News

The construction of the new Vrazov trg Campus of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana is continuing successfully and approaching the final phase of construction works. While inspecting the progress, Minister Igor Papič and Gregor Majdič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana, discussed the construction conclusion.

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič attended the Kids Euro Fest festival on October 18, 2025, which was organized by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the United States together with its member states. In addition to Slovenia and the EU Delegation to the United States, the festival was attended by 11 other EU member states and Ukraine.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Robert Golob, French President Emmanuel Macron is currently on a working visit to Slovenia. The two leaders began their visit today at the Port of Koper (Luka Koper), where a strategic partnership in the field of port and logistics solutions was confirmed between France and Slovenia in the presence of both Heads of State.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob welcomed to Portorož the leaders of the MED9 Group of Mediterranean EU Member States, together with two distinguished guests – King Abdullah II of Jordan and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The Italian Republic was represented by its Deputy Prime Minister, who had also attended the previous MED9 Summit held in Alicante, Spain, in 2022.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where ministers discussed the EU's role in peace efforts in Gaza, with an emphasis on humanitarian and security aspects. They also touched on the importance of continued comprehensive support for Ukraine. Minister Fajon will later attend a ministerial meeting on interregional security and connectivity.

The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has expressed strong indignation in response to reports of vandalism in Austrian Carinthia, where Slovenian place names on bilingual local signs in the municipalities of Železna Kapla and Pliberk were defaced with paint.

Together with Costa Rica, Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Slovenia organised a high-level event to launch the progress report on the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law. The Initiative brings together 91 countries with the aim of strengthening respect for international humanitarian law and humanity in modern armed conflicts.

On the occasion of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Slovenia reaffirms its commitment to eradicating poverty as the first goal of sustainable development in Agenda 2030. As a developed donor, Slovenia contributes to the eradication of poverty around the world through development cooperation and humanitarian aid, which is based on the global responsibility to a world where every individual should have equal opportunities for a dignified life.

In the new episode of the GOVSI government podcast, host Petra Bezjak Cirman talks with Marijan Papež, long-time Director General of the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZPIZ). The conversation focuses on the pension reform adopted by the National Assembly in September. Whether it will actually be implemented depends on the outcome of the ongoing signature collection for a referendum.

Petra Bezjak Cirman, Director of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), chaired a panel at the #Disinfo2025 conference on how to initiate the »de-shitification« of our online experience. Experts Maarten Schenk and Marc Faddoul shared their views on how we can actively contribute to a better online experience and strengthen digital responsibility.

The Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the UN Office in Geneva and the Bled Strategic Forum, in cooperation with Interpeace, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Geneva Call, organised a panel discussion entitled "International Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian Action for Peace: Protecting People, Building Futures."

Zheenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, is paying his first official visit to Slovenia at the invitation of Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen political and economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly in strategically important sectors, and to open up new opportunities for collaboration.

At today’s session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia reviewed the draft Act on the Payment of the Winter Allowance and approved the draft amendment to the Social Security Act. The Government also adopted the Strategy for the Development of Quantum Technologies in Slovenia until 2035, which encompasses research, infrastructure, human resources, knowledge transfer, and support mechanisms, and provides a systemic response to the challenges and opportunities of quantum technology development.

Slovenia has fast-forwarded absorption of EU funds, according to the data published yesterday by the European Commission. The country has moved up 11 places in criterion ‘’funds decided’’, i.e. financial resources allocated to selected projects (project pipeline). ‘’This shows that we prepared well-thought-out measures to improve absorption back at the start of the year. We will keep working hard to reach the top,’’ said Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development Dr Aleksander Jevšek on this occasion.

As part of the government’s regional visit, Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob continued his activities in Lendava, where he also concluded the visit.

State Secretary Tina Heferle attended the meeting of interior ministers of the Berlin Process countries in London.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and members of the Government visited the Pomurje region today, starting their visit with a session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in Murska Sobota.

Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, presented the 2024 report on international development cooperation to the Committee on Foreign Policy of the Slovenian National Assembly, together with senior representatives of Caritas Slovenia, the Sloga platform and the Centre for European Perspective. The presentation was followed by a debate among deputies on Slovenia's activities in this field.

In his opening speech at the #Disinfo2025, Vojko Volk said that we are living in a very complicated and difficult time of disinformation. The State Secretary for National and International Security at the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia stressed that every day we are fighting disinformation, which is attacking our values.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposed Act on the intervention measure to extend the validity of annual electronic vignettes. It also decided to reclassify the H5 and H6 expressways as main roads, where no toll will be charged for passenger cars, and took note of the progress of the merger of the Pomurje Science and Innovation Centre with the "Jožef Stefan" Institute.

Prime Minister Robert Golob participated in this year’s Congress of Economic Democracy, where he also addressed the attendees.

Slovenia was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term, securing 176 votes in the UN General Assembly in New York. Angola, Chile, Egypt, Ecuador, Estonia, India, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Pakistan, South Africa, Vietnam and the United Kingdom were elected alongside Slovenia for this term.

The 13th Slovenian Development Days have opened in Ljubljana under the title Business for Global Solidarity, highlighting the crucial role of the business sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and delivering humanitarian aid.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar is attending the European Union (EU) Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU).

The European Commission today gave a preliminary positive assessment to the fourth request for payment of funds under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. Slovenia is expected to receive payment of the request, amounting to just under EUR 440 million, before the end of this year.

Prime Minister Robert Golob: I welcome the Peace plan to end the war in Gaza, which was put forward by the US President and with the help of other partners from the Middle East region.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Robert Golob, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is today paying an official visit to Slovenia. This is the first visit of its kind in seven years, and the first to Slovenia since Secretary-General Rutte assumed his current position.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the 71st Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana, where he also addressed the participants.

At the October film event of the 2025 Latin American and Caribbean Days (LAC Days), Cuba's efforts to enhance climate resilience were showcased in the documentary Cuba's Life Task: Combating Climate Change.

State Secretary Neva Grašič hosted a meeting of the MED9 group’s State Secretaries for EU Affairs in Portorož. The participants discussed current foreign policy issues, competitiveness and the EU budget. The MED9 group, which brings together nine Mediterranean EU member states, has been chaired by Slovenia for the first time this year. With nine voices being stronger than one, this is an important forum for coordination and the exchange of views.

The Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, participated in the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Berlin Process in Belfast at the invitation of UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič participated in the Global Gateway Board meeting, where senior representatives of EU governments discussed priorities for the continued implementation of the Global Gateway strategy.

''Different EU instruments have supported cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Hungary ever since 2004. The previous three generations of Interreg programme Slovenia-Hungary saw 67 projects worth altogether 42.8 million euros come to life. I am happy to announce that another call for proposals for standard projects is coming out tomorrow,'' said Minister Jevšek in his opening remarks at the Szentgotthárd/Monošter Forum, an initiative launched back in 2015.

At today’s session, the Government adopted the Decree on the Organisation, Equipment and Training of Protection, Rescue and Relief Forces, took note of the draft budgetary plan of the general government sector for 2026, and appointed Damjan Petrič as Director General of the Police.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, is paying a visit to Slovenia today and tomorrow at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon. In addition to meetings with senior state representatives, High Commissioner Türk and Minister Fajon participated in a discussion entitled Building Our Common Future, held to mark the 80th anniversary of the UN.

UN Human Rights Council concluded its 60th session. At Slovenia's initiative, the mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons was extended, and at the EU's initiative, a mechanism was established to ensure accountability for human rights violations in Afghanistan. Professor Veronika Fikfak, a Slovenian expert, was elected as member of the Council's Advisory Board.

Today, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs marked the start of the new academic year with a guest lecture by Prof. Mojmir Mrak, a renowned expert on international economic issues and lecturer at the business faculties of Ljubljana and Vienna. Introductory remarks were given by State Secretary Neva Grašič and the Diplomatic Academy’s Head, Dr Andraž Zidar.

Minister Jevšek and his team stopped in Velenje to visit several EU-funded projects. In Velenje city centre, they learned more about the progress made in renovating the Cankarjeva ulica road and transforming the former power plant into a new business incubator. Before conducting field visits, the ministers met for a government session.

At today's session, the Government began consideration of the proposed Act on the gradual closure of the Velenje Coal Mine and the starting points for the drafting of a proposed Act on the economic development restructuring of the Savinja-Šalek region. It also took note of information on measures and investments in watercourses, which have amounted to nearly EUR 1 billion over the past two years.

Two years have passed since the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on Israel, in which 1,200 innocent people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. As a result of Israel's relentless offensive, Gaza has been completely destroyed. More than 65,000 civilians have been killed, including 18,000 children.

Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,000 Israelis were killed, was a crime that should not be minimized or underestimated.

State Secretary Neva Grašič and the Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm, undertook a joint visit to Skopje and Pristina. The State Secretary stressed the importance of the European perspective for the socio-economic development of both countries and for the stability of the Western Balkans for Europe. She also advocated for the resolution of outstanding regional issues and expressed support for the ambitious goal of achieving EU integration for the region by 2030.

The Archives of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed to visitors and users of archival records on October 8 and 9, 2025, due to a two-day professional event.

Between 5 and 7 October 2025 in Portorož, Slovenia is hosting an informal meeting of MED ministers of agriculture. Today’s conference focused on strengthening the agriculture’s resilience, promoting innovations and implementing measures at the EU level, also from the perspective of the proposals for a Common Agricultural Policy for the period after 2027. The ministers adopted a joint declaration containing key guidelines for the sustainable development of agriculture in the region.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Ensuring appropriate use of karst grasslands and rock faces for the conservation of selected habitat types and species in the Natura 2000 area Karst.

At the 2nd High-Level Forum and the 29th EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting, Minister Tanja Fajon underlined that, in the current geopolitical climate, it is now more important than ever for the two regions to strengthen their connection and cooperation. Recalling the lessons of the past, she referenced the wars and suffering in the former Yugoslavia, as well as the international frameworks established in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Renovation of the former school of commerce.

The Fitch credit rating agency yesterday upgraded Slovenia's credit rating from A to A+ with a stable outlook. Following the improved outlook in the spring, this latest upgrade further confirms confidence in Slovenia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the 2025 presentation of the Republic of Slovenia's national awards in the field of education. This award, which is the highest recognition in the field of education, is presented annually by the Ministry of Education.