News

State Secretary Simona Leskovar and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held political consultations in Ljubljana today as part of the regular political dialogue between the two countries.

As part of the 14th Bled Strategic Forum, State Secretary Božič met with Scottish Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development Ben Machperson. They discussed the challenges posed by Brexit and possibilities of strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the economy, tourism and sustainable development.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting the second seminar for young diplomats from the Eastern Partnership, which is being attended by representatives of the Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarus, Georgian, Moldovan and Ukrainian foreign ministries.

Today, as part of the 14th Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto, who currently presides over the EU Foreign Affairs Council. The main topics of their discussion were bilateral relations, the Western Balkans, migration and the Arctic.

The Ministry of Public Administration, more specifically the team of experts from the IT Directorate, hosted a study visit of the Armenian delegation.

On the second day of the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with Michelle Bachelet Jeria, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The afternoon discussions at the Bled Strategic Forum were dedicated to multilateralism. The panellists, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borell Fontelles, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar, exchanged views on the importance of effective multilateralism and finding common solutions to global problems, and on the role of small countries in these efforts.

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On the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation Josep Borrell Fontelles.

The afternoon discussions at the Bled Strategic Forum were dedicated to multilateralism. The panellists, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borell Fontelles, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar, exchanged views on the importance of effective multilateralism and finding common solutions to global problems, and on the role of small countries in these efforts.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec addressed the attendees of this year’s Bled Strategic Forum, which is focused on sustainable development and resource management.

The annual Bled Strategic Forum kicked off today with opening addresses by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar as the host of the Forum. This leading international conference in the region is being held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Centre for European Perspective for the fourteenth consecutive year. Under the title (Re)sources of (In)stability, this year’s Forum has gathered many state dignitaries and representatives of international organisations, civil society and business, including President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, Spanish Foreign Minister and EU High Representative-designate Josep Borrell, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Foreign Minister of Finland Pekka Haavisto, currently presiding over the Council of the EU, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, and the foreign ministers of most Western Balkan countries.

On the margins of the 14th Bled Strategic Forum, Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with the President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 73rd session, Ms María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, with their talks focusing on the role and strengthening of multilateralism.

Bled, 2nd September 2019 – Minister for public affairs Rudi Medved attended Bled Strategic Forum 2019, where dialog was being held among high leaders from states and companies and they discussed key issues concerning Europe in 21st century. Aside from this event, minister Medved met deputy Secretary General of OECD, Mr. Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen. They discussed the challenges in the field of digitalization and artificial intelligence.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the programme Mobility of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in 2019, University of Ljubljana. The total programme budget amounts to EUR 650,800. European Social Fund will contribute EUR 520,640, which accounts for 80% of the programme funding.

Minister Dr Miro Cerar is attending an informal two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich). On the first day, the foreign ministers, together with ministers of defence, discussed hybrid threats, underlining the importance of information exchanges between EU member states. The discussion on the Middle East focused on Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, with the ministers stressing that the EU must continue its efforts to calm the situation in the region and ensure free navigation through the strait. They also strongly advocated preserving the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA).

At today’s session the Slovenian government adopted the draft Act amending the Road Transport Act, received a report on the process of drafting and adopting the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan, issued the Decree on Outdoor Storage of Flammable Solid Waste and adopted a decision to initiate repatriation procedures from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for persons who meet the conditions under the Act Regulating Relations between the Republic of Slovenia and Slovenians Abroad.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is today on an official visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is today on an official visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ‘’Public utility development in industrial zone Beti’’. The overall project budget amounts to EUR 730,000, of which EUR 375,000 will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

On 2 and 3 September, Bled will again host high-level politicians, business people and representatives of international organisations and academia from Slovenia and beyond. Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Centre for European Perspective for the fourteenth consecutive year, the Bled Strategic Forum seeks to provide appropriate solutions to key issues for guaranteeing peace and security, sustainable development, and economic progress. The two-day conference, held under the title (Re)sources of (In)stability, will be divided into thirty panels with the participation of fifteen ministers, two presidents, and many senior representatives of international organisations.

On 19 August, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Blažka Kepic as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Portuguese Republic resident in Ljubljana.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food hosted an international ministerial conference under the title Strengthening the Formation and Transfer of Knowledge for the Advancement of Agriculture and the Countryside that was held ahead of the AGRA Fair. The conference was attended by 15 foreign delegations, including a Turkish delegation that started its working visit yesterday by signing the adopted guidelines for the further cooperation between Slovenia and Turkey.

The European Commission informed the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy of the decision approving the major project for upgrading the existing line of the railway track Maribor-Šentilj-state border. The project worth over EUR 253 million will receive Cohesion Fund contribution in the amount of EUR 101 million. Minister responsible for Development, Strategic Projects and Cohesion Dr. Iztok Purič underlined that “the project is a major step forward in modernising the Slovenian railway network and therefore boosting Slovenia’s development. The project will also significantly improve the quality of life of local inhabitants.”

Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli is currently on a visit to Slovenia at the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart Aleksandra Pivec. Before the minister's arrival, the two countries held the second expert-level meeting of the Slovenian-Turkish Steering Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

On 12 August, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Tanja Strniša as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Czech Republic.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ‘’New business incubator facility’’. The overall project budget amounts to over EUR 1.9 million, of which around EUR 1 million will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

Minister Miro Cerar today hosted his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono. This is the first official visit of a Japanese Foreign Minister in the history of independent Slovenia. Minister Kono also met with President Pahor.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for a call for projects under the EUREKA initiative for 2019 which the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology published on 9 August 2019 in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, issued a grant decision for the project “Economic business infrastructure in the business zone TRIS Kanižarica, part 2: roads B1, G and G3”. The project worth over EUR 571,000 will receive European Regional Development Fund support in the amount of EUR 304,000.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ''Vrbje business zone''. The project with a total budget of EUR 1.5 million will receive a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to nearly EUR 626,000.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, issued a grant decision for the “Call for proposals for support services provided by innovative environment entities in the Republic of Slovenia in the period 2020-2022 (SIO 2020-2022)”. The call which makes a total of EUR 10.1 million available will receive European Regional Development Fund support in the amount of EUR 7.4 million. Cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija will receive support in the amount of over EUR 6 million and cohesion region Zahodna Slovenija will receive support in the amount of over EUR 4 million.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Alenka Suhadolnik as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the People’s Republic of China.

In the first half of this year, the state budget showed a surplus of EUR 208,2 million, while in the same period last year it stood at EUR 184.2 million. First-half revenues stood at approximately EUR 5.08 billion this year, up 6.8% on the same period last year, while expenditures rose 6.5% and amounted to approximately EUR 4.87 billion.

Today, State Secretary Dobran Božič received Marta Grande, the Chair of the Committee on Foreign and EU Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, accompanied by Paolo Trichilo, the Italian ambassador to Slovenia, Filippo Giuseppe Perconti, a member of the Committee, and Francesca Piazza, the secretary of the Committee.

At today’s correspondence session, the Slovenian government adopted a decision to propose Janez Lenarčič as a Member of the European Commission from Slovenia. It also decided to establish a Slovenia House in Brussels as a satellite unit of the Slovenian Embassy in Brussels, in order to provide a uniform presentation and promotion of Slovenian creativity, innovation, economic competitiveness, art, science, sports, tourism, gastronomy, winemaking and promotion of the country in general.

The 6th International Conference on Big Data Analysis and Data Mining is being held on the 25th and 26th of July in London. On the first day, dr. Kern Pipan from the IT Directorate of the Ministry of Public Administration gave a successful presentation entitled "Supporting improvements in decision making process using big data analytics in the Ministry of Public Administration of Republic Slovenia". The presentation aroused much attention, including a number of questions regarding the implementation, benefits and future challenges.

On July 11, 2019, the Government of Slovenia endorsed »The Annual Report 2018 on Radiation and Nuclear Safety in the Republic of Slovenia« and sent it to the National Assembly to be discussed on.

Andrej Logar, ambassador-at-large for key and strategic affairs, attended the informal meeting of foreign and internal ministers in Paris, which discussed migration in the Mediterranean. The meeting of the EU and Schengen ministers and heads of several international organisations was convened by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner in the face of the growing challenges of migration management in the Mediterranean, particularly its central part, which is considered the deadliest migration route for migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean Sea.

State Secretary Dobran Božič received Loránt Vincze, the president of FUEN (the Federal Union of European Nationalities), today to present the initiative Minority Safepack. The initiative’s goal is to establish an EU framework of ethnic and linguistic minority members’ rights.

On 19 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Lea Stančič as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to Romania.

On 19 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Peter Japelj as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of Albania.

The rating agency Fitch upgraded the credit rating for Slovenia from A- to A, with a stable outlook. This is the third such upgrade for Slovenia by rating agencies this year, showing that the country is in good shape and has been successfully consolidating its public finances.

This year’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, United Nations’ central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals convened every year under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, is held under the theme ‘’Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality’’. The key message from the HLPF is that the global response to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has not been ambitious enough, and a renewed commitment and accelerated action is needed to deliver the SDGs in time. 47 Member States are presenting their Voluntary National Reviews of the 2030 Agenda during the Ministerial Segment. Slovenia presented its first National Voluntary Review in 2017, and will conduct its second voluntary national review in 2020.

The Government Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund, has issued the decision on financial support for the “Interpretation of Biodiversity and Heritage of Pile Dwellings in the Ljubljana Marshes” project. The European Regional Development Fund will contribute nearly 1.3 million euros to the project, which overall will cost just under 2.3 million euros.

To mark the 101st anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, celebrated today, Political Director/ Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy Matej Marn attended the opening of the African Cultural Centre in Ljubljana. The African Cultural Centre was established in the framework of the African Village Institute. In addition to holding cultural events, the centre’s purpose is informal awareness raising of the importance of a multicultural society and respectful intercultural communication.

State Secretary Božič attended the General Affairs Council today, which took note of the foreseen course of negotiations on the new EU budget until the end of the year and of the Finnish Presidency’s priorities. Implementation of the new strategic agenda and the situation regarding the rule of law in the European Union were also discussed.

The Foreign Ministry participates in this year’s MetalDays festival taking place between 21 and 27 July in Tolmin, where it displays in an interactive way key sustainable development messages included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030).

Yesterday, 17 July 2019, the Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar met with the Minister of the Interior of the Italian Republic Matteo Salvini on the margins of the Informal JHA Council Meeting. The main topic of their discussion was migration.

The Government confirms Janez Lenarčič as candidate for European commissioner from Slovenia and adopts a strategy with regard to migrations.

On 16 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Gregor Presker as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to Montenegro.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Alain Brian Bergant as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Argentine Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Andrej Slapničar as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia – Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Metka Ipavic as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the French Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Dr Erik Kopač as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia – Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to NATO in Brussels.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Matjaž Longar as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Hellenic Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Barbara Žvokelj as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary – Head of Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations, OSCE and other International Organisations in Vienna.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Tomaž Kunstelj as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Italian Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Andreja Purkart Martinez as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the State of Israel.

Today marks the 21th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, which established the permanent International Criminal Court (ICC), a body which has the power to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. On this occasion, Slovenia renews its call on all States that have not yet done so to ratify the Rome Statute as a matter of priority, and to cooperate fully with the Court, thereby ensuring accountability for the most heinous crimes.

The rule of law, sustainable development and security, and the Western Balkans are the priority areas outlined at today’s ministerial conference in Brdo pri Kranju by the ministers at the invitation of the Prime Minister.

State Secretary Dobran Božič hosted a farewell lunch at Brdo pri Kranju in honour of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Bart Twaalhoven.

In the second week of July, a team of experts from the OECD and the European Commission arrived in Slovenia to proceed with the public procurement review project.

Minister Dr Miro Cerar attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels on Iran, Iraq, the Central African Republic and external aspects of migration. The ministers had an informal lunch with Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu.

Today was the last day of the 41st meeting of the UN Human Rights Council. At this meeting, Slovenia actively participated in discussions involving not only the rights of women and elderly people, but also rights in relation to climate change and the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

This year’s report on the realisation of the 2030 Agenda sustainable development goals ranks Slovenia in 12th place out of 162 countries.

Minister za zunanje zadeve dr. Miro Cerar se je danes sešel s palestinskim ministrom za zunanje zadeve in razseljene osebe dr. Riadom Malkijem, ki se v Ljubljani mudi na delovnem obisku. Reden dialog s palestinskimi sogovorniki je za Slovenijo dragocen za celovito razumevanje dogajanja v bližnjevzhodni regiji in razmer v Palestini.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has attended the gala opening of its new paint plant by the Canadian–Austrian firm Magna in Orehova vas in the municipality of Hoče–Slivnica. In his address before the symbolic launch of the facilities (production has actually been in trial operation since March), the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of the success of the investment project and expressed hope for further successful cooperation and business.

In agreement with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Ministry of Public Administration hosted a multilateral meeting on the 8th and 9th of July to coordinate the use of the radio spectrum for FM radio. The meeting was chaired by Ms Ilham Ghazi, the Head of the Broadcasting Services at the Radiocommunication Bureau of the ITU, and attended by representatives of Italy, France, Switzerland, Croatia, Malta and Slovenia.

The Republic of Slovenia, rated Baa1 (Positive – Moody’s) / AA- (Stable – S&P) / A- (Stable – Fitch), successfully reopened its existing 10-year Slovenian Government bond due 14th March 2029 for an additional EUR 350 million.

Following the inspection of the situation along the border with the Republic of Croatia in the Ilirska Bistrica municipality, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec continued his visit in the municipalities of Kostel and Črnomelj. He was joined by the Mayors of both municipalities and their delegations.

An oral hearing was scheduled this afternoon at the EU Court of Justice on the admissibility of an action that Slovenia filed against Croatia for breaches of EU law resulting from its repudiation of the Arbitral Award. Two years after the Final Award was rendered, Slovenia stands firmly on its position. In accordance with Article 7 of the Arbitration Agreement, the Final Award of the Arbitral Tribunal of 29 June 2017 is binding on both parties and constitutes a definitive settlement of the border dispute.

Dobran Božič, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the ministerial meeting of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEEPC) held in Sarajevo on 7 and 8 July. A Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) annual meeting was organised on the margins of the ministerial meeting.

At the invitation of the Japanese government, State Secretary Simona Leskovar attended the 24th International Conference for Women in Business. The conference Scale Up was held in Tokyo on 7 July 2019. State Secretary Leskovar was one of the keynote speakers at the conference and one of the panellists at the roundtable on global policies. As a part of her visit, the state secretary met senior representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cabinet Office of the prime minister as well as the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, together with the Minister of the Interior, Boštjan Poklukar and Director General of the Police, Tatjana Bobnar, LLM reviews the situation on the border with the Republic of Croatia in the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica. He also had a meeting with police officers, members of the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Croatian police operating along the border.

The Republic of Slovenia, acting through the Ministry of Finance (the "Issuer"), rated Baa1 (Positive) by Moody’s, AA- (Stable) by S&P, A- (Stable) by Fitch, has mandated Goldman Sachs International Bank, Jefferies and J.P. Morgan to joint lead manage an increase of its outstanding 1.1875% notes due 14 March 2029 (ISIN: SI0002103842). The transaction, in Reg S, dematerialised registered form, is expected to be launched in the near future, subject to market conditions.

The Minister of Public Administration, Rudi Medved, and the Acting Director-General of the Information Society Directorate at the Ministry of Public Administration, Marjan Turk, addressed the issue of the harmonisation of radio spectrum use in the border areas with Italy at today's press conference.

Slovenian prime minister Marjan Šarec has taken part in the 6th summit of the heads of government of the countries of the Berlin Process in Poznań. The aim of the Berlin Process meetings is to ensure that EU expansion to the Western Balkans continues in accordance with the European agenda: to bring the region closer to European and global corridors via infrastructure, energy and economic projects and, at the same time, to keep up the pressure on the countries of the region to maintain a positive reform dynamic and continue to resolve outstanding issues.

State Secretary Dobran Božič attended the traditional meeting of the Quadrilaterale (Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Slovenia) at the level of deputy foreign ministers. This year's meeting took place between 4 and 5 July and was hosted by Austria. The participants exchanged views on cooperation within the Quadrilaterale and on current European and international issues.

Foreign Minister Miro Cerar is attending the Berlin Process’s ministerial session in Poznań, which focuses on the regional cooperation of the Western Balkan countries in security, economic cooperation and transport connectivity, while encouraging youth and enhancing civil society.

The 19th Meeting of authorised representatives for the distribution of diplomatic and consular properties of the former SFRY in compliance with Annex B to the Agreement on Succession Issues continued on Tuesday and Wednesday in Belgrade. Slovenia was represented by Ambassador Damjan Bergant, Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the Tartu Call for a Healthy Lifestyle seminar organised by the European Commission, the Kuhnapato project was rated among the best practice in Europe in the area of health and sustainability.

On a working visit to Paris, foreign minister Miro Cerar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian signed a new action plan for strategic partnership between their two countries for the 2019 to 2022 period.

Slovenians from neighbouring countries and from around the world embarked on the traditional visit to the homeland on Wednesday for the start of the Welcome Home event. The main part of the event will take place on Saturday in Radovljica, but the meeting opened on Wednesday with football matches in Brdo pri Kranju.

At today’s session the government adopted an itemisation of budget expenditure by individual budget spending unit. In line with the approved fiscal framework, the ceiling on state budget expenditure was set at EUR 10.45 billion for 2020 and EUR 10.46 billion for 2021. The government is drafting the budget with welfare and stability in mind, but will also take account of the fiscal rule.

Minister for Development, Strategic Projects and Cohesion Dr. Iztok Purič gave opening remarks at today’s conference Systemic Design for Circular Policy-making, an interregional dissemination event organised by the Retrace project partner from Slovenia, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy. The event marked the closing stage of the project which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg Europe Programme.

Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar is paying an official one-day visit to Paris today, where he will meet French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and OECD Secretary-General Ángel Gurría, with whom he will discuss the challenges of modern-day societies, which are driven by digital transformation, climate change, artificial intelligence, education, ageing of the population and the impact on the labour market.

Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian signed the new French–Slovenian Strategic Partnership Action Plan for 2019–2022 in Paris today. Minister Cerar is paying a working visit to France at the invitation of his French counterpart.

State Secretary Simona Leskovar participated in a ministerial meeting of the Ukraine Reform Conference, hosted by the Canadian and Ukrainian governments. She commended the progress achieved by Ukraine and called for further efforts in implementing necessary reforms, desired and indeed demanded by the Ukrainian people, and assured Slovenia’s support to this end.

At the opening ceremony of the new production line of Renault’s model BJA (the fifth generation of the Clio), Prime Minister Marjan Šarec honoured the official start of serial production of the aforementioned vehicle at Revoz in Novo Mesto with an address. The Slovenian Government has provided Revoz with a financial incentive amounting to EUR 6 million for the implementation of this project.

Slovenia is in 16th place among the 28 EU member states in the EU's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), being above the average only in digital public services (14th). Slovenia performs particularly well in the access to open data and eHealth services, where it ranks sixth.

Austria, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden attach the utmost importance to the preservation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), signed by Iran and unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council, as a key instrument for the non-proliferation regime and a major contribution to stability in the region.

Two years after the entry into force of the arbitral award, the Slovenian government’s position remains unchanged. Pursuant to Article 7 of the Arbitration Agreement, the award of the Arbitral Tribunal (29 June 2017) is binding on both countries and constitutes a definitive settlement of the border dispute.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is on an official visit to the Vatican today. This morning he had a private audience with Pope Francis. He also had a meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec was today on an official visit to the Vatican, where this morning he had a private audience with Pope Francis and a meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Minister Dr Cerar today met with Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden, who is paying an official visit to Slovenia between the 25 and the 27 of June at the invitation of Dejan Židan, the President of the Slovenian National Assembly. In their talks, the two high officials reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relations and expressed their mutual determination to further strengthen cooperation in various fields of common interest, both within the EU and other international forums.

European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc has symbolically presented to Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek a check of EUR 109 million in EU funds Slovenia secured for a rail expansion between the port of Koper and the inland hub Divača.

Dobran Božič, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concluded his three-day visit to Israel today, accompanied by a Slovenian business delegation of seventeen representatives from thirteen hi-tech start-up companies.

The prime minister is in Brussels for the ordinary meeting of the European Council. In the afternoon of the first day of the meeting the leaders discussed the adoption of the EU’s strategic agenda for 2019-2024, where the main focus was on climate change, the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, and EU enlargement. The first day of the meeting ended with a working dinner, where there were discussions of nominations for the top positions in EU institutions for the next institutional cycle.

Bled today hosted the 15th plenary session of the Intergovernmental Slovenian-Russian Commission on Trade and Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, headed by Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Miroslav Cerar and Russian Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Konstantin Noskov.