WEBVTT

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Greetings. The decisions from
the 121st government session

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will be presented
by Deputy PM Matej Arčon,

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after which
we will be joined

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by the State Secretary
at the Ministry of Defence.

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Greetings.
The central topic today,

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which was also
most emphasised by the media,

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was the nomination of Marta Kos as
the candidate for EU Commissioner.

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Like her proposal, the government
unanimously supported her candidacy.

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The candidate
also attended the session

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and she presented her
mandate in great detail.

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We can, again, affirm the
importance of this portfolio.

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We may not even realise yet

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how important
our Commissioner's role will be

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in the future composition
of the Commission.

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This portfolio may not have been
as important a few years ago,

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but one of the key priorities
of the European Commission

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and the President is the
enlargement of the European Union.

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The portfolio
that Marta Kos was assigned

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also includes
the reconstruction of Ukraine.

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Financially speaking, this is also
one of the bigger portfolios.

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We are talking
about a total value

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of over 100 billion euros
across the entire term.

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This is also
a big acknowledgment

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for the Republic of Slovenia
and our Prime Minister,

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namely, getting such
an important portfolio

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that we should absolutely
be very proud of.

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We must also realise
what an incredible opportunity

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the reconstruction of Ukraine
is for our economists.

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Last but not least,
there is the enlargement.

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There has been no enlargement
for a number of years

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and it will be a key priority for
the Commission and the President.

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The President herself sent our
candidate her mandate.

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Today we also officially
sent Brussels her name.

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Thank you. Now we will
start taking questions.

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Go ahead.
-Špela Bezjak, POP TV.

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Mr. Arčon, could you comment
on yesterday's hearing?

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It was quite turbulent. Especially
SDS had their familiar complaints.

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How do you assess
this level of hearing

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and how do you
expect this to impact

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the hearing before the Brussels
parliamentary committee? Thank you.

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Well, the level couldn't be lower.
The communication is very poor,

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which we are already used to with
the Slovenian Democratic Party.

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I think that, when Slovenia
appears on the European stage,

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like it does in sports,
unity is necessary.

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According to some information,
the Slovenian Democratic Party

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is using various institutions
and lobbying firms

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to try and undermine
our candidate.

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We know that
the members of this party

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did not support
the President of the Commission.

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This is a veiled attempt
to undermine

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the President of the Commission
and our candidate,

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with the goal of discrediting
and undermining our Prime Minister.

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These are their actions
and everyone

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could see their behaviour yesterday
at the committee session.

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Thank you.
-Lea Majcen, STA.

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The Government has not yet
responded to the accusations

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that the candidate was changed
in return for a better department.

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What do you say about this?
-What matters is

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that we got an important
department. There was no trade,

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we did not change the candidate
for a better department.

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I said many times there were
different factors to consider

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when looking
for the candidate,

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their gender, political affiliations
and their competence.

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Is she
the official candidate now?

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Today,
she became the official candidate.

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We will send
her candidacy to Brussels.

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Next week,
she will have discussions

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and she will present herself
to the Commission.

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No one raised
their hand on Zoom.

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Any more questions here?
-Tim Zidar, RTV Slovenija.

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I am interested
in two developmental projects,

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the State of Emergency Centre
and the Centre for Cyber Training.

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Did you talk about it?
-Mister sitting in front of you

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will answer you
in a couple of moments.

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There are no more questions,
so thank you.

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Thank you. -Have a nice day.
-Now, the State Secretary

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at the Defence Ministry Damir Črnčec
will join us. He will talk

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about the cyber centre
and military civil hospital.

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Hello. You have already asked

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about the projects we
have been working on during summer.

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We cooperated
with other parties on them.

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I want to stress
these are two projects

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that will strengthen
our defence

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and capacities. Therefore,
Slovenia will be more resilient

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to the crises
that will come in the future.

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We have learnt
from our past experience.

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In building the cyber centre,

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we cooperated with the Information
Security Office.

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We will strengthen
our cyber security at the national

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and Ministry level in the critical
infrastructure. After cyber attacks

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in the past years,
the Government decided

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to allocate
a significant amount of money

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for this purpose.

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The project is
worth €33.5 million

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and will start now

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and the key investments
will be carried out by 2027.

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I am talking about software
and hardware solutions

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that will be applied
in the civil service

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and about licences
that will make it possible

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to maintain and upgrade
the security.

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The key thing in cyber world is

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to keep pace or to be before those
who attack you and not vice versa.

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This is about the first project.
The second project

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is a National Health Centre
for state of emergency.

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This is basically a health capacity
with double usage.

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It will provide healthcare
for the military and public.

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The Prime Minister
was advocating for this project

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as a Defence Minister to bring it
to the level, where it is now.

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What does this mean
in praxis?

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In place of Peter Držaj Hospital
in Ljubljana

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we shall build a new department
of this hospital

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in perimeter of
18,700 square meters

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with a helipad on top,

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capacity of 160 beds
and various hospital wards.

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What is so important
with this capacity?

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It will have a mobile unit.

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This is based on experience
from Covid-19,

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when Slovenia didn't have
enough hospital beds

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or additional urgency units
for Medical Centre in Ljubljana.

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This project emerged
from cooperation

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and it will work
or be activated in the future

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in cooperation
with the Ministry of Health

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and University Medical Centre
Ljubljana, which is the main

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professional support of this project
with the Ministry of Defence.

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The value of this project is
estimated on 80 million Euros.

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The timeline
is anticipated as follows:

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Within one year we expect
to bring this project so far

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that the building permit
will be issued

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and in the first half of the 2026
the building should start.

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In praxis it means that in the space
of two or three years

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the facility should be build
and completely furnished.

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This is an approximate timeline

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and I am an optimist
and a realist to think

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that we can stick to this timeline
on the basis of what we know now.

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Thank you very much.
Go ahead. The questions.

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Mr. Črnčec, we read
in the Ministry's material

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that this is a military
and civilian matter or project.

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But when this project
comes to life,

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what does it mean
for activities in it?

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What kind
of patients will be there?

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Only in state of emergency?
And who will work there?

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Will it be only military or other
employees from public network?

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How will it work?

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Will be facility open 24/7
or in exceptional circumstances?

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It is surely a military
and civilian project.

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And its professional support
is civilian healthcare,

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Specifically,
University Medical Centre.

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The Ministry of Defence
will train its staff

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for stationary or mobile units,
namely medical personnel,

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and they will perform tasks
within this facility.

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At the same time,
the University Medical Centre

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will use this operating capacity
for its regular activities.

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The facility will be
of course properly protected

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according
to the military standards,

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but will be available to the public
as part of critical infrastructure

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in accordance
with the plans and activities

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of the University
Medical Centre Ljubljana.

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We're not establishing military
healthcare as it used to be,

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Slovenian military
healthcare facilities

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will be closely connected
to Slovenian civilian healthcare.

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We're working hand in hand
and the professional demands

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were made by civilian healthcare,

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so that they can be used
by the centre on a daily basis.

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This building will not be empty,
it will function,

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and will be available to users
as the professionals see fit.

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What's important
for the Ministry of Defence,

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in accordance with the NATO concept
of host nation support,

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Slovenia has pledged to provide
50 beds that we don't have today.

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Within this project
we will be able to provide them.

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That's why I have to emphasize that
we will be able to use this building

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both within the NATO and EU
military mobility plans,

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and finance it
through defence expenses.

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If we stay
with the civilian part,

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is it meant only
for the emergency treatments

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or do you expect the University
Medical Centre will see its potential,

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there will be around 110 beds left
for civilian use.

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Could they introduce new programs,
what are the plans?

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They would be able to give you
a professional answer.

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But let me read the material
you got as well.

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A fully functional diagnostic,

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four operating theatres
in a special block,

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intensive and isolation bed units
and the 110 beds you've mentioned

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can be a reserve for possible
epidemics or pandemics in the future,

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but at the same time
they can be used

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for the already
mentioned activities,

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i.e. operations, diagnostics
and everything else

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the University Medical Centre
does already.

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This question is more for
the Ministry of Health, but still.

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Did you talk about where you will get
the doctors and all the personnel,

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given there is a shortage
of personnel in public healthcare?

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I think
the University Medical Centre

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which is the professional partner
in this project

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will be able
to provide the personnel.

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I have no doubt this is
a great capacity for Slovenia,

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for all of us, which will help
the University Medical Centre

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get a state of the art
hospital unit

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for the Republic of Slovenia.

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Lea.

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Speaking about personnel,
let me try again.

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Will you stay at the Ministry
of Defence as state secretary,

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have you spoken about it
with the ministerial candidate?

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We have spoken about it.

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I will remain state secretary
until the new minister is appointed.

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We'll see about the day after
when it comes.

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Špela. -My colleague
gave me a nice cue.

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What's your opinion
on Mr. Sajovic,

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do you think he is competent
to take over this ministry?

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There was a lot of talk
about you taking over the ministry.

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I agree with the Prime Minister

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who said it all,
I have nothing to add.

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No questions here. Maybe Novica,
the only one over Zoom?

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No, no questions. That is all.

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Thank you, have a nice day.
-Thank you. Goodbye.