LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - At least 47 Venezuelans with Slovenian ancestry will be resettled in Slovenia to escape the economic meltdown that has given rise to “unbearable conditions” in the South American country, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.

Peter Jozef Cesnik, the Minister for Slovenians Abroad, told reporters the cabinet had approved the move given the widespread lack of water, electricity and medicines in Venezuela.

His ministry said about 1,000 people of Slovenian origin live in Venezuela of which around 100 were expected to ask for resettlement in Slovenia. The government expects to spend at least 200,000 euros ($222,880.00) for the process this year.

“(This) repatriation is...mostly a logistical and integration challenge. We need to ensure a safe exit from the crisis area and establish acceptable conditions for life in Slovenia,” the ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Slovenia is a small euro zone country in southeastern Europe which borders on Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.

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