The press conference to give a Covid-19 update was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, and the head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, Dr Mateja Logar.

With the amendment to the Foreigners Act, the Republic of Slovenia transposed into national law the Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing.

Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Dr Jože Podgoršek, hosted today at Brdo the Ambassadors of the Member States of the European Union (EU). Central focus was on presentation of priority tasks of Slovenia’s Presidency of the EU Council in the sector of agriculture, forestry and food, and on principal events to be organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF) during the Presidency. Using this opportunity, the Minister presented to the Ambassadors the Traditional Slovenian Breakfast project to take place tomorrow in all the Slovenian schools and kindergartens – in the past year, on account of the epidemic, the breakfast could not be carried out, and had to be postponed.

Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Andrej Vizjak attended the last meeting of the Environment Council before the start of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Portuguese Presidency presented the report on the progress made in negotiations on the proposal for a regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, which is an integral part of the European Green Deal. The Council Conclusions on EU strategy on adaptation to climate change were also adopted, where the ministers welcomed the preparation of the adaptation communication in line with the Paris Agreement to be submitted to the UNFCCC. The ministers also exchanged views on the action plan on zero pollution, which sets out a vision for zero-pollution by 2050 and horizontally addresses all aspect of pollution. At the end of the meeting, Minister Vizjak presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency in the field of the environment.

In light of forthcoming Slovenian EU Presidency, SOVA Director had several working meetings with high-ranking EU officials

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment in the Drava River basin – Municipality Šentilj. The project worth a little under EUR 1.6 million will be implemented by the municipality Šentilj under the Agreement on the Development of the Podravje region and will receive EUR 553 thousand of Cohesion Fund support.

Today Prime Minister Janez Janša met with the President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, Guy Parmelin, who is currently on an official visit to Slovenia. At their meeting in Ljubljana, they primarily discussed the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Presidency and current international developments.

Prime Minister Janez Janša meet today with President of the Swiss Confederation and Minister of the Economy, Education and Research, Guy Parmelin.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held consultations with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, ahead of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Wendy Morton, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who is on a two-day visit to Slovenia.

Before the launch of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Director-General Barbara Sušnik held bilateral consultations with the Secretary General for European Union Affairs at the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, Philippa Karsera, via an audio-video link.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in an online meeting with Polish Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymański. The State Secretary briefed his counterpart on the priorities of Slovenia's EU Council Presidency, which will take place in the second half of this year. He highlighted the importance of the Union's quick economic recovery, resilience to future crises and ensuring strategic autonomy. He also mentioned the Conference on the Future of Europe, where Slovenia will play an important role as the EU presiding country.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan participated in a videoconference with Märt Volmer, Undersecretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attended today’s opening ceremony of the Cooperative Union of Slovenia congress entitled "Na temeljih tradicije v poslovni model prihodnosti” (Developing a Business Model of the Future Based on Tradition), addressing the decision-makers in Slovenian cooperatives.

Secretary of State, Mr Aleš Irgolič, MSc, participated in the Informal Videoconference of Fisheries Ministers. The session was important as the ministers competent for fisheries conducted the discussion and confirmed the final agreement in principle on fishing possibilities in 2021, and on the deep sea fish stocks for 2021 and 2022, which had most recently been reached between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals Appeal Chamber unanimously rejected all grounds of appeal by Ratko Mladić, former Bosnian Serb army chief, thereby confirming the first-instance judgement. In 2017, Ratko Mladić was found guilty of genocide in Srebrenica, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the siege of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

On 15 June 2021 the Embassy will restart issuing Schengen visas.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Extension of the gym in the Stane Žagar Primary School – Kranj. The project worth over EUR 2.8 million will be implemented by the Urban Municipality Kranj under its Sustainable Urban Strategy and will receive a good EUR 1.1 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the call for project proposals Supportive environment for cultural activities 2021. The funding available under the call for proposals that will be implemented by the Ministry of Culture amounts to EUR 627 thousand with the European Social Fund contributions standing at EUR 502 thousand.

Today Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a discussion at the presentation of the publication, Z lepilom na podplatih: Trideset let slovenske države. (With Glue on the Soles: Thirty Years of the Slovenian State.), on the Nova24TV channel.