Veber said he was happy that the light was again in parliament, as it brings the desire for global peace and shows Slovenia's determination to create and build its future peacefully.

According to Veber, it is characteristic of Slovenia that its people want to live in harmony with other nations and create good conditions for living.

Europe strongly cherishes peacekeeping efforts, and the Bethlehem Light is not travelling across Europe only, but also elsewhere, Veber told representatives of several Slovenian scout associations.

The speaker expressed the wish that the light burn forever, calling for less mutual exclusion, which will in turn result in better solutions for the future.

Slovenian scouts and their message of peace will also be received on Wednesday by Interior Minister Gregor Virant and Police Commissioner Stanislav Veniger.

The Bethlehem Light came to Slovenia on Sunday for the 23th year in a row. The idea for the Peace Light from Bethlehem originated in the charity show "Light into Darkness", aired since 1986 by the Austrian public broadcaster ORF.

Each year, a child from Austria collects the light from the grotto in Bethlehem where Jesus is believed to have been born.

The light is then flown to Austria from where it is distributed to delegations from across Europe who take it back to their own countries for use at ecumenical services.

Scouts and Guides can then take the light on to houses of worship, hospitals, homeless shelters, retirement homes, prisons, and places of public, cultural and political importance.

Slovenian Catholic scouts first brought the Light to Slovenia in 1991 with the message "Peace Is Time Without War".