BELGRADE, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A new Confucius Institute was inaugurated on Wednesday in Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. Approximately 200 people attended the opening ceremony at the Economics Faculty at the University of Ljubjana, including Slovenia's first lady, Barbara Miklic Turk.

According to Dusan Mramor, dean at the Economics Faculty, the establishment of what is the 284th Confucius Institute represented a "privilege to be part of this global network."

Although the driving force for greater links with China began at the Faculty of Philosophy with the introduction of Sinology in 1995, cooperation between the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade and his faculty began in 2009, culminating with the establishment of the Confucius Institute in Ljubljana.

By providing Chinese language skills and cultural insight, the Confucius Institute would be "a business hub of understanding" between China and Slovenia and perhaps the region, he stated.

According to Stanislav Pejovnik, rector of the university, it was essential for Slovenians and people of the western Balkan region to grasp the significance of the rapid development of China and the need to be partners to this trend.