The President of the Republic of Slovenia in front of one of the big muon wheels of the ATLAS detector (Image: Julien Ordan/CERN)
On 20 June, CERN welcomed Borut Pahor, President of the Republic of Slovenia. The President and his delegation were received at Point 1 of the LHC by CERN’s Director-General, Fabiola Gianotti, the Director for International Relations, Charlotte Warakaulle, the Director for Accelerators and Technology, Frédérick Bordry, the Director for Research and Scientific Computing, Eckhard Elsen, the Director for Finance and Human Resources, Martin Steinacher, the Head of Relations with Associate and non-Member States, Emmanuel Tsesmelis, and the principal adviser for relations with Slovenia, Christoph Schäfer.
After a general introduction to CERN’s activities, Slovenia’s President visited the ATLAS control room and experimental cavern and the LHC tunnel. He was also introduced to members of the Slovenian community at CERN.
The following day, CERN welcomed Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation. The President was received at Point 1 of the LHC by the Director-General, Fabiola Gianotti, and began his visit with a tour of the ATLAS control room accompanied by the Director for Accelerators and Technology, Frédérick Bordry, the Director for Research and Scientific Computing, Eckhard Elsen, the Director for Finance and Human Resources, Martin Steinacher, the Director for International Relations, Charlotte Warakaulle, the Head of Relations with the Member States, Pippa Wells, and the Head of Relations with the Host States, Friedemann Eder.
He then went on to visit the ATLAS experimental cavern and the LHC tunnel. After a working dinner presided by Fabiola Gianotti, the President also visited the main-magnet assembly hall and then the Globe of Science and Innovation, where he met Swiss scientists and engineers.