LJUBLJANA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Brent Hartley on Thursday visited Sevnica, an eastern Slovenian town some 80 km away from the capital city of Ljubljana and the hometown of Melania Trump, wife of the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
But Hartley tried to avoid the highlights of Sevnica being Melania Trump's hometown, stressing that the purpose of his visit was broader and was a part of his regular tour of cities around the country, according to the Slovenian Press Agency.
"I'm always interested in the perspective of the national political scene as seen from places other than Ljubljana," he was quoted as saying by the STA report, "Nevertheless, there was great interest in Sevnica in Slovenia and the U.S."
The ambassador met local officials including Sevnica Mayor Srecko Ocvirk, who said the working visit had been prompted by the great interest among the U.S. media in Sevnica as Melania Trump's birthplace.
Hartley also visited the company Siliko, which specializes in rubber and silicone products, according to the STA report.
He said he is trying to take advantage of the Slovenian cities tour to visit companies that either export to the U.S. or might have an interest to become exporters.
