News

State Secretary Neva Grašič took part in the General Affairs Council meeting, at which ministers responsible for European affairs discussed the agenda for the October European Council, a letter of intent on legislative programming, the annual rule of law dialogue and the developments in the rule of law situation in selected candidate countries.

On 12 October 2025, Slovenia and other EU countries will start implementing the Entry/Exit System (EES) at the external Schengen border, in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2017/2226 and 2025/1534.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted Wang Yi, Director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, on an official visit. Their discussions focused on opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation, the importance of multilateralism and collaboration within the UN Security Council.

In Tomašóv, Minister Tanja Fajon attended a meeting of the informal Central 5 group, comprising the foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. “The C5 format is a valuable framework for exchanging views on the most pressing issues in our region and for strengthening ties between countries that share a common Central European identity,” said Fajon.

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”.

In her State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reviewed the political objectives achieved and presented the main priorities and initiatives for the coming year.

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.

Today marks the start of the 60th regular session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Together with several other countries, Slovenia will propose a resolution on the human rights of older persons, aimed at extending the mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.

As part of the Latin American and Caribbean Days (LAC Days) 2025, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs continues to hold a series of cultural events organised in cooperation with the embassies of Latin American and Caribbean countries and Slovenian cultural institutions.

State Secretary Neva Grašič met with Osvaldo Zavala Giler, Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum. She reaffirmed Slovenia's commitment to the global fight against impunity for the most serious crimes, and to upholding the rule of law, as well as the independence and impartiality of judicial institutions, with the ICC at their centre.

On the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Špoljarić signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reaffirming and further strengthening the longstanding partnership between Slovenia and the ICRC in the field of humanitarian action and the promotion of international humanitarian law.

On the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum, Ms. Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, and Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), signed a €4 million agreement to support the Agency’s work over the next four years (2025 – 2028), including €1 million per year in fully flexible funding.

The first panel of the 3rd Slovenian Humanitarian Forum, which was held as part of the Bled Strategic Forum and focused on multilateral action in times of crisis, conveyed a clear message: The withdrawal of countries from international organisations, coupled with reduced funding in the face of mounting crises, poses a serious threat to multilateralism and the effectiveness of humanitarian response.

With her address, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon opened the 20th edition of the Bled Strategic Forum international conference entitled "A Runaway World". “In a world that often seems to be spinning out of control, principled leadership matters. Slovenia is an excellent proof that even a small country can lead – with courage, conscience and a commitment to justice, human dignity and international law," stated Minister Fajon.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič held political consultations in Bled with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Muzaffarbek Madrakhimov. These consultations followed the successful visit of Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who came to Slovenia in May this year with a large economic delegation.

Shortly before the start of this year's 20th anniversary edition of the Bled Strategic Forum international conference, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted a high-level women's forum comprising foreign ministers, senior representatives of international organisations and members of national parliaments and the European Parliament. Their discussions focused on decency in politics, a highly relevant matter in the current climate of rising authoritarianism.

In August, Panama held the presidency of the UN Security Council. The situation in the Middle East dominated the Council’s work this month, particularly the further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has led to famine being declared. Due to Iran's non-compliance with its obligations under the nuclear agreement, France, Germany and the United Kingdom demanded that UN sanctions be reimposed.

Before the official start of the Bled Strategic Forum 2025, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon engaged in dialogue with the participants of the 14th annual Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF). They discussed how values can be a driving force in global politics. Minister Fajon emphasised that, in politics, it is important to maintain strong principles and uphold them.

At the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen, under the Danish EU Presidency, ministers addressed the decision of the United States to deny visas to the Palestinian delegation to the UN General Assembly in September. Minister Fajon urged her EU counterparts to take measures against Israel, either by consensus or, if necessary, by qualified majority.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain strongly condemn the most recent Israeli offensive launched in the Strip and the announcement to establish a permanent presence in Gaza City.