Let me begin by expressing my thanks for joining us here tonight here, at the Slovenian Residence in Brasilia. As you know, togI arrived theis morning with my delegation, I arrived this morning and I look forward to having some interesting meetings tomorrow with some of you tomorrow.
As for Mister X, we have had the pleasure tof meeting in Slovenia last September, and again this afternoon, when we signed a bilateral declaration on automatic infor-mation exchange in tax matters.
It is common, when an agreement is signed between two countries, that the involved authorities tend to describe it as “a very important step” in their relations. I nevertheless think that in the present case, this qualification is very appropriate:. Not only does this new form of cooperation between tax authorities enrich the already strong and rich ties that unite our countries, but it is also a very welcome expression of our converging interest in tax and finance issues.