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The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič, today attended the opening of the travelling mobile classroom named Simbioza Mobiln@. It is the latest acquisition that will bring, through modern digital educational initiatives, the use of ICT tools closer to senior citizens who want to learn how to use computers and smartphones.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the introductory part of the first virtual European archival symposium entitled Digital Transformation in Archival Science. Dieter Schlenker, Director of the Historical Archives of the European Union, Peter Pavel Klasinc, Head of Archival Sciences Alma Mater Europea, and Bojan Cvelfar from the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia also took part in the introductory part of the meeting.

All passengers entering Slovenia by aircraft or cruise ship will have to fill out a Digital Passenger Locator Form (electronic PLF form - dPLF) from 16 August 2021 before entering the country.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Revitalising part of the coastal area between the outfall of the Badaševica and Žusterna. The project worth EUR 4.5 million will be implemented by Urban Municipality Koper under the Sustainable Urban Strategy of Koper and will receive EU support with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund standing at EUR 616 thousand.

Yesterday, in an audio-video conference, the Minister of Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič met with the Microsoft's regional representatives for services from Central and Eastern Europe. The topic of the conversation was the search for solutions in the field of improving digital skills in the Republic of Slovenia and the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. These will make it possible to simplify the user experience of citizens in the near future.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held a video conference with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Carmen Moreno.

The following is an interview with Prime Minister Janez Janša for the Polish news agency PAP. In the interview, the Prime Minister spoke about the situation in the judiciary, the fact that he was a political prisoner twice, the second time during democracy, the reform of judicial legislation, the need for self-reflection of the judiciary, respect for EU law and the future of the EU.

Japan-Slovenia Relations

Call for Designs Japan - Slovenia 30th Anniversary Logo

Acting as Minister for Development Cooperation, State Secretary Dr. Stanislav Raščan held a telephone conversation with Martin Jäger, the German State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

State Secretary Dr. Raščan addressed young people at the 94th International Session of the European Youth Parliament organised by the European Youth Parliament of Slovenia and taking place in Slovenia for the first time between 31 July and 8 August 2021.

On March 7, 1946, members of the Inter-Allied Boundary Commission arrived to Trieste to compile a report and to suggest the drawing of the state border between Yugoslavia and Italy. On March 11, 1946, the commission received the representatives of the Regional National Liberation Committee for the Slovenian Littoral and Trieste and was presented with their memorandum. The memorandum consisted of three parts, all aimed to justify the necessity for the entire Julian March and Trieste to be assigned to Yugoslavia.

The Government Information Security Office, which succeeded the Information Security Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, was established on 20 July 2021 and became operational on 31 July 2021. The Government Information Security Office is the competent national authority in the field of information and cyber security.

State Secretary Dr. Stanislav Raščan attended on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the 105th commemoration at the Russian Chapel below the Vršič Pass.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food has issued an open call to citizens, legal persons or other organisations for identification of the candidates for the 2021 Golden Bee Award.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today received Vice-President of the French National Assembly Laëtitia Saint-Paul, who is visiting Slovenia together with Sabine Thillaye, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly.

Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo as Slovenia's representative and the chair of the EU Sport Council.

Today in Brussels, EU finance ministers approved the second batch of national recovery and resilience plans, including Slovenia’s. Minister without portfolio responsible for development and EU cohesion policy Zvonko Černač remarked that there is not much time to realise the investments and reforms, so it will be essential that stakeholders cooperate well and make compromises.

Today The Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport dr. Kustec spoke to the Sankei Newspaper in Tokyo.

The Ministry of Finance, Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience Slovenia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan was today given the green light in an informal videoconference of economy and finance ministers.

At today's informal video conference, chaired by Minister of Finance Andrej Šircelj, EU finance and economy ministers confirmed the positive assessment for the second batch of national recovery and resilience plans.

Minister of Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič today had a meeting with President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor.

Upon the invitation of Alok Sharma, President of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Change Convention (COP26), Slovenia’s Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Andrej Vizjak is attending a two-day ministerial meeting which is to prepare and help align the positions of different regional groups and Parties to the Paris Agreement prior to the meeting of Parties in November in Glasgow.

On 25 July 2021 The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo hosted a reception in honour of three Slovenian cyclists, Tadej Pogačar, Jan Polanc and Jan Tratnik, who participated in the road cycling race at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in the presence of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Dr Kustec, the President of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, Mr Gabrovec, and the Head of the Slovenian National Team, Mr Cerar.

At its meeting by correspondence, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia issued the Ordinance temporarily restricting the offering and sale of goods and services to consumers in the Republic of Slovenia, which will be in force from 26 July to 1 August 2021 inclusive, and will publish it in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for an additional call for proposals for co-financing social activation projects. The call for proposals worth EUR 893 thousand will be implemented by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and will receive EU support with the contribution from the European Social Fund standing at a little under EUR 715 thousand.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan, President of the EU’s General Affairs Council, hosted an informal meeting of European Affairs ministers at Brdo pri Kranju today. At an informal discussion on strengthening the Union’s resilience, ministers supported the efforts of the Slovenian Presidency towards a more comprehensive response to crises.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment – Municipality Hajdina. The EUR 1.1 million wastewater infrastructure project that will be implemented by Municipality Hajdina under the Agreement on the development of the Podravje region will be supported by the EU, with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund amounting to EUR 446 thousand.

At its 87th regular session, the Slovenian Government issued the Ordinance on the establishment and competences of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Digital Transformation.

At today's meeting, the Government extended the validity of most ordinances related to COVID-19, requiring organisers of events, gatherings and sports competitions, providers of services and goods in the field of drivers and vehicles in Slovenia, and cableway operators and associated ski slopes to verify whether participants meet the recovered/vaccinated/tested rule. Cross-border migrant workers residing within 10 kilometres of the border with a neighbouring country were added to the exceptions for entering Slovenia without going into quarantine and without meeting the recovered/vaccinated/tested rule. The Government also founded the Government Office for Digital Transformation.

At the end of April 2021, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy approved EU funding for the project Hydraulic improvements in the Municipality Sevnica – Agreement on the Development of Regions. Today, the Municipality signed the project contract with the selected contractor. At the invitation of the Mayor of Municipality Sevnica Srečko Ocvirk, State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs delivered an address online.

On the second day of the informal meeting of EU environment and climate change ministers in Slovenia, discussions addressed the new proposal of global targets for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The ministers also discussed the challenges of jointly strengthening pollinator protection and setting up an EU-wide pollinator monitoring framework.

Minister Dikaučič said that the existing rules cannot provide answers to all the challenges brought by artificial intelligence, which is why it is necessary to take further steps in the creation of a legal framework. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia hosted a virtual event focusing on the effective protection of fundamental rights regarding artificial intelligence in Europe and beyond.

Slovenia hosted an informal meeting of environment and climate change ministers. For the first time, they exchanged views on the vital legislative package "Fit for 55", which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. In the afternoon, the ministers exchanged views on the COP26 International Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow in November.

The European Commission today published its second annual Rule of Law Report within the European Rule of Law Mechanism set up in 2020. The report aims to elevate the understanding of the founding values and promote the rule of law culture, thereby strengthening this principle in the European Union as a whole.

The Ministry of Infrastructure issued an energy permit for the JEK2 project, based on the adoption of Slovenia's Long-Term Climate Strategy and the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NEPN), which clears the way for the implementation of administrative procedures and preparation of documentation for investment decision-making on JEK2 (the second nuclear reactor unit in Krško), providing a necessary basis for the final decision on the optimal energy scenario for the future supply of low-carbon Slovenia.

The Communication Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (UKOM) has sent the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) the final version of the public service contract.

Today's press conference on the current situation regarding COVID 19 was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar and the Director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a follow-up meeting of foreign affairs ministers of the Central 5 (C5) countries, i.e. Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Expansion of the Ormož business-economic zone. The EUR 2.22 million project will be implemented by Municipality Ormož under the Agreement on the development of the Podravje region and supported by the EU, with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund standing at EUR 1.48 million.

At the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, headed by Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, ministers discussed items on the agriculture agenda. They unanimously adopted the Council conclusions on the action plan for the development of organic agriculture, which stress the awareness of member states of the importance of organic farming in ensuring the sustainability of future European agriculture and food production. As regards the "End the Cage Age" European Citizens’ Initiative, the Council supported activities aimed at promoting animal welfare.

On 19 July 2021, Minister of Education, Science and Sport Dr Simona Kustec hosted a full-day informal meeting of ministers responsible for research at Brdo pri Kranju.

Today, the Executive Board agreed to allocate more seats in the Conference Plenary to regional and local elected representatives, as well as to social partners.

Minister of Defence Mag. Today, Matej Tonin addressed Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union. The event was organised within the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Minister addressed the topic of cyber security and the resilience of critical infrastructure.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment in the Lucija agglomeration – Agreement on the Development of Regions. The EUR 2.36 million wastewater infrastructure project that Municipality Piran will implement under the Agreement on the Development of the Obalno-kraška Region will be supported by the EU, with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund amounting to almost EUR 843 thousand.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment in the Municipality Sevnica – Agreement on the Development of Regions. The EUR 967 thousand wastewater infrastructure project which Municipality Sevnica will implement under the Agreement on the Development of the Posavje Region will be supported by the EU, with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund amounting to almost EUR 466 thousand.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended a virtual Conference of Presidents of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union. The meeting was organised by the National Assembly Committee on EU Affairs and the National Council Commission for International Relations and European Affairs, as part of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife Urška Bačovnik spoke about various topics in an exclusive interview for Prijatelji Radia Ognjišče (Friends of Ognjišče Radio) magazine.

Margaritis Schinas, the European Commission vice-president and Commissioner for Promoting the European Way of Life and the Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed a letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach proposing that when the Slovenian team arrives in the parade of nations at the official opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics, in additional to the Slovenian national flag, it also carries the flag of the European Union.

International Criminal Justice Day is celebrated on 17 July. On that day 23 years ago, the Rome Statute, one of the core pillars of international criminal justice, was adopted.

In accordance with Council Recommendation 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of this restriction, including amendments thereto, the Republic of Slovenia allows entry into the Republic of Slovenia for non-essential travel as well. The information has been updated according to entry conditions applicable as of 15 July 2021.