Despite the news filtering out of Ljubljana, which does not yet officially confirm the visit of the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor together with the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella to the National Monument of the Foiba of Basovizza, the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia and the other acronyms of the Adriatic diaspora strongly hope that this significant ceremony will take place.

"As soon as the news began to circulate - explains Renzo Codarin, national president of ANVGD - many of our provincial committees and other associations of exiles have already intended to send their own representation to what is expected to be a historic step in the process of international recognition of what was the Foibe massacre and not just a day of public interest"

In compliance with the current health provisions of distancing, a significantly representative presence of exiles from all over Italy is expected at the long-awaited visit of the two Heads of State to the Basovizza Foiba: "It is a symbolic place - explains Codarin - in which the people of the exodus have always gathered, even before the institution of the Day of Remembrance, to commemorate their dead, including those who were thrown into sinkholes in Istria or drowned in Dalmatia, those who were deported after the war without anyone knowing anything about them and those who died in the concentration camps of communist Yugoslavia"

Pahor's visit to Basovizza would represent the ideal continuation of a previous day held under the auspices of representatives with good will and intellectual honesty of the associations of exiles (Senator Lucio Toth) and of the Slovenian community (Senator Miloš Budin): «On the occasion of the Concert of the Three Presidents held in Trieste on 13 July 2010 – the national president of the ANVGD recalls, finally – the heads of state of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, after paying homage to the former Balkans, went to the monument that commemorates the exodus of 350.000 Istrians, Fiume and Dalmatians fleeing the climate of terror with which the communist regime of Josip Broz “Tito” was being established. Ten years later we await a new significant step forward in the reconstruction of the history of these tormented provinces with respect for the memories and mourning experienced by each national community»

Lorenzo Salimbeni