the Liberation Front in WWII, which he said was Slovenia's contribution to the Allies' historic fight against Fascism and Nazism, and for a better world, something that Slovenia should be proud of.

The president also touched on topical developments in the country, arguing that Slovenia was capable of solving its problems by itself, but that it needed courage, determination and faith in its own abilities, rather than fear and gloom.

In remarks targeted at the government, the president rejected the attempts to frighten people with a "Greek scenario" and the possibility of a bailout by the EU, saying that such comments only harmed Slovenia's economy and the country's reputation abroad.

"The citizens of Slovenia have a right to a competent government, responsible social dialogue and mature parliamentary decision-making," Türk said, adding that he expected negotiators crafting key reforms in the coming weeks to demonstrate they were capable of "true dialogue and good agreement".

The ceremony was attended by the leaders of both opposition parties, Zoran Jankovič of Positive Slovenia (PS) and Igor Lukšič of Social Democrats (DeSUS), with no notable attendance from other parliamentary parties. Government officials were not present either.

But Prime Minister Janez Janša extended his congratulations to the people of Primorsko via the government's website, noting that it was the government led by him which proposed to parliament in May 2005 to declare 15 September Reunification of Primorsko Day.

"Led by its desire for freedom, Primorsko marched proudly into new times and has found its true face. The values and determination that were shaped through times of hardship are still very close to us and can serve as an inspiration to all of us today," Janša's congratulatory note reads.

Jerko Čehovin of the regional division of WWII Veterans' Association, which organised the ceremony in cooperation with the Koper city authorities, told the STA that he was satisfied with the turnout, but said that non-attendance by government officials proved "they cannot unite, rather divide".

Slovenia regained Primorsko under the Paris Peace Treaty, which took effect in the night from 15 to 16 September 1947. In line with the treaty, Italy returned territories annexed after WWI, including around 4,000 square kilometres of what is now the western Slovenian region of Primorsko.