Presenting the new programme at a press conference on Wednesday, Minister of Development, Strategic Projects and Cohesion Alenka Smerkolj said that the objective of cross-border cooperation with Austria was to ensure balanced development of the participating regions.

Eight Slovenian regions and nine Austrian regions will be included in the project which was confirmed by the European Commission in September.

EU co-funding at the maximum rate of 85% will be secured for projects contributing to research, technological development and innovation, preservation and promotion of cultural and natural heritage.

The project also aims to promote development of joint tourism products, improvement of conditions for the exploitation of joint cross-border entrepreneurial potential, and social, cultural and regional development of the participating regions.

Smerkolj stressed that such projects produce numerous concrete results, which have long-term effect in the economy, tourism, energy efficiency as well as culture, welfare and inter-institutional cooperation.

According to the minister, a call for applications for funding will be published on 18 December. A total of 89 projects were co-financed with the Slovenia-Austria Interreg programme funds in the previous 2007-2013 period.