The Trieste Book Centre will serve as a meeting point for members of the Slovenian ethnic minority as well as the majority Italian population and as a link between the two nations, Žmavc told the mayor, according to a press release from his office.

The book centre is being launched after the only Slovenian bookshop in Trieste was closed down in spring last year due to a business failure.

Functioning as a bookshop, the centre will also offer a cultural programme, host book launches and various presentations and events.