Today marks an important milestone with the signing of the founding charter of ZAŠKO – the cross-border sports coordination body. This important step brings us closer to the formal implementation and government approval of this initiative, which aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation through sport.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels. The discussions focused on Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as on key strategic priorities as NATO marks its 75th anniversary this year. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs met and held their first consultations with the new Secretary General, Mark Rutte.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Vevče swimming centre project.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Development of prisoners’ competences.

At the Cairo Ministerial Conference, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon discussed the prospects for lasting solutions for Gaza and the Middle East as a whole with participants from more than 90 countries and international organisations.

Slovenian stakeholders are becoming key players in tapping the potential of the Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3), a ground-breaking European initiative launched in 2022 by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

In November, as the presidency of the UN Security Council was held by the United Kingdom, Slovenia co-sponsored two briefings, one on the denuclearisation of North Korea and the other on imminent famine in Gaza. State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in a high-level meeting on the situation in Gaza and Ukraine, where he called for the Security Council to take more decisive action on the conflicts..

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, organised a presentation for Slovenian companies on the possibilities of their participation in the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) projects. The aim of the event was to attract more Slovenian companies to participate in WBIF projects.

Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon received in Ljubljana Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, and Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, as part of the second meeting of the so-called Trilateral.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Tashkent with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Muzaffarbek Anvarbekovich. The two officials reviewed bilateral cooperation and committed to strengthening economic cooperation, in line with the 2023 economic cooperation agreement.

To mark the Mediterranean Day, a round table discussion was organised in the atrium of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) under the title The Power of Journalism and Music as a Means of Intercultural Dialogue«. The event was enriched with the performance of the exceptional Syrian musician Rami Basisah, whose story was presented to the international audience by Slovenian journalist Boštjan Videmšek.

In the latest, 15th episode of the GOVSI podcast, the guest is the Chief Labor Inspector, Katja Čoh Kragolnik. Host Zoran Potič discussed pressing issues surrounding workers’ rights, legislation, and the practical role of the Labor Inspectorate with her.

At today’s session, the Government of Slovenia adopted a transitional law to enable a thoughtful and socially just coal exit in the Šaleška Valley. It also determined proposals for the Passport Act and amendments to the laws on identity cards, banking, the central register of insured persons and beneficiaries of mandatory pension and disability insurance rights, and confirmed amendments to the Reconstruction Act.

The meeting of the General Affairs Council dedicated to cohesion policy was held ahead of the start of the mandate of the new European Commission. The ministers discussed ways to strengthen the key assets of cohesion policy. The Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development Dr Aleksander Jevšek underscored the importance of cohesion policy for an integrated and sustainable development and success of the European Union.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has launched a call for proposals to support the inclusion of graduates in business development projects in border problem areas. The aim of the call for proposals is to promote the employment of graduates in companies operating in border problem areas.

Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob attended the Slovenian Economic Summit, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

In Astana, State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko, focusing on the strengthening of bilateral relations and current foreign policy issues. He also met with Slovenians living and working in Kazakhstan.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič attended the 10th MED Mediterranean Dialogues Conference in Rome. The conference is one of the main platforms for high-level dialogue on topical issues in the Mediterranean, the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and beyond.

Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, upon the confirmation of the new European Commission and the election of Marta Kos as European Commissioner, stated:

Today, the European Commission has presented the first European Semester Autumn Package under the new economic governance framework. The revised fiscal rules focus on medium-term fiscal-structural plans over a four-year period and set a growth target for net expenditure. The Commission has assessed Slovenia's plan as being in line with the new rules.