An estimated cost for Slovenia's preparations for and performance of the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2021 is €80 million, the government in Ljubljana said, assessing it will need to hire an additional 350 employees for that task, the Maribor-based Vecer daily has recently reported.

This estimated cost of 80 million euros include expenses of the preparation for assuming the rotating presidency, the presidency and all pertaining costs in the aftermath, a state secretary, Igor Mally, was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The state secretary says the apart from performing the role of the chair of the European Union, Slovenia intends to use that opportunity for boosting its reputation and making itself more recognisable, particularly in the tourism sector.

He recalls that during a six-month rotating presidency the chair is supposed to organise over 2,000 meetings and events throughout the European Union.

Slovenia, which entered the EU block in 2004, chaired the Union in 2008 for the first time.

The current chair is Romania, and Croatia is taking over the presidency on 1 January 2020.

Also, the biggest Croatian seaport of Rijeka is one of the two European Capitals of Culture in 2020.