News

Prime Minister Robert Golob attends the March ordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon is attending the United Nations Water Conference in New York. This is only the second time in 45 years that a conference has been devoted exclusively to water. “Slovenia has succeeded in getting 150 countries to support its proposal for the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Water. This is a great success for Slovenian diplomacy”, said Minister Fajon.

At today’s session, the Government set the expenditure ceiling for the rebalancing of this year’s budget, and adopted a proposal for an amendment to the Companies Act and a proposal for an amendment to the Industrial Property Act. The Government did not grant a discharge to the Management Board and Supervisory Board of 2TDK, Družba za razvoj projekta, d.o.o.

Today the Government adopted a draft amendment to the Industrial Property Act and will send it to the National Assembly for consideration under the ordinary procedure. The amendment aims to simplify and cheapen some existing procedures and further align Slovenian regulation with European and international rules.

At today's correspondence meeting, the government decided to temporarily suspend the execution of individual expenditures relating to integral items of the state budget as of 23 March 2023.

Between 14 March and 8 April, the Metro cinema, one of the most important institutions in the field of film in Vienna, is hosting a retrospective entitled SLO: MOTION, prepared by the Slovenian Cinematheque in cooperation with the Slovenian Cultural and Information Centre SKICA in Vienna, the Austrian Film Archives and the Slovenian Film Centre.

The Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration participates in the Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and signs a bilateral agreement with the USA.

On the occasion of World Water Day, Štanjel Castle played host to the Business-to-Diplomacy (B2D) event "World Water Day 2023 – Accelerating Change". Slovenian water technology companies and institutions presented themselves to the foreign diplomatic corps.

The amendment to the Fiscal Verification of Invoices Act, which is being adopted by the National Assembly today, is aimed at addressing both the control of the shadow economy and the protection of the rights of customers. In the light of protecting the environment and the green transition, we advocate e-receipts wherever possible. We emphasise that the purpose of re-introducing the fine for customers is primarily to raise awareness that the receipt must be accepted.

The Government of Slovenia took note of the report of the Slovenia Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) on the EPREV follow-up mission activities (Emergency Preparedness REView follow-up) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the field of preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency. The mission was undertaken from 3-7 October 2022. 14 response organizations have participated in the review. The EPREV follow-up mission team consisted of five experts from Canada, Belgium, Ireland, Netherland, Spain, and the IAEA.

The Animal Protection Working Group led by Maksimiljana Polak, State Secretary for the Establishment of Dialogue with Civil Society and Coordination of Citizens’ Initiatives in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, today met with Hari Arčon, President of the Cynological Association of Slovenia.

World Water Day, celebrated on 22 March each year, highlights the importance of water. The theme of this year’s World Water Day is “Accelerating Change”. Clean (drinking) water is not a commodity to be taken for granted, it is also part of a carefully planned framework of regulations and measures to ensure water conservation.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels. Ministers and state secretaries for European affairs focused on preparations for the European Council, EU-UK relations and the rule of law.

At the meeting of the Government Committee for State Regulation and Public Affairs, the government, inter alia, changed the value of the projects “Unmanned aircraft with NRC (nuclear, radiological, chemical) upgrade”, “Arrangement of hangars for JLTV vehicles (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle)”, “Triglav VNL (multipurpose ship)”, “Pro Line 21 advanced avionics for Falcon” and “Cougar helicopter upgrade” in the applicable Development Programmes Plan 2023–2026.

With 332 million, the United States of America presents an important market with many opportunities for the Slovenian economy and tourism. It can take several years for companies to successfully penetrate the US market, and Slovenia as a country can open doors through increased promotion. This is why, for the second year in a row, Slovenia will hold the Business Investment Conference in Dallas and the Slovenian Tourism Workshop, where economy, tourism and investment opportunities on both sides will be presented in a comprehensive manner. Dallas can be an excellent springboard for Slovenian companies thanks to the visibility and popularity of basketball star Luka Doncic.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer and State Secretary Tina Seršen met with Dejan Paravan, Managing Director of Gen energija.

Minister of Public Administration Sanja Ajanović Hovnik presented the timetable for the reform of the salary system. As she pointed out in a press statement today, negotiations will first start on the elimination of all disparities in the basic salaries, while the new salary scale will be gradually introduced.

The following statement has been issued in the name of the Group of Friends for an Ambitious EU Climate Diplomacy by Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden.

On the occasion of World Social Work Day, we are publishing a message from Minister Luka Mesec. “Our goal is to make social work socially recognised and properly rewarded,” the minister emphasized.

The first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), launched by the Republic of Slovenia together with the French Republic and Montenegro in 2022, will take place in Paris on 21–22 March.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. That is why, on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we issue a call for tolerance, respect and an end to hate speech. This is the only way we can move forward as a society.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and Minister of Finance Klemen Boštjančič held a regular meeting with the Governor and Vice-Governor of the Bank of Slovenia Boštjan Vasle and Primož Dolenc.

The focus of the working meeting between the two ministers, who were joined by the Mayors of Nova Gorica and Gorizia Samo Turel and Rodolfo Ziberna, was on the preparations for the European Capital of Culture with the slogan GO! BORDERLESS.

Marjan Šarec, Minister of Defence, attended a joint meeting of foreign and defence ministers of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in Brussels.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended a regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The main themes were the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and Tunisia. The event was followed by a joint meeting of foreign and defence ministers on EU assistance to Ukraine and the implementation of the Strategic Compass. The ministers also adopted conclusions on Afghanistan and EU priorities in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed during Persian New Year holidays (Nowrooz) from 21 March to 23 March.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Athens, in cooperation with the Municipality of Piraeus and the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, organised on 16 March 2023 a Slovenian-Greek music evening at the foyer of the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus. The Slovenian and Greek enthusiasts of classical music, members of the diplomatic community as well as members of the Slovenian community in Greece enjoyed a beautiful music evening with the duo Basili-Kosovinc, the Greek cellist Cristina Basili and the Slovenian guitarist and composer Timotej Kosovinc.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Robert Tajani have pledged ever closer cooperation between the two governments on migration, energy and joint efforts in the Western Balkans.

In an effort to raise the level of communication, promote respectful dialogue and eliminate hate speech, Prime Minister Robert Golob established the Strategic Council for the Prevention of Hate Speech, which held its inaugural meeting today.

With 332 million, the United States of America presents an important market with many opportunities for the Slovenian economy and tourism. It can take several years for companies to successfully penetrate the US market, and Slovenia as a country can open doors through increased promotion.

State Secretary Marko Štucin today hosted the Polish Minister for the EU, Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk in Ljubljana. In addition to bilateral relations, the talks focused on topical European and international issues.

The Government has adopted a basis for the preparation of a proposal for amendments to the Recovery and Resilience Plan to address the reduction in available funding and the objectives of the REPowerEU plan to reduce dependence on Russian energy. It will be followed by coordination with the European Commission and other stakeholders and the preparation of a proposal to adapt the plan.

At an extraordinary session of the National Assembly, Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, presented the reasons for the rejection of the resolution that would classify Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. She reiterated Slovenia’s strong support for Ukraine and emphasised that, instead of creating division and separation, all efforts should be directed towards ending Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Priority Area Coordinators (PAC) of the EU Strategy for the Danube region (EUSDR) met in Maribor. At the meeting, there were 12 EUSDR thematic teams from 14 countries of the region, representatives of the Danube Region Programme, the European Commission, the Danube Youth Council (DYC) and the secretariat of the EUSDR, the Danube Strategy Point. The event was organised by Slovenian EUSDR Presidency with the support of the Danube Strategy Point and the University of Maribor.

At today's regular session, the Government took note of the starting points, priorities and dynamics of the negotiations with the representative trade unions of the public sector. It also adopted the starting points for the adjustment of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and decided to make available EUR 50 million in SID Bank’s loans to companies affected by the energy crisis.

State Secretary for the Establishment of Dialogue with Civil Society and Coordination of Citizens’ Initiatives Maksimiljana Polak and Head of the Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Dejan Süč met with representatives of the Society for the Protection of Horses and Other Animals and other representatives of animal advocates.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian national minority in Italy to exchange information and views on current issues relating to the minority, ahead of the visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic, Antonio Tajani, to Slovenia on Friday, 17 March. The meeting was also attended by Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon handed over two Ljubljana Passenger Transport buses, which the Municipality of Ljubljana donated to Ukraine, to the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Slovenia, Andriy Taran. “Today we continue our assistance to Ukraine, this time, too, supporting the most vulnerable in the war – children and young people –, so that they can get to school more safely in these difficult circumstances.”

In an effort to adopt balanced and sustainable systemic measures, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, established the Strategic Council for Macroeconomic Issues, which held its inaugural meeting today.

At the meetings of the Government committees, the Government responded to the adopted conclusions of the National Council on the issue of the growing scope of environmentally sensitive areas of permanent grassland, included in the Development Programmes Plan for 2023-2026 a new project titled Construction of the central kitchen in the Nova Gorica General Hospital and increased the value of the project titled Logistics Centre of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).

In the framework of the quadrilateral meeting between Slovenia, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, Acting Director-General of the Directorate for International Law and Protection of Interests, Dr Marko Rakovec, hosted the meeting of legal advisers. This was the first meeting at the level of legal advisers in the quadrilateral format, which has been held at deputy foreign ministers level since 2011.

Prime Minister Robert Golob hosted the fifth meeting of coalition deputies and Government representatives at Brdo pri Kranju. The coalition continued the discussion on important systemic changes that it has set to implement in this term of office.

Minister Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh opened her chairmanship of the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, the most important global event on the impact of information and communication technologies on the development of society.

The Ministry of Finance has conducted an analysis and completed the groundwork for tax system reorganisation in order to make it more transparent, simple and balanced. We also wish to raise awareness about the need for a new social consensus regarding the reform package and the level of prosperity we are aiming for.

At today's correspondence session, the Government adopted a bill on amendments to the Employment, Self-employment and Work of Foreigners Act and will send it to the National Assembly for consideration under fast-track procedure.

On 13 March, Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob paid an official bilateral visit to Sarajevo. The Prime Minister’s visit follows the European Council’s decision in December to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) candidate status for membership of the European Union. It was Slovenia, including Prime Minister Golob, which actively endeavoured to confirm the geostrategic decision of the European Council last year.

On 2 March 2023 Ambassador Barbara Sušnik presented her credentials to the to the president of Cape Verde.

The last working day of the Consular section of the Embassy of the Republic in Slovenia in Cairo before the holiday season will be Thursday, 13 April 2023.

On 12 March 2023 the conversation between the Slovenian curator and director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, Zdenka Badovinac, and the director of the Inside-out Museum in Beijing, Carol Yinghua Lu, took place online. The event was co-organized by the Embassy of Slovenia in Beijing and the Inside-out Art Museum in Beijing.

On 11 March 2023, in the conference room of the museum Inside-out in Beijing, the second of the Beijing Conversations took place, between Aleksandra Vajd, Slovenian photographer and professor of photography, and Zhou Dengyan, the photography historian on the topic of "Rethinking Photography as a Medium in the Age of Uncertainties."

The Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, received representatives of the Glas ljudstva network and listened to their proposals for urgent intervention in the field of health care.

We remove administrative obstacles and speed up the procedures for issuing and serving residence permits and registration certificates. We reintroduce access to Slovenian language courses for all categories of foreigners.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council spent the morning part of the session discussing the situation in the Schengen area.

Acting Director-General of the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Edvin Skrt attended an informal meeting of EU development ministers in Stockholm to discuss global health in the light of the implementation of the new EU Global Health Strategy, the situation in Ukraine, with a focus on its reconstruction, and the reform of international development banks.

At today’s session, the Government adopted a proposal for an amendment to the Foreigners Act, which allows for faster issuance of residence permits. It also began consideration of the proposal for an amendment to the Employment of Foreigners Act and suspended it, as the Economic and Social Council will consider the proposal at tomorrow's meeting before it is finally adopted. It also took note of the strike agreement between the Government and the Education, Science and Culture Trade Union and authorised Minister Papič to sign it.

State Secretary Dr Damir Črnčec was recently a guest on the State of the Alliance programme produced by the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

Ms Irena Šinko, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF), met with the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr Tetsuro Nomura. During her visit to Japan, the Minister held several meetings with representatives of different institutions, taking also a field tour of several show cases of good practices in agriculture and in fisheries.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed for an investment in a high-tech centre for the production of biosimilars.

The consultation on the EU Economic Governance Framework Reform at Brdo pri Kranju was opened by Prime Minister Robert Golob, who stressed the importance of fiscal rules for the stability of public finances and the need to adapt the rules to new challenges and reality. Fiscal rules need to be reintroduced, and flexibility and a balance between investment and the sustainability of public finances will be key.

State Secretary for the Dialogue with Civil Society and Coordination of Citizens' Initiatives Maksimiljana Polak met with Jadranka Juras, a representative of the Association for the Protection and Assistance of Animals in Need Lajka, and other representatives of animal advocates.

This year's High Security Printing EMEA™ Conference is taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 7 to 9 March 2023 and its award for the best ID card of the year was claimed by the Slovenian biometric identity card.

State Secretary for the Establishment of Dialogue with Civil Society and Coordination of Citizens' Initiatives Maksimiljana Polak and Head of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Dejan Süč met with representatives of the volunteer association "Tačke pomocčke" and other representatives of animal advocates.

The European Commission has given a preliminary positive assessment of the first payment request for European funding for recovery and resilience. "We have been eagerly awaiting the news that was announced today by Commissioner Gentiloni. I am very pleased that the Commission has given the green light to our first payment request for the Recovery and Resilience Facility," said the Minister of Finance Klemen Boštjančič at a press conference.

On International Women’s Day, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, set out the concept of a feminist foreign policy, which is a cross-cutting theme of the new foreign policy strategy, and announced that the Ministry intends to increase its focus on gender equality and respect for the rights and the empowerment of women and girls around the world. The Feminist Foreign Policy Strategy will be launched on the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, on 24 June.

State Secretary for National and International Security Dr. Andrej Benedejčič received today the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Colorado Dianne Primavera and the Adjutant General of the State of Colorado Laura Clellan on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of cooperation between the Slovenian Army and the Colorado National Guard.

Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec attended the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Stockholm, which was hosted by the Swedish capital yesterday and today in the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council.

During a visit to Dublin, State Secretary Marko Štucin held bilateral consultations with Peter Burke, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence in the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. The two officials discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations and engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on current European and international topics.

On 8 March, we celebrate one of the most important holidays, Women’s Day, which stands for courage, determination and the pursuit of solidarity and equality. It has been celebrated for over a hundred years, and marks the struggle for a world in which people can live with dignity and equality, whatever their circumstances.

At the meetings of the Government committees, the Government, among other things, agreed to the proposed amendments to the amended Scientific Research and Innovation Activities Act and to the expansion of the inscription of dry stone walling on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as to the modification of the baseline value of the AV Media Programmes 2022–2023 project, which is included in the current Development Programmes Plan.

Ms Irena Šinko, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF), is participating in the formal opening of the 48th FOODEX Japan 2023, the largest international food and beverages show, jointly with a delegation of Slovenian industrial and economic operators. At the show, regarded as the leading food and beverage show in Asia, 11 Slovenian companies are presenting themselves.

A ceremony was held today at the Intellectual Property Office to name a large meeting room after the outstanding Slovenian inventor and cosmopolitan Peter Florjančič. The event was attended by his daughter and grandson, and addressed by State Secretary Dejan Židan and the Director of the Office Karin Žvokelj.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met Leo Docherty, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Europe at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, during a visit to London. They talked about further strengthening bilateral relations and exchanged views on topical European and international affairs.

he Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, and the Minister of Public Administration, Ms Sanja Ajanović Hovnik, met with representatives of the international company Gallup.

At the UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the round table entitled ‘Leveraging the power of science, technology and innovation for the sustainable development of least developed countries’. She stressed the importance of cooperation, solidarity and development aid to eradicate poverty and inequality. On the sidelines of the Conference, Minister Fajon held a number of bilateral talks.

As of 1 March 2023, the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection (AFSVSPP) will no longer allow the entry of pet animals from Ukraine under the simplified procedure, based on Article 32 of Regulation (EU) 576/2013 on non-commercial movements of pets.

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in panels on solutions for an increasingly divided world and the future role of the United Nations (UN) at the Raisina Dialogue international conference in New Delhi. On the sidelines of the event, she met the Foreign Ministers of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the traditional meeting between Slovenia, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland at the level of deputy foreign ministers. Their discussions focused on the current challenges in the region, the fallout from the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Western Balkans.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Secretary General at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Dr Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, in Bled today. They discussed current bilateral and European topics. In particular, they underlined the importance of the enlargement process to the Western Balkans and agreed that the region should remain a geostrategic priority for the EU.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held talks with Vice-President of the European Commission Věra Jourová during her visit to Slovenia. They discussed the rule of law and other institutional matters within her remit. State Secretary Štucin also presented Slovenia's plans for hosting the international MLA diplomatic conference in Ljubljana in May 2023.

The Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko, hosted a working meeting with Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission. Their talks focused on the European Media Freedom Act, the situation at the Slovenian Press Agency and Radio-Television Slovenia, hate speech, and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).

At today’s meeting, the Government adopted the Strategy for the Development of the Capital Market in Slovenia by 2030 and the Spring Forecast, which projects economic growth to be moderate this year, though higher than predicted in the Autumn Forecast, and a gradual fall in inflation.

2 March 2023 Ambassador Suhadolnik participated at the Gorenje Brand promotion conference in Qingdao. Ambassador was accompanied by Mrs. Mira Lesjak, the head of the Slovenian consulate in Shanghai, and Mr. Jan Sitar, economic counsellor of the Slovenian Embassy in Beijing.

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is the most important global event on the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the development of society.

The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia and the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia are organising an event EU Economic governance framework reform – finding consensus to ensure sustainability and growth.

At the session of the government committee, the Government included the acquisition of new owned business premises for the needs of the operations of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Bucharest in the applicable Plan of Development Programmes and it also adopted a response in connection with the Action plan regarding the provision of special rights of the autochthonous Italian and Hungarian national communities.

Today, on 28 February 2023, the settlement of the liability management transaction, executed on 21 February 2023, took place which consisted of an additional issue of RS85 bonds in the value of EUR 200 million and buying back of RS83 and RS66 bonds.

At today’s correspondence session, the Government extended the provisional agreement regarding the hours paid for the work of trade union representatives and authorised Minister Poklukar to negotiate about the Collective Agreement for Police Officers. The Government also appointed the Director-General of the Treasury Directorate.

At today’s correspondence session, the Government amended the Decree determining the amount of excise duty on energy products and electricity, with which it changed the excise duty on automotive gas oil (diesel) and heating gas oil (extra light fuel oil – KOEL).

At the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon stressed that Slovenia will always stand for respect for international law, human rights, multilateralism and solidarity. She also participated in the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, where she announced Slovenia's humanitarian contribution of EUR 300,000.

Today, Minister Marjan Šarec and State Secretary Dr Damir Črnčec attended a ceremony at Congress Square in support of Ukraine on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs organised an event in support of Ukraine and in memory of the victims of Russia's brutal aggression. Acting Secretary-General Renata Cvelbar Bek addressed the Diplomatic Corps and the Ministry's staff on behalf of Minister Tanja Fajon, who is attending the Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly. Andrii Taran, Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia, also addressed the participants. The speeches and a minute's silence for the victims of the aggression against Ukraine were followed by the raising of the Ukrainian flag.

State Secretary Tina Heferle attended the 2nd European Conference on Border Management in Athens. The discussions focused on the effectiveness of European Union's border management and return policies as well as on the issue of EU funding to upgrade member states' operational capacities at the external borders.

Below is a statement by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, on the first anniversary of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

"There has never been any doubt in Slovenia that Ukraine is the victim and Russia is the aggressor, and we will continue to help Ukraine in every possible way," said Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob on the anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Last year, Slovenia helped Ukraine with almost €30 million in various forms of aid: from humanitarian and material assistance to direct aid to Ukrainian refugees who have taken refuge in our country. We have also been a strong supporter of Ukraine on the political stage and have been working hard to clearly condemn Russia's aggression and its crimes.

In the following we publish the statement by Prime Minister Robert Golob on the anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit. Their discussion focused on strengthening competitiveness, transforming the labour market to support the green and digital transitions, and on EU-level solutions to labour shortages.

At today's session, the Government adopted proposals for legislation to speed up the green transition, a draft amendment to the Macro-prudential Supervision of the Financial System Act to facilitate and protect minimum wage earners who wish to take out a loan, and amendments to the Decree on self-employed professionals in culture. It approved investments to improve the water supply in Slovenian Istria and the Karst hinterland, and adopted a number of personnel matters in the Ministry of the Interior.

At today's meeting, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia set out the text of the draft Resolution on the overall long-term programme for the development and equipping of the Slovenian Armed Forces until 2040 (hereinafter: the Resolution) and sent it to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for consideration and adoption.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman led the third Strategic Dialogue between the two countries in Washington today. Established in 2020, the Dialogue provides a framework for discussions and exchanges of views on bilateral cooperation and current political, security and other issues and challenges in the international community.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed the Eleventh Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York marking the first anniversary of the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Slovenia strongly supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and Member States working towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.