High-ranking decoration to Honorary Consul Gregor Benčina

Ambassador Pertti Anttinen presented the Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland to Honorary Consul Gregor Benčina at a ceremony held on June 30, 2026, at the Brdo Estate. The event also served as a farewell reception for the ambassador, celebrating the end of his four-year term in Slovenia. In addition to the Honorary Consul’s family and friends, the event was attended by representatives of the Slovenian government, the diplomatic corps, and the business community, as well as fellow honorary consuls and members of the local Finnish community.

 

In his speech, Ambassador Anttinen highlighted Gregor Benčina’s significant role in promoting bilateral relations. Benčina’s work has been particularly valuable in the current situation, where Finland no longer has an embassy in Slovenia and relations are managed from the mission in Budapest.

Benčina was appointed honorary consul in 2015, shortly after the closure of the Embassy of Finland in Ljubljana, and has served in that capacity ever since. The ambassador highlighted Benčina’s extensive and effective network of contacts across various sectors of society, which has been an invaluable asset to the embassy in areas such as organizing high-level visits, promoting commercial relations, and strengthening Finland’s image in Slovenia. He specifically mentioned President Sauli Niinistö’s visit to Slovenia in 2019, as well as Santa Claus’s visits in 2017 and 2024.

In closing, the ambassador thanked Honorary Consul Benčina for his long-standing and dedicated work in deepening relations between Finland and Slovenia.