"We have every reason to be proud of standing against the occupier and defending and preserving our national freedom in the middle of the last century, in the very harsh times," the presidents said on the day remembering the founding of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian Nation.

According to Pahor, this enabled Slovenians to decide in the referendum half a century later to establish an independent state, "which was defended with the military force and, unfortunately, with victims".

Today's national holiday marks the start of celebrations by the entire international community of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the president said, adding that Slovenians should continue joining the efforts to resolve all open issues.

The president also touched on the planned monument to all victims of WWII in Slovenia that is to be built in the Ljubljana city centre, which Pahor calls a "monument of reconciliation".

He said that the monument would also serve for the "young generations not to forget the glorious moments of the fight against the occupier and to remember in a reverent way the bitter aftertaste of that era".

To mark Resistance Day, the Presidential Palace was open for visitors today. Around 250 visitors were given a tour of the palace and the president's office and saw the ceremonial changing of the honour guard, the president's office said in a press release.