OF THE 66 YEARS BRAZILIANS

On June 9, 1960, we landed at the Port of Rio Pier, my mother, my 12-year-old sister and I, 16 years old. After 11 years in prison, re-education and adaptation to socialist life in Yugoslavia, we found my father. We were strangers, my sister was one year old, I was five, when he fled from Yugoslavia to Italy. And the country, which had just inaugurated Brasília, in the middle of the presidential campaign at the end of JK's term, with Jânio's brooms, was boiling. But, it was the family reunited, with their dreams of a family life and freedom, to study, to move forward in life. We were in Amerika, every emigrant's dream.

This Tuesday when I was received by Prime Minister Janez Janša, in his fourth non-consecutive term at the head of the Slovenian government, he passed me the film of how these sixty-six years of immigrants from Minas Gerais were, and now from São Paulo, but Brazilian. I never stopped being Slovenian, Jewish, I never stopped doing everything to make Slovenia a democratic and prosperous country. The fight for his independence, today celebrating 35 years, was arduous and the current Prime Minister was one of those who fought with weapons for this independence. But, I'm reassured that I did my part. Brazil was one of the first countries to recognize Slovenia's independence.

Always working for the development of relations between the two countries was natural. Tuesday's conversation was in this direction and in particular about the Mercosur-EU agreement. The fear of Europeans for the import of agricultural products is impressive, but also the opportunity to sell manufactured products is more than clear. This is the great opportunity for Europe, which lags behind China, to move forward through the most intense trade and thus also develop more in the technological field.

Examining my life, especially nowadays happy, I would say that I made my dreams come true. Not because of the positions I occupied, but essentially because of the opportunity to be able to work and do something useful. Whether it's Tecnowatt products, relays and lamps, the people who worked with us and advanced in life, whether in business entities, especially SEBRAE, with managerial schools, and projects such as Cresce Minas, Estrada Real, Volunteer Day, interiorization and the quality and advanced schools of SESI and SENAI. And also to have the opportunity to contribute with diplomatic work in Slovenia and then with the foundation of an entity that brings together Slovenian entrepreneurs around the world, Slovenian Global Business network.

None of these dreams would come true if I didn't find in my way people of character, persevering and hardworking, willing to work for good. My partners at Tecnowatt, our workers, classmates and so many others.

What we do is history. The question remains whether the foundations we plant will be strong enough for the future. Yes, knowledge is important, but the values we work with are those that remain and develop a society. Thank you Minas, thank you Brazil and I'm sure Brazil will be even better in the next 66 years.