Standing out among the events was the launch by PM Miro Cerar of a EUR 15m railway underpass in Murska Sobota and the basketball match played by a government team against local representatives.

Some of the more upbeat messages from the struggling region came from Education, Science and Sports Minister Maja Makovec Brenčič, who visited one of eight Roma incubators in the country, which generate different forms of work and extracurricular activities for Roma youth.

The minister noted that a lot has been done for greater integration of the Roma community, which also contributed to this. She pointed to Roma assistants in schools, the inclusion of Roma in pre-school education and progress in adult education.

Makovec Brenčič also met representatives of the Hungarian minority, welcoming the exchange of teachers in bilingual areas and highlighting a pending new programme on Slovenia-Hungary cooperation in education, science and culture.

Meanwhile, along with the hailed underpass in Murska Sobota, Cerar visited a waste treatment facility in Puconci.

Strategic Projects and Cohesion Alenka Smerkolj was on hand as well, highlighting the importance of the EUR 33m facility, which employs 70 people, as an example of good practice in the use of cohesion funds.

Several successful companies in the region were visited by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who stressed the ministry had already adopted a programme for encouraging the internationalisation of Pomurje's economy.

Public Administration Minister Boris Koprivnikar met heads of administrative units and NGOs, while meetings with local mayors are planned for Wednesday.

The main events of the visit are scheduled for Wednesday, when the cabinet will first hold a working meeting at Negova Castle.

Cerar will then visit the successful family business Kodila in Murska Sobota, inaugurate a packaging plant of the pharma company Lek in Lendava alongside Swiss President Simonetta Somaruga and meet representatives of the Hungarian minority.

The government will wrap up the visit with a meeting discussing regional development with the local stakeholders in Radenci.