News

The Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, was adopted 25 years ago to this day, and in 2010, States Parties designated 17 July the Day of International Criminal Justice. The Court represents a key step forward in the fight against impunity for the most heinous crimes, which pose a threat to international peace, security, and prosperity, and marks a milestone in the pursuit of international justice.

After the Government approved the proposed amendment to the Recovery and Resilience Plan on Monday, 10 July 2023, the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience submitted the proposed amendment to the plan together with all supporting documents to Brussels today. We expect the final approval of the adjustment proposal of the plan by the Council of the European Union this autumn.

This afternoon, Slovenian Prime Minister Golob visited the villages of Orehovec and Pišece in the municipality of Brežice to see the aftermath of the storms.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, today paid an official visit to Croatia at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković. He was accompanied in Zagreb by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, and the Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer.

At the 53rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), which took place between June 19 and July 14, 2023, Slovenia took an active stand against discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. Slovenia advocated for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls and called for the fight against all forms of violence against women and girls.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and held several talks with representatives of the Netherlands and international organisations in The Hague, the “international city of peace”.

At today's correspondence session, the Government adopted decisions on the dismissal of the Secretaries of State at the Ministry of Health, mag. Tadej Ostrc, Tjaša Vidic and Azra Herceg. At the same time, the decisions appointed new State Secretaries, namely Azra Herceg, Dr Valentina Prevolnik Rupel and Marjan Pintar.

At today’s session, the Government learned about the Report on the realisation of self-sufficiency and the use of agricultural land drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

A two-day summit of the NATO Alliance in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius has concluded. It was attended by the Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, and the Minister of Defence, Marjan Šarec.

The women’s programme taking place on the margins of the NATO Summit of heads of state and government in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, was also attended by the Slovenian Prime Minister’s partner, Tina Gaber.

Prime Minister Robert Golob responded to media coverage of attacks on police officers:

At today's correspondence session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia agreed to the proposed amendments to the draft Social Assistance Act and will send them to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

At the Government Committee session, the Government, among other things, included the new project Strengthening Capacities in the Field of Terrorist Threats in the current Development Programme Plan 2023–2026.

A two-day summit of the heads of state and government of the NATO Alliance is taking place in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, attended by the Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, and the Minister of Defence, Marjan Šarec.

Today we remember the innocent victims who were murdered in a horrific way, in the very heart of Europe, right before the eyes of the international community. It was the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War. Our thoughts are with the mothers, wives, relatives and friends who lost their loved ones that day.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the July meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels. The main focus of the discussion was an exchange of views on the priorities of the Spanish Presidency and the mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021–2027.

Prime Minister Robert Golob informed the President of the National Assembly that he would temporarily perform the office of the Minister of Health in place of Danijel Bešič Loredan who resigned.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the fourth meeting at the level of foreign ministers of Slovenia, Croatia and Italy in Ancona on cooperation in the management and protection of the northern Adriatic Sea. The ministers also adopted a joint declaration committing their states to exchanging information on the implementation of Exclusive Economic Zones and the regulation of maritime traffic.

The Government confirmed the proposed amendment to the Recovery and Resilience Plan that complies with the significant changes of circumstances that occurred after it was approved by the EU Council in July 2021. The Government will submit the amended plan to be formally harmonised and approved by Brussels by the end of the week.

The Government continues to draft the budgetary documents for 2024 and 2025. The breakdown of budgetary expenditure by ministries was adopted today. The Government also confirmed the proposed amendment to the Recovery and Resilience Plan that follows the significant changes of circumstances that occurred after it was approved by the EU Council in July 2021.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, and the President of the National Council, Marko Lotrič, met today at the premises of the Government.

At today's meeting, the Government adopted urgent measures to ensure a smooth supply of medicinal products and a Dementia Management Strategy to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and their families.

“The European Commission’s Fourth Annual Rule of Law Report on the Rule of Law Situation in EU Member States in 2023 shows that Slovenia has made progress in almost all areas. Nevertheless, we will continue to work actively to improve the rule of law and to take into account new recommendations,” said Minister Tanja Fajon, State Secretary, Dr Igor Šoltes, Minister Asta Vrečko, and Minister Boštjan Pokuklar at the publication of the report.

This week, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs hosted an award ceremony for this semester’s participants of the training for the diplomatic exam, which they recently passed with great success.

Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, attended the solemn ceremony at the start of construction of the BioCampus, the centre for biotherapeutics development, in Mengeš.

The Government agrees to the proposed amendments to the draft Act Amending the Agriculture Act.

In its Rule of Law Report published in July, the European Commission notes that Slovenia has made progress in ensuring the independence of the public media. This was in part due to the resolution of the situation at the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), in which the Government Communication Office (UKOM) played a key role.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, today attended an extraordinary session of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) to discuss the conduct of social dialogue.

At the meetings of the Government Committees, the Government increased the earmarked assets of the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship, approved the Business and Financial Plan of the Fund, and included a new project "Smart Survey Implementation" in the current Development Programme Plan 2023–2026.

Since 14 February 2022, residence permits and residence registration certificates have been issued in a new format with additional security features.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the European Council meeting in Brussels. The war in Ukraine, migration, security and defence, the economy and relations with China were the key topics of this summit.

On the last day of their joint visit to Seoul, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han held multiple meetings at the highest political level. They also visited KIA's Research and Development Centre and met with KIA's President and CEO.

Slovenian Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec hosted his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr on an official visit to Slovenia. The meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation in the field of defence and military affairs, with a focus on Slovenia's possible participation in the NATO eVA Battle Group in Romania.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon visited the Republic of Korea to officially open the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Seoul, where she and Minister of the Economy Matjaž Han hosted diplomats, business representatives and other foreign guests to mark Slovenia's Statehood Day.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han are visiting Korea accompanied by a strong business delegation. They attended the official opening of the Slovenian Embassy in Seoul, held political talks and participated in a number of promotional activities where Slovenia is presenting its business investment environment, economy, tourism and opportunities for foreign investors.

The 7th UNESCO conference of ministers and senior officials responsible for physical education and sport concluded today in Azerbaijan. The conference adopted the Fit for Life partnership document, designed to accelerate COVID-19 recovery, support integrated policy making in sports, and enhance the wellbeing of youth around the world.

The Government adopted the decision on consent to limit the enrolment and increase the number of enrolment slots for foreigners, the citizens of countries that are not EU member states, in undergraduate and integrated Master’s study programmes, the decision on determining the proportions of collecting waste grave candles from public utility service providers for the period until 30 June 2024 and declared 2024 the year of General Rudolf Maister.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob today met with ambassadors of EU Member States at the House of the European Union in Ljubljana.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Minister of Immigration and Asylum Jean Asselborn. He also held consultations with Director-General for European Affairs and International Economic Relations Jean-Louis Thill.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the Chief Executive Officer of the Fortenova Group, Fabris Peruško, who briefed him on the Group's operations and business plans.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended an ordinary session of the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The Council members held a thorough discussion on draft conclusions for the European Council meeting, set to be held on 29 and 30 June 2023. They spoke about the EU’s continued response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, current economic issues, security and defence, and foreign policy issues.

On Day 2 of meeting, the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council discussed agricultural issues. At the core of discussion were the conditions in agricultural markets in the aftermath of Russian aggression on Ukraine, and due to adverse climatic events, the need for certain derogations within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) due to adverse climatic events, and a call on the Commission to clarify the criteria for allocation of existing aid packages, and concerning the preparation of the third aid package.

EU agriculture and fisheries ministers today opened a two-day meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, attended by Minister Irena Šinko. Council conclusions were adopted on a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector, and ministers were briefed on a proposal for a regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended a regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Key topics of discussion included the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the north of Kosovo, EU–Latin America and Caribbean relations, and digital diplomacy. Minister Fajon thanked the EU member states for their support in electing Slovenia to the UN Security Council.

At today's correspondence session, the Government adopted the proposal for the Long-Term Care Act and the proposal for the amendment of the Social Assistance Act and a decision to recall a member of the Supervisory Board of the Public Transport Management Company.

The deadline for the applications for bilateral scholarships for 2023/2024 has been extended to 15 September 2023.

In the light of yesterday’s events in the Russian Federation, the National Security Council met in a select meeting today.

Message from Prime Minister Robert Golob on the occasion of Statehood Day on 25 of June.

At today’s correspondence session, the Government adopted the text of the amendments to the proposed Act Amending the Health Care and Health Insurance Act, decided to conclude an annex to the Operational Plan agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and the Republic of Slovenia, and reallocated budget funds.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's membership in the Council of Europe, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, visited Strasbourg from 20 to 22 June, where she met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, and the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Síofra O'Leary, and addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković on his first visit to Slovenia. Their discussions mostly focused on reviewing further steps towards faster progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path towards the EU and examined the current situation in the country. They also spoke about the opportunities for enhanced cooperation, particularly in the field of economy.

At its today’s session, the Government adopted the decree on aid to promote the deployment of energy from renewable sources, storage and heat from renewable sources, and the proposal to update the National Energy and Climate Plan. It also adopted the proposed amendment to the Agriculture Act.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed on 25 June 2023, Slovenia's Statehood Day.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar attends the conference on Ukraine's recovery hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the conference, he expressed Slovenia's support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction process and announced an additional €6 million in aid.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held bilateral consultations in Copenhagen with the State Secretary for European Affairs and the Arctic of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carsten Grønbech-Jensen. He also held consultations with the Head of the EU Division at Prime Minister’s Office, Ida Hannibal, and the Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Danish parliament, Niels Flemming Hansen.

The Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sports announced a partnership with the Dubai World Trade Center, more specifically Summit for the Future of Blockchain Technology as part of the largest global technology exhibition GITEX Global and COP28.

Joint statement by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Robert Golob, and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms Tanja Fajon.

The Recovery and Resilience Office organised a workshop entitled "Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and Protection of the European Union’s Financial Interests" for representatives of the ministries responsible for implementing the measures of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and thus protecting the EU’s financial interests. The participants of the workshop listened to representatives of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Criminal Police Directorate.

At the invitation of the Alpine Convention under the Slovenian presidency, a delegation from the Andean Mountain Initiative is on a study visit to Slovenia to take the idea behind the Alpine Convention to the seven countries of the Andean Mountain Range.

President Nataša Pirc Musar deposited on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia its instrument of ratification of the Protocol amending the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (CETS No. 223).

The 5th National Conference on the Internationalisation of the Slovenian Economy was held in Maribor, Slovenia. Under the slogan "Greenovated in Slovenia", businessmen, entrepreneurs and researchers discussed the visibility of Slovenia abroad, the penetration of companies in foreign markets, market niches for innovative and high-tech solutions, and opportunities for companies in international development cooperation.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development continues to issue support decisions under the EU Cohesion Policy 2021–2027 Programme. This time, it approved EUR 7 million in EU funding for the project “Upgrading and operation of the Slovenian business point (SPOT Global+)”. The funding will be targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises.

The 111th Session of the International Labour Conference, held in Geneva from 5 to 16 June 2023, is attended annually by members of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in a tripartite configuration of representatives of governments and workers’ and employers’ organisations. Important decisions, including the Recommendation concerning quality apprenticeships, were discussed and adopted by the conference in committees and plenary sessions.

The Government adopted a Decree on setting prices for certain petroleum products, amendments to the Decree on the method of determining and calculating the contribution for ensuring support for the production of electricity from high-efficiency cogeneration and renewable energy sources, and decided to make a contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency humanitarian aid to Sudan.

At a donor conference for humanitarian needs, Slovenia allocated EUR 300,000 of humanitarian funds to Sudan. The sum will be transferred through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

State Secretary Marko Štucin held consultations through a video conference with the State Secretary of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pascual Navarro Ríos. They confirmed the excellent bilateral relations and exchanged views on current European issues, particularly in light of the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of this year.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has declared 20 June as World Refugee Day. As they said in their message, on this day the world celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to leave their home countries to escape conflict or persecution.

The Slovenian Development Days, an event which shines a spotlight on the importance and achievements of development cooperation and humanitarian action to the Slovenian public, will take place between 2 and 6 October in Ljubljana. For the first time, the event will also feature the launch of the Slovenian Humanitarian Forum.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met for the second time with the Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In Koper, they discussed the situation in the Western Balkans, with a focus on Kosovo and the war in Ukraine.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the charity event "Deafblind Among Us". At the event, he took the opportunity to say that it is necessary to speak loud and clear for those who cannot do so themselves: "Ladies and gentlemen, a deep tribute, a deep tribute to your will to live, to your struggle to be heard and to your struggle to be successful."

Prime Minister Robert Golob, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer and Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning Uroš Brežan visited Krško today.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held consultations in Nicosia with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyriacós Kouros.

One of the largest meetings of representatives from European institutions and the Western Balkan countries, the Prespa Forum Dialogue 2023, concluded today in Struga. This time, the meeting was held under the theme "Widened European Family by 2030: Mission (im)possible?". Slovenia was represented by the Minister of Digital Transformation, Emilija Stojmenova Duh.

This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the “mineral water drinking protest” – a political action by members of the LGBT community that gave birth to the first Pride Parade in this country.

At the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting, ministers discussed, among other things, the value added tax (VAT) in the digital age package and the retail investment package. Minister Boštjančič also attended two annual meetings and a meeting of the Eurogroup, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first meeting.

On Thursday, 15 and Friday, 16 June 2023, Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec attended the NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Brussels.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the opening of Bosch Rexroth production plant. Bosch Rexroth has been operating in Slovenia for 25 years and the opening of the new plant in Brnik will create 123 additional jobs. The investment of EUR 13.2 million will create room for growth and future activities for the electrification of mobile applications.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek attended the official opening of the renovated railway station in Grosuplje.

The government has taken note of the information regarding the distribution of profits and awards to the management of companies within the same group or in related companies that have received aid under the Act Determining the Aid to the Economy to Mitigate the Consequences of the Energy Crisis.

At the opening of the four-day Regional Studies Association scientific conference that took place in Ljubljana Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development Dr Aleksander Jevšek stressed Slovenia’s commitment to harmonious regional development.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the signing of a contract for 20 new passenger trains and the opening of the renovated Grosuplje railway station.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today paid an official visit to Austria. He and his host, Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, discussed the close relations between the two countries, Austria's temporary border controls on the Slovenian border and the improvement of the situation of the Slovenian national community.

Every anniversary is both a celebration and an occasion for reflection. This is also true for the day of the Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA) and the 30th anniversary of its operation under this name. It is celebrated at a time full of challenges, but also of great hopes.

Marko Rakovec, Director-General of the Directorate for International Law and Protection of Interests took part in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Plenary in Dubrovnik on 12–15 June 2023.

The reading room of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia at 1 Zvezdarska Street in Ljubljana will be open from June 19 to September 1, 2023, according to summer working hours, from Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 2 PM.
On Monday, August 14, the archive will be closed due to a collective leave day.

Following the Republic of Slovenia's election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Prime Minister Robert Golob, in a joint press statement, stressed that this was a milestone for the whole country and that we would make sure that our voice is heard and taken into account.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met with First Deputy Prime Minister and Chief Negotiator for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Besnik Bislimi and held political consultations with the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo, Kresnik Ahmeti.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today participated in the consultation "For a better future for older and retired persons", which was held at the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

On 24 March 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) informed the Republic of Slovenia that three complaints by Slovenian fishermen against the Republic of Croatia concerning alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights had been submitted to Croatia.

At today’s joint press conference with President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar and Prime Minister Robert Golob following the election of Slovenia as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon outlined the substantive priorities of the membership.

On 9 June 2023, credit rating agencies S&P Global Ratings and DBRS Morningstar reaffirmed Slovenia's credit ratings. S&P continues to maintain Slovenia's credit rating at AA- with stable outlook, while DBRS Morningstar rates it as A (high) with stable outlook as well.

On the basis of the implementation of temporary measures referred to in Article 15 of the Act on Emergency Measures to Ensure the Stability of the Healthcare System (ZNUZSZS) and based on analyses conducted, data were obtained on the utilization and responsiveness of the healthcare system to measures which require immediate state intervention in order to adjust the established Act.

The Ministry of the Environment, Climate, and Energy has notified the European Commission of a new measure of investment aid to promote the production of electricity and heat from renewable sources, as well as the storage of electricity and heat.

A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), established earlier this year in Podgorica by Slovenia, France and Montenegro, is taking place today in Ljubljana.

Following a deferral veto by the National Council, the National Assembly reconsidered and supported the amendment to the Implementation of the Budget for 2023 and 2024 Act. In its response to the submitted veto, the Government emphasized that the adopted budget revision enables adequate financing of all highlighted areas while ensuring the long-term sustainability of public finances.

On Thursday, 8 June, the 11th International Military Exercise Adriatic Strike 2023 was presented to the professional public at the Jernej Molan Barracks at Cerklje ob Krki Airport.

On the occasion of the upcoming National Day of Slovenia, the Embassy in Copenhagen prepared a reception for the Slovenian community and friends.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Marko Štucin today attended the 15th anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean University EMUNI in Piran, organised by the President of EMUNI, Prof. Dr Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry.

The Government adopted the proposal for the Healthcare Digitalisation Act, instructed the Ministry of Infrastructure to continue procedures to improve air connectivity, including possible integration with existing airlines, and took note of the information on the activities of the Ministry of Defence for the withdrawal of the Republic of Slovenia from the Boxer programme.