The visit comes after Slovenia and the EU signed key documents that will allow the country to draw EUR 3.2bn in 2014-2020.

Talking to the press alongside Alenka Smerkolj, the minister without portfolio for development, strategic projects and cohesion, Cretu said that the Commission believed Slovenia could reach its ambitious goals.

Slovenia was aiming to support 7,700 companies and create more than 1,000 jobs, according to Cretu. A variety of employment incentives will include 25,000 people, while EU will also enable 21,000 households to get access to broadband internet.

She commended Slovenia on its list of priority projects and the fact that the government is willing to invest in the less developed parts of the country.

Slovenia is divided into two cohesion regions; EUR 1.26bn will be available for East Slovenia and EUR 845m for West Slovenia from the regional development and social funds, plus EUR 1.05bn for both regions from the Cohesion Fund.

"We need to be aware that Slovenia will get about EUR 1bn less in this financial perspective. This means that we will have to be more rational and efficient in managing them," said minister Smerkolj.

She added that Slovenia was to move from "investing in walls to softer projects". Slovenia wants to invest the biggest part of the funds, more than EUR 1bn, in projects that encourage development of entrepreneurship and internationalisation.

Some EUR 500m are to go for projects boosting human resources and employment; as part of this nearly EUR 100m will be aimed at helping youth acquire jobs, she said.

Another EUR 150m are moreover to support projects improving social inclusion, reducing poverty and promoting active ageing, said Smerkolj.

The government is expected to adopt a document in early March that will allow the start of funds drawing and Smerkolj believes the office will start making the first funding decisions before the summer.

In this financial perspective, all projects vying for the funds will have to be submitted with an investment plan, which will be vetted by special government task forces, she said.

Touching on the 2007-2013 financial perspective, Smerkolj said Slovenia phased just over EUR 3.1bn or 77% of available funds. At the end of last year, Slovenia ranked tenth in the EU in terms of efficient drawing of funds.

Cretu also met Prime Minister Miro Cerar, who said in the meeting that cohesion policy had always been of great importance for Slovenia.

The PM's office said in a press release that Cerar expressed belief that Slovenia could still manage to draw all the funds available to it in 2007-2013, as it stepped up the rate of phasing.

In the afternoon, Cretu also attended a working meeting with several parliamentary committees, while tomorrow she will visit the southwest of the country to see the results of several projects funded by EU money.