On 9 May 2017, the City Holliday, the Gala Session of the City Council of the City of Ljubljana was held at the Ljubljana Castle where Mayor Zoran Janković presented the highest city recognitions – the City of Ljubljana Awards, Plaques and Honorary Citizen titles.

The title Honorary Citizen of the City of Ljubljana was awarded to businessman and economic visionary, Jože Mermal,

with admiration for his business decisions, strategic moves and successful leadership of the BTC company and the implementation of the BTC City Ljubljana project, a unique business achievement on the global scale. With his activities, accompanied by clear vision, innovativeness and courage, he is faithfully proving his social responsibility in different areas vital for the capital, especially with his commitment to sustainable development, by promoting and supporting sports and creating new jobs. He is actively responding to changes, is open to good ideas and truly believes in young people – by co-founding the ABC Accelerator he is encouraging the transformation of ideas into business models. Ljubljana is honouring a top manager who respects his colleagues and can be justifiably proud of many exceptional achievements of his team.

The title Honorary Citizen of the City of Ljubljana was awarded to paediatrician, psychiatrist and expert in mental health of children and adolescents, Chief Physician Anica Mikuš Kos, MD,

in appreciation for many years of devoted work with children, adolescents and parents, for her outstanding research work, and especially pioneering work in the field of attention deficit disorders and hyperactivity, as gratitude for her publications and promotion of mental health of children and adolescents as well as the development of special psychosocial programmes for mental health protection in areas stricken by war and armed conflicts. Ljubljana bows to the doctor who received high public recognitions for her work and to the wisdom of the esteemed and widely popular personality.

The Awards of the City of Ljubljana 2017 were presented to Ivana Šebenik for her long-standing work in the committees of the Red Cross Kozarje and Karitas and Prof Ivica Žnidaršič for her humanitarian work in the Red Cross Slovenia.

The Plaques of the City of Ljubljana 2017 were awarded to:

• Društvo Blaž Potočnikova čitalnica, cultural activities animator in the District Community Šentvid
• Tanja Cerkvenik, national shot put and javelin throw champion
• Stanka Golob, long-standing head of the bookshop Trubarjev antikvariat and top Slovenian literature expert
• legendary Slovenian punk rock group Pankrti.