News

State Secretary Neva Grašič met with non-resident ambassadors to Slovenia in the Austrian capital, Vienna. In her address, she highlighted the most prominent achievements of Slovenian foreign policy in 2025: Slovenia's first MED9 presidency and its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, which ends with Slovenia’s presidency of the Council in December.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended two events in Vienna that brought together diplomacy, culture and business in one of the world’s foremost diplomatic centres. The events presented Slovenia as a creative, supportive and responsible country that believes in the power of dialogue and cooperation.

In Vienna, at a meeting with Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Minister Tanja Fajon expressed her satisfaction with the publication of the report on the events at the Peršman Homestead, following almost three months of waiting, and conveyed Slovenia’s expectation that Austria would take swift and appropriate action based on the report’s recommendations.

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.

On 23 October 2025, Slovenia will present a remarkable story of integrating culture, economy and foreign policy in Vienna, one of the world's most important centres of diplomacy. Under the honorary patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, the famous Wiener Konzerthaus will host a performance of the musical Peace Child, organised to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

The Slovenia–Carinthia Joint Committee, chaired by the Governor of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, met in Celovec/Klagenfurt: “We are not only neighbours but also partners in our shared region in the heart of Europe”.

Ahead of the session of the Slovenia-Carinthia Joint Committee in Celovec/Klagenfurt, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon visited the Peršman Homestead, a central site of remembrance for the Slovenian national minority in Austrian Carinthia. The Homestead was the scene of a major police intervention at the end of July this year against participants in a student educational camp.

Following the parliament's decision of 1 July 2025 to approve an amendment to the Symbols Act, enshrining the Dachsteinlied as the anthem of the Austrian province of Styria, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs reiterates its stance that the use of historically outdated symbols which undermine the achieved coexistence and productive cooperation between Slovenia and Austria is unacceptable.

State Secretary Marko Štucin received the Deputy Governor of Styria, Manuela Khom. During the meeting, the State Secretary spoke favourably of the halt of the procedure for the constitutional amendment in the Provincial Government of Styria. The amendments included the addition of the controversial Styrian anthem, which mentions the Slovenian territory.

The Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Center (WB3C) is proud to announce its collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to host the region’s first Cyber Capacity Building Workshop on 19-20 May 2025 in Podgorica. This high-level gathering will convene global experts and regional stakeholders to strengthen the Western Balkans’ cybersecurity resilience through two critical streams: addressing the cyber talent shortage and enhancing collaborative strategies against cybercrime.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the new Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm, for consultations. They discussed the most topical issues currently being addressed in the EU and agreed that Slovenia and Austria share similar views on several EU policies.

In recent days, a video with false and misleading claims about the possibility of entering Slovenia has garnered a lot of attention on the social network X.

From 20 to 22 November 2024, on-line information days will be held in several languages for international students interested in studying in Slovenia. Full details and a registration link are available in the attachment.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended a two-day Ministerial Conference of the Salzburg Forum in Austria.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the quadrilateral meeting of deputy foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. They exchanged views on current European and international issues.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended bilateral consultations in Vienna. He met with Karoline Edtstadler, Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, and Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

At the invitation of Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Minister Tanja Fajon attended the Europa-Forum Wachau, a platform for discussion on European integration, with this year's edition focusing on the Western Balkans. The event also included a meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans group.

In Vienna, State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in the meeting of Danube Foreign Ministers organised in the framework of the 13th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. He also attended a joint dinner with the “Friends of the Western Balkans” group, where participants discussed EU enlargement at a time of high security risks.

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.

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.