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Slobodan Šešum, Director-General for Economic and Public Diplomacy, explained to business representatives from the Ljubljana, Brezovica, Dobrova - Polhov Gradec, Horjul, Ig, Škofljica and Velike Lašče municipalities how economic diplomacy can help businesses penetrate foreign markets.

At its two last sessions, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted two flood recovery programmes to repair the damage caused by the August 2023 floods, with the development incentives measures programme also being drafted. After successfully preparing and submitting the application for financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund, Slovenia received the maximum possible advance payment from the EU Solidarity Fund of EUR 100 million already in December 2023.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Together for Knowledge: implementing activities in multi-purpose Roma centres.

Rok Tomšič, Head of the Department for Bilateral Economic Cooperation II at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, attended the 18th Meeting of National Coordinators of Central and Eastern European Countries and China (the so-called 14+1 Initiative), hosted by China in Ningbo on 23-25 May.

To mark the launch of the Stop Disinformation - reREAD, reTHINK, RECHECK campaign, we're taking a closer look at this topic in a new episode of the GOVSI Podcast.

The annual meeting of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) took place in Ireland, and was also attended by the Director of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office Karin Žvokelj. The first draft of the European Union Intellectual Property Office's Strategic Plan 2030 and the framework for cooperation were discussed.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Slovenia co-sponsored the resolution based on the international principles of recognition, remembrance and respect for the victims and survivors of genocide.

From 8 to 10 April 2024 the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, met in Greece with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The official visit was an opportunity to further strengthen the already excellent cooperation between the two countries and to exchange views on current foreign policy issues. Slovenian President was a keynote speaker at the 9th Delphi Economic Forum opening ceremony.

At today's session, the Government adopted a draft Act on the classification of judicial and prosecutorial functions in salary grades on the basis of the Constitutional Court's decision and took note of the report on the utilisation of European Cohesion Policy funds in the 2014–2020 programming period, which had been fully absorbed.

At a ceremony held in Ljubljana on the occasion of the closure of the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014-2020, Minister Jevšek underlined that Slovenia has been successful in using all the available EU funding for introducing improvements in infrastructure, promoting innovation and job creation in numerous regions across Slovenia.

Today, Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob attended a gala reception marking the 130th anniversary of the Novo Mesto General Hospital, where he was the keynote speaker.

When the catastrophic storm that struck much of Slovenia in August 2023 caused a widespread disaster, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) immediately provided a rapid, coordinated and efficient flow of information between field teams, the government and the population through official communication channels and close cooperation with the media. Its professionalism in this regard was recognised by the Slovenian Public Relations Association with the Prizma Award.

In mid-May, two prominent Slovenian writers visited Greece. Drago Jančar presented the Greek translation of his novel And Love Itself in Athens and at the 20th Thessaloniki International Book Fair. Dušan Šarotar presented his novel Panorama to the Greek audience in Thessaloniki.

Have you heard about the invasion of bedbugs in one of Europe’s countries? And seen a photo of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket? Even if the news sounds credible and the photo on the screen in front of you looks completely real, these two cases are among the more well-known examples of disinformation that has been exposed.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon opened the 13th Africa Day International Conference dedicated to celebrating the international Africa Day and fostering the friendship between Slovenia and African countries, as well as between Europe and Africa. This year's event is focused on a fair green transition and on effectively tackling one of the greatest challenges of our time – the triple planetary crisis.

Today, the Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, signed a Letter of Intent with the Rector of the University of Primorska, Dr Klavdija Kutnar, for the development and implementation of a single master’s degree programme in medicine at the University of Primorska.

In a media statement, Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar presented Slovenia's decision to extend temporary control at the internal borders with Croatia and Hungary by six months.

On Slovenian Diplomacy Day, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon thanked the diplomats and Ministry staff for their contributions to enhancing Slovenia's visibility, prestige and strength on the global stage. The Ministry also marked the day with a special event in honour of Jožefa Puhar, the highly esteemed first female ambassador to the then Republic of Macedonia.

The joint delegation of the European Commission, led by Ms Sofia Alves, Director at the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, and the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, led by Minister Jevšek, visited the Zasavje region on the occasion of the closure of the 2014-2020 programming period.

The main international event to mark the 7th World Bee Day this year - the international forum “Bees for People, Planet and Peace” took place in Ljubljana, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The opening part of the international forum “Bees for People, Planet and Peace” was attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Ervin Kosi.

"I welcome today's announcement by the leaders of the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of Ireland and the Kingdom of Norway on recognising the State of Palestine. In recent weeks, I have been in close and regular contact with them. In the coming days, I will also be in contact with many colleagues from EU Member States that have not yet recognised Palestine, in the hope that they join the recognition process in the near future.

On World Bee Day, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu inaugurated an urban beehive in the garden of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs at a special ceremony and opened the international forum "Bees for People, Planet and Peace".

Prime Minister Robert Golob meet with Qu Donyu, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The two speakers discussed the global food crisis and food security, especially in war zones.

At the invitation of President Jakov Milatović, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, was on an official visit to Montenegro. The Slovenian President was received with military honours by her host, and their talks today focused on Montenegro's efforts on the path towards the European Union and the importance of the earliest possible integration of the Western Balkan countries into Euro-Atlantic integration for the stability of the region.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for two calls for proposals. The Just Transition Fund makes a total of EUR 77,740,000 available for both calls, i.e., Call for proposals for promoting investments for the economic restructuring of the Zasavska and Savinjsko-Šaleška coal regions and Call for proposals for co-financing the projects of economic and business infrastructure development in the Savinjsko-Šaleška coal region.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Riga, where he and Andris Pelšs, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, confirmed the good and friendly bilateral relations between Slovenia and Latvia.

The Golden Bee Award was presented on World Bee Day for the fourth time. The award was presented by the President of the Republic Nataša Pirc Musar, and the winner was declared by the Minister of Agriculture Mateja Čalušić. The Golden Bee Award was presented to The Wheen Bee Foundation Limited of Australia. Many other events were organised around the world on the occasion of today's World Bee Day.

The European Commission adopted a decision to increase short stay Schengen visa (visa type C) fees worldwide by 12 per cent. The increase will apply worldwide as of 11 June 2024.

Maja Brkan presented the Annual Report of the Court of Justice of the European Union for 2023 to Prime Minister Robert Golob and outlined the key challenges for the period ahead.

In the coming days, we are celebrating a series of European, global, and international days that remind us each year of our relationship with nature and the importance of preserving nature for future generations – World Bee Day on 20 May, European Natura 2000 Day on 21 May, International Day of Biological Diversity on 22 May and European Day of Parks on 24 May.

Danijel Levičar, State Secretary for the National Nuclear Programme, today took part in a debate on the role of nuclear energy in the green transition, which took place as part of the international SEEnergy conference in Celje.

In Strasbourg, Minister Tanja Fajon attended the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which focused on Ukraine, reviewed progress in implementing the decisions of the Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government and adopted the first international instrument on artificial intelligence and human rights. She also represented Slovenia at the Commemorative Ceremony of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals to finance the establishment, maintenance and management of a public informing and alerting system, including the transmission of warning notifications.

This year, the theme of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is “No one left behind: Equality, freedom and justice for all”, which highlights the need for equality and respect for all people, regardless of their circumstances. As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights".

Today we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's membership in Europol at the Police Academy in Tacen.

Today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) published its decision on the applications of three Slovenian fishermen against the Republic of Croatia. Slovenia intervened in the case to ensure legal aid for its citizens.

This year's Slovenian Regional Days, themed Demography, Human Resources, Regional Development, is held in Novo mesto. Demography, human resources and regional development are the key elements that shape the future of any region. The event looks into the various aspects of the three areas and their impact on the overall development of Slovenian regions.

Between 7 and 8 May 2024, the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) hosted the annual meeting of European Association of Competent Authorities for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material in Slovenia (EACA) for the first time since joining this European association of competent authorities for safe transport of radioactive material.

At its meeting today, the Government adopted a rehabilitation programme to deal with the consequences of the August 2023 floods. The programme is worth EUR 2.3 billion over five years, with EUR 360 million earmarked for this year. The programme will provide all the funds for replacement construction, for all municipal infrastructure, for public buildings, i.e. schools, kindergartens, etc. The programme also includes the rehabilitation of watercourses through permanent measures.

State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in the UN Security Council debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, presented the latest report on the situation in the country. In his intervention, the State Secretary underlined the importance of respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and reiterated that the country’s future lies in the EU.

On May 14, 2024 ambassador Iztok Mirošič presented his Letter of Credence as Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the Secretary General of CARICOM dr. Carla Barnett in Guyana.

On the fifth day of her visit to the Middle East and the Gulf, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal F. Alibrahim. As well as exchanging views on the Middle East, they spent a significant amount of time discussing how to strengthen economic cooperation.

On the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs would like to emphasise that the Austrian State Treaty is of lasting importance for the Republic of Slovenia, as Article 7 of the Treaty provides an international legal basis for guaranteeing the rights of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia and Styria. The Republic of Slovenia is the legal successor to the Treaty and the state protector of the Slovenian minority.

The 9th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) is taking place on 15 and 16 May 2024 in Šibenik, Croatia. State Secretary mag. Marko Koprivc attended the official ministerial programme. High-level participants adopted the Šibenik Declaration that reflects the common efforts and achievements under the Croatian EUSAIR Presidency and outlines the way forward for the EUSAIR and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended a ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the Murska Sobota Community Health Centre, where he toured the newly renovated premises.

In Turkey, representatives of Mediterranean countries are discussing actions that countries need to take to increase climate resilience and water and food security. As Slovenia currently holds the Presidency of the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean, the Slovenian representatives presented the activities and measures being implemented within the framework of the Convention.

On the fourth day of her Middle East and Gulf tour, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. The main topic of the talks was the Middle East, including the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

State Secretary Matevž Frangež today presented the starting points of a Slovenian startup strategy at the Podim Conference – one of the most important technology and startup events in Europe. The goal of the strategy, which was created in cooperation with active stakeholders of the ecosystem, is to make Slovenia one of the most attractive environments for startup companies by 2030.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a meeting titled 'Good Practices in Monitoring the Effective Workload of Doctors'. At a working meeting organised by the Ministry of Health, representatives of hospitals presented examples of good practice from the project on monitoring the effective workload of doctors.