The first World Book Summit opened Thursday in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, known as the "nation of books".
In a video address to the opening ceremony, Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk said the culture of books has always been one of the essential elements of Slovenian history.
Books have been a herald of political development and political future, said Tuerk, who is recuperating from surgery on Tuesday.
Slovenians got their first translation of the Bible in 1584, becoming one of the first European nations to enjoy such a big intellectual achievement, the president said.
Slovenia, which declared its independence from former Yugoslavia in June 1991, publishes more than 5,000 books annually.
Ljubljana was chosen by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the World Book Capital City in April 2010.
During its two-day meeting, a special regional forum, entitled "Writing, publishing, translating: building cultural diversity in South-East Europe" will be held, according to the organizers.
More than 270 representatives from different countries have registered to participate this international event.