News

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the annual CEPA Forum organised by the Washington-based think-tank Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) as one of the keynote speakers. The event, entitled “Renewing the Transatlantic Alliance in a Contested World”, is being held in a virtual form.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan met with the Chair of the 10th NPT Review Conference, Ambassador Gustavo Rodolfo Zlauvinen. They discussed preparations for the high-level conference scheduled to be held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York at the beginning of next year.

A meeting of the Working Group for Urban Development, chaired by Deputy Director-General of the Spatial Planning, Construction and Housing Directorate at the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning Aša Rogelj, took place in Ptuj as a part of the Slovenian Presidency.

European Blockchain Week 2021(EBCW 2021) was one of the soundest events in the framework of Slovenian Presidency of the Council of EU. Co-organized by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, in collaboration with Digital Innovation Hub Blockchain for Trusted Data Ecosystems, Digital Innovation Hub Slovenia, Slovenian Digial Centre, BTC City, together with European Commission, EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum, INATBA - International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications, Blockchain Alliance Europe, Blockchain for Europe and many other partners, it achieved great success, backed by more than 100 panelists, more than 25 panels, workshops and roundtables and more than 1200 participants from 86 countries worldwide.

A Slovenian Government delegation visited the Zasavje region today. The Zasavje statistical region is Slovenia’s smallest in terms of surface area and comprises the municipalities of Hrastnik, Litija, Trbovlje and Zagorje ob Savi.

At the invitation of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE), State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the opening of the 17th Europe Summit held in Salzburg this year under the title ‘Europe and Peace’. He appeared at the opening panel titled ‘Democracy and Freedom in Europe after Corona’.

As part of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the town of Ptuj hosted a meeting of the national members of the Network of Territorial Cohesion Contact Points (NTCCP), chaired by Mr Tomaž Miklavčič from the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar addressed the participants of the Western Balkans Speakers' Meeting at Brdo pri Kranju as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. “The enlargement policy has a transforming power and is a prerequisite for a stable, secure and democratic Europe,” declared Minister Logar in his introductory speech.

A press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 was attended by Dr Irena Grmek Košnik, epidemiologist of the National Institute of Public Health’s Kranj Regional Unit.

Throughout his life, Alfred Brežnik - Fredi, an electrical engineer, a businessman and a long-term Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia in New South Wales, Australia, has been promoting Slovenianness and his home country with dedication and sacrifice. He moved to Australia in 1959. Together with other compatriots in Australia, Brežnik was particularly active during Slovenia’s independence process. Prior to that, he held intensive discussions with Australian politicians regarding the recognition of Slovenian independence. And also thanks to him, Australia was the first overseas country to acknowledge Slovenia as an independent state in January 1992.

On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Minister Zdravko Počivalšek expresses optimism about the recovery of Slovenian and world tourism as well. As he says, tourism is an extremely flexible ecosystem and it will react and transform in line with the current situation. He also believes that Slovenia has everything it takes to become one of the most desirable tourist destinations.

In his opening address via video-conference, Mark Boris Andrijanič opened the virtual conference of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, entitled "2021 OECD Business and Finance Outlook on AI". The conference took place on Friday, 24 September 2021.

On Thursday, Minister Andrijanič delivered an opening address at the conference "Leaders’ Dialogue: How Can We Create a Region of Mavericks, Unicorns, and Global Winners?", which was held as part of the sixth Slovenia Business Bridge Investment and Development Conference.

At an informal meeting held on 24 September 2021 at Brdo pri Kranju, ministers responsible for consumer protection discussed how to enhance consumer protection for future generations in the age of digitalisation and tourism.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar accompanied Slovenian President Borut Pahor as he addressed the General Assembly on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia at the general discussion. He also attended President Pahor’s meeting with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

A delegation of the Republic of Slovenia headed by Marko Rakovec, Chief Legal Adviser and Director-General for International Law and Protection of Interests, took part at the 61st meeting of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public international Law (CAHDI) in Strasbourg on 23 and 24 September.

“Democracy, values, rights, responsibilities, and the rule of law are the foundations of the European Union, the base on which it stands,” said Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary and Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe, ahead of the beginning of the second European Citizens' Panel in Strasbourg today.

Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač today participated in the High-Level Forum on Regional Recovery and Resilience which was jointly organised by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in Lipica, Slovenia. The Forum put spotlight on ways to ensure synergies between EU Cohesion Policy and Recovery and Resilience Facility by strengthening partnerships between EU, national, regional and local authorities. It was organised in a hybrid format as part of the programme of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs addressed the participants of the event Meeting of a supportive environment for entrepreneurship from the Koroška region that took place in Slovenj Gradec.

Barbara Sušnik, Director-General for European Union Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, welcomed Patric Franzen, Deputy State Secretary at the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the opening of the Balkan Forum, organised by Greece as part of the one-year Presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) via video conference. The debate focused on the sustainable development of the countries of the region in the post-COVID period.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar participated in the ministerial breakfast of the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court, attended the Conference on Article XIV of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and held bilateral talks with the Foreign Ministers of Algeria and Jordan on the margins of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Strengthening cybersecurity in the EU and its Member States is one the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Activities, collectively designated ‘Ghostwriter’, threaten our security and democratic principles of the EU, and run counter the norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace endorsed by all UN member states.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended the 2nd regular session of the Commission of Inquiry for determining the possible political responsibility of holders of public office for financially inappropriate measures and the allegedly unjustified restriction of rights in the implementation of measures related to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Interior Minister Aleš Hojs hosted the Interior Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Hamáček for a two-day official visit. The key focus of their talks was the current situation in security and migration and the progress regarding the priorities of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.

State Secretary Dr Raščan took part in the celebrations and a press conference marking the launch of a new flight connection of the flydubai airline between Dubai International Airport and Ljubljana Airport.

Following the reception of Slovenian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, Prime Minister Janez Janša met with the Czech Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček.

Following the state ceremony to mark the Day of Slovenian Sport, Prime Minister Janša hosts a reception for Slovenian Olympic and Paralympic athletes at Vila Bled.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the Budapest Demographic Summit. The summit is an annual event hosting top-level speakers, members of the EU and national parliaments, former ministers, senior religious leaders, civil society representatives, academics and journalists.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs addressed the participants of the on-line event, organised by the European Committee of the Regions, Cohesion as a value – benefits and costs for young people of transitioning to a post Covid-19 world.

On Thursday, 23 September 2021, a meeting of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) was held as part of the events of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The meeting was organized by the Office together with Slovenia as the presiding country.

A declaration was signed in Brussels today, which declares 23 September as EU Organic Day. The declaration was signed by the Chair of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, together with the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski and Benoit Lutgen, Member of the European Parliament.

On the fringes of the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the hybrid ministerial meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism entitled “Shaping our Common Agenda”.

Today in Bled, Prime Minister Janes Janša attended the state ceremony on the occasion of the Day of Slovenian Sport and the opening event of the European Week of Sport, where he was the keynote speaker.

Amsterdam, 22 September - Ambassador Štiglic launched the Slovenian Presidency's flagship cultural and promotional project Europe Readr in the Netherlands, together with Daria Bouwman, the President of EUNIC Netherlands, in OBA Amsterdam.

On the margins of the General Debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Moldova and Pakistan and the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States. He also participated in a round table on the situation in Afghanistan and lessons learned over two decades of international intervention in the country.

Jernej Müller, Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended this year’s meeting of the informal Global Governance Group (3G) that is taking place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan participated in a high-level humanitarian crisis response event in Yemen, organised by the EU, Sweden and Switzerland on the margins of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The 48th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is taking place in Geneva between 13 September and 8 October 2021. At the meeting, Slovenia has been advocating a global proclamation of the right to a healthy environment. In its first substantive resolution on the subject of the elderly, Slovenia addresses the challenges of oldism and age discrimination. Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec will also attend the event and draw attention to the importance of young people and education for human rights.

EU grants to improve flood preparedness and response capacity of civil protection teams at all levels, including of volunteer and professional fire departments, Mountain Rescue Service, Cave Rescue Service and other relevant teams

The European Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva, the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva, the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva in capacity as Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the Geneva Internet Platform invite you to a series of dialogues - From Geneva: Reflections on digital future. The first event will be taking place on Wednesday, 22 September 2021.

Ljubljana – The Ministry of Health of Republic of Slovenia organised National Drugs Coordinators Meeting on the importance of early prevention and socio-emotional learning skills. The meeting was part of the agenda of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar today attended the opening of the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly and the reception for the Slovenian community in New York. He also held a series of bilateral meetings.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first regular session of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (GAC) as chair.

The State Secretary attended the annual Business and Construction Industry Trends Conference. This year's edition of the event revolved around the issue of ‘’Ways to make best use of the rising investment for sustainable growth’’. At the panel ‘’Investments in green and sustainable building – European Commission guidelines and good practices’’, the State Secretary talked about the investment areas under the Cohesion Policy and Recovery and Resilience Facility.

On the margins of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 20 September 2021, Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers. He also held a series of bilateral meetings.

At today’s 25th session of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister Janez Janša answered parliamentary questions raised by Robert Pavšič (LMŠ), Marko Koprivc (SD), Luka Mesec (The Left) and Jožef Horvat (NSi). He explained to deputies the circumstances of his contacts with lobbyists and suppliers of medical equipment, and also answered questions about the consequences of bank rehabilitation and the lack of public rental housing.

State Secretary Kirbiš Rojs took part in the roundtable on European Union in the 21st century which was held in the scope of the Autumn School at the European Faculty of Law of New University. She underlined the importance of EU funds for the achievement of strategic objectives of the European Union.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan was invited to speak at the regular ministerial meeting on the Responsibility to Protect principle (R2P) that was held in virtual form on the margins of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Janez Cigler Kralj, and the Commander of the Civil Protection Service of the Notranjska Region, Sandi Curk.

As part of Slovenia's Presidency of the Council of the EU, a meeting of senior EU-US officials from the field of justice and home affairs took place today in Ljubljana. The meeting was chaired by Jože Senica, Assistant Director General of the Police and Chair of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation in the Field of Internal Security (COSI), and Dr Katja Rejec Longar, Director of the Office for International Cooperation and International Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice and Chair of the Coordinating Committee in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (CATS), representing the field of justice. The meeting served as a preparation for the ministerial meeting to be held later during the Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.

An exhibition on Slovenian author Vladimir Bartol and his novel Alamut was held at the Slovenian Embassy in Tehran; the original manuscript and opera were also presented. On this occasion, the embassy also officially opened a library for Alamut in Slovene and translations to 17 languages (French, Spanish, Croatian, Arabic, Korean, Portuguese, Turkish, Finnish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Slovak, German, Czech, Hungarian, English, Italian and Farsi).

For the tenth year in a row, events are held under the auspices of the European Commission across Europe to mark the European Cooperation Day. The events aim to highlight the achievements and benefits of cross-border cooperation between EU regions and member states. On Saturday, visitors at the ‘’Picnic of Projects’’ event had the opportunity to see first-hand the results of five cross-border projects that were implemented under the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary 2014-2020.

Director-General for EU Affairs Barbara Sušnik engaged in consultations with Director-General for European Affairs Rui Vinhas at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon. The consultations were held in the context of excellent cooperation in the Trio Presidency of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, with a special focus on reviewing bilateral relations and exchanging views on the current European and international issues.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the 8th MED7 Summit of the Mediterranean States in Athens, into which the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia were admitted.

A webinar on negotiating techniques and women’s empowerment for representatives of Venezuelan democratic forces, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held between 14 and 17 September 2021 by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). The seminar participants were first addressed by Bogdan Batič, Deputy-Director for Common Foreign and Security Policy.

On Wednesday, 15 September 2021, over fifty senior representatives of EU ministries of defence, general staffs and education institutions attended the high-level Sectoral Qualification Framework for Military Officer Profession (SQF-MILOF). The conference was conducted as a hybrid event at the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU following the covid-19-related protocol. Some participants attended the conference vie teleconferencing.

Under the financing agreement for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Slovenia has today received an advance payment of 13% of the grants allocated under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, amounting to €231 million. The first funding under the RRP will be provided for the areas of sustainable mobility, digital transformation and healthcare.

The press conference on COVID 19 updates was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, the Minister of Public Administration, Boštjan Koritnik, and the Director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Milan Krek.

Minister of the Interior and President of the Home Affairs Council, Aleš Hojs, delivered a welcome address and opened a two-day meeting of the Management Board of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in Portorož, which Slovenia is hosting as part of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the European Parliament Plenary Session from 13 to 16 September 2021 as the high representative of the Council of the EU in relations with the Parliament during the Slovenian Presidency. On behalf of the Council of the European Union, he assured commitment to protecting European democracies, respecting the rule of law in the EU, and making progress in the legislative process for the Fit for 55 package.

Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Egmont Institute organized an expert seminar entitled "A Strategic Compass for Military Interventions" in Brussels as part of the Strategic Compass drafting process, which is intensively taking place during the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The opening speech was delivered by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Uroš Lampret.

An informal meeting of EU hunting directors-general took place in Postojna on 14 and 15 September. Director-General of the Forestry and Hunting Directorate Robert Režonja attended the meeting on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, while the European Commission was represented by Žilvinas Ilevičius from the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety. State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Anton Harej attended the opening of the meeting.

Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač gave opening remarks at the 9th Conference on the Evaluation of EU Cohesion Policy which was organised in Porto, Portugal. Minister Černač joined the conference via an online platform at the invitation of the European Commission in his capacity as current chair of the council consisting of EU ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy.

As part of the European Cooperation Day, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy presented the impacts of projects implemented in the framework of the Interreg Slovenia-Croatia Cooperation Programme 2014-2020.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Anže Logar met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić in Strasbourg. He presented priorities of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU – topics that are also at the heart of Council of Europe's activities. During the meeting, they discussed accession of EU to the European Convention of Human Rights that was envisaged in the Lisbon treaty. They also reviewed other current political and strategic directions of the Council of Europe, the oldest pan-European international organization especially in the light of Covid-19. At the same time, the meeting was excellent opportunity to assess cooperation between Council of Europe and Slovenia.

Accompanied by a delegation, Ambassador Jožef Drofenik, Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the authorised representative of the Republic of Slovenia for succession issues, attended the 20th meeting of the Joint Committee for the Distribution of Diplomatic and Consular Properties of the Former SFRY, in compliance with Annex B to the Agreement on Succession Issues, convened in Sarajevo on 13 and 14 September. At the meeting, the immovable property of the former SFRY in Rome was allocated to Slovenia.

At a press conference following a joint meeting of the governments of Slovenia and Hungary and the signing of intergovernmental agreements, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Počivalšek, and the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjárto, presented specific cooperation projects and the positions of Slovenia and Hungary.

Prime Minister Janša and his ministerial delegation met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ministerial team in Celje today.

Before the joint meeting of the Governments of the Republic of Slovenia and Hungary, the Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended a ceremony marking the opening of the 53rd International Trade Fair in Celje and addressed the participants.

Yesterday, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia visited the Savinjska region to learn about the projects and challenges of the region, and to discuss challenges and opportunities with the main actors of development in the region.

At today’s session in Abuja, Nigeria, the International Co-ordinating Council of the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (UNESCO MAB-ICC) designated the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TBR MDD) as the world’s first 5-country biosphere reserve. Stretching across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, the reserve covers a total area of 930,000 hectares extending along 700km of the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers, which makes it the largest riverine biosphere reserve in Europe.

An informal meeting of directors-general and attachés for fisheries of EU member states was held yesterday in Portorož. Director-General of the Food and Fisheries Directorate Ana Le Marechal Kolar attended the meeting on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Director-General of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Charlina Vitcheva participated in the informal meeting on behalf of the European Commission.

Published below is the address of Prime Minister Janša to mark the occasion of the Day of Restoration of the Primorska Region to the Motherland, celebrated today.

As part of the Government visit to the Savinjska region, Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač visited the municipalities Podčetrtek, Nazarje and Žalec. State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs also attended the visit to the Savinjska region and visited the municipalities Rogaška Slatina and Zreče.

The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič, was part of the Government delegation that visited the Savinjska region today.

Under the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Ministry of Public Administration and the European Commission are organising a high-level conference on artificial intelligence as a hybrid event on 14 and 15 September 2021 at Brdo pri Kranju. Via an online platform, all interested stakeholders worldwide striving to better understand how to live with AI and how to manage it in the future can participate in the conference.

Today, the Republic of Slovenia received notification that the European Commission has signed a financing agreement for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The signing of the agreement is the basis for the beginning of the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which was prepared and adopted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and endorsed by the European Commission. We can therefore expect the first funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility by the end of the month.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan represented Foreign Minister Anže Logar on the Government's visit to the Savinja Region. He visited the Development Agency of the Savinja Region, Grand Hotel Sava Rogaška as well as the companies Roboteh, Pišek & HSF Logistics, and Nivo Eko, noting that the companies in the region have great potential for development.

A Slovenian Government delegation today visited the Savinjska region. In terms of area, the Savinjska statistical region is the fourth largest in Slovenia, and the third largest in terms of population. It comprises 31 municipalities.

On September 14, 2021, Virtual Archival Reading Room entered production environment and is now available to anyone who wishes to gain access to archival records.

Members of the Government first met for a working consultation in Podčetrtek, followed by separate programmes for the Prime Minister and ministers. During the visit, the Prime Minister and ministers met representatives of businesses, institutions, municipalities and other stakeholders in the region, which was followed by a public debate.

The Prime Minister, Janez Janša, today visited VIAL Automation d.o.o., as part of a tour of the Savinjska region. He met with the management of the company and was shown its production line.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Ambassador Badr Abdel Atty, Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt.

Between July and mid-September 2021 alone, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy approved EU funding for the development of nearly 230 kilometers of new cycling connections across the country. The new cycling infrastructure will promote sustainable mobility and allow cyclists to enjoy in safe and comfortable rides to and between local and regional centers.

The COVID-19 update press conference was today attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Franc Vindišar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Simon Zajc, and Maja Bratuša, who opened the press conference by presenting the latest epidemiological data.

Today, State Secretary Peter Geršak attended the International Investor's Conference in Bled, organised by the PanSlovenian Shareholder's Association in cooperation with Better Finance. The State Secretary gave an opening address, and then took part in a round table discussion entitled Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity in Business.

In a video address, Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed participants at the 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, taking place virtually from 13 to 15 September , as one of the keynote speakers. The main topic of the session, which will be attended by the representatives of the 53 member states of WHO's European region, is tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and setting the course for further action.

For the tenth time in a row, European Cooperation Day events are taking place across Europe under the auspices of the European Commission. On Friday, 10 September 2021, we presented the achievements and the significance of cross-border cooperation projects in the border area of Gorenjska by hiking to Zelenica.

"Culture and cultural heritage should become the humanist agenda of Europe united by European values," was the main message of the two-day international conference entitled The Right to Heritage as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development, which concluded on 12 September 2021.

On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that hit the United States of America, Minister Anže Logar and Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy Susan Falatko honoured the memory of nearly 3,000 innocent victims who lost their lives in a series of criminal acts orchestrated by Al-Qaeda extremists in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič attended the extraordinary meeting of EU directors-general for humanitarian aid on the situation in Afghanistan in preparation for the high-level ministerial meeting to be held in Geneva on 13 September 2021.

Ambassador Lea Stančič, met with the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu, and with the Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița on 8 September 2021.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs met today with the representatives of the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia. They discussed the implementation of municipal and regional projects in the framework of the Agreements on the Development of Regions, and the allocation of the 2014-2020 EU funding for the already-approved projects. The mayors hope that the mechanism would also be designed for the financial perspective 2021-2027. They also exchanged views regarding the ITI mechanism (Integrated Territorial Investments) and the CLLD mechanism (Community-led Local Development) as well as the future of European Cohesion Policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar hosted the Gold Ribbon Slovenia team, a group of children and adolescents who have survived cancer or are still battling it, raising awareness about the disease and offering support to their peers. The group’s representatives handed gold ribbons to the Minister as a symbol of childhood cancer awareness. “I will convey your message to the European house of democracy in Strasbourg next week,” said Minister Logar.

We wish to inform our visitors that following the provisions of the Decree on the Method of Meeting the Condition of Recovery, Vaccination and Testing to Cure the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus, only those who submit proof of meeting Recovered – Vaccinated – Tested (RVT) rule will be allowed entry to the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia.

The RVT rule is not mandatory for persons under the age of 12.

On 8 September 2021, Slovenia, the country holding the EU Council Presidency, organised a virtual event “Publication of the Fourth Report on the EU Guidelines on Promoting Compliance with IHL” in tandem with Portugal. The Report was presented in public for the first time, as recommended by the EU Political and Security Committee, with a view to raising awareness of a number of IHL activities undertaken by the EU and its member states.

The Prime Minister, Janez Janša, attended the 30th Economic Forum in Poland, entitled 'Europe in Search of Leadership'. The Economic Forum in Karpacz is the largest conference in Central and Eastern Europe. The Forum, which is traditionally held in Poland in early September, annually attracts more than 4000 guests (political, economic and social leaders) from over 60 countries in Europe, Asia and America. The purpose of the Forum is to create a favourable environment for the development of political and economic cooperation between EU Member States and their neighbours.

At tonight's closing ceremony of the 30th Economic Forum in Poland, Prime Minister Janez Janša received the Man of the Year 2020 of Central and Eastern Europe award.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan today contributed a video address to a high-level event organised by the United Nations entitled: Anticipatory Action: A Commitment to Act Ahead of Crises.