In June 25-26, FIDE President visited Maribor in Slovenia where he took part in the opening ceremony of the traditional "Festival of ribbons", met with a famous theater director Pandur and discussed the perspective of a bid to organize World Youth Chess Championship 2010 in Maribor with a mayor of the city Mr. Kugler.

This year 2500 artists from 45 countries will participate in the "Festival of ribbons", 32 scenes have been placed for them. Chief director of the festival is a world-known director M. Pandur, whose performances have been prosperous in Berlin and Madrid, in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

During the meeting with FIDE president the theatre maestro discussed the perspective of a chess theme in his work.
Maribor is known that here was found the most ancient vine shoot. In April the Buddhist spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV visited the city and this fact attracted much attention. Recently Mountain bike world championship passed there and now the city authorities intend to take part in a tender for organization of the World Youth Chess Championship 2012. Thereto the FIDE President was demonstrated the resources of the Pohorje region, where the National Junior U20 Chess Championship was held.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov had working meetings with the President of the European Chess Union Boris Kutin, Presidents of the chess federation of Slovenia - M. Knezevic, Austria - Kurt Jungwirth, Macedonia - Petar Gicarovsky, Slovakia - Martin Huba.

The main topic of these meetings were: preparations for the 39th World Chess Olympiad, negotiations of accommodation and traveling of the participants and guests of the forum, issues of distribution program "Chess in the Schools", creation of FIDE Academy for Eastern Europe, and other topical issues of the chess world.