News

As part of his visit to Bucharest, State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations with the State Secretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Clara Staicu. The talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging views on current European, regional and international issues.

‘’Cohesion policy funding helps us create jobs and support projects that improve our transport, energy, healthcare and education infrastructure, promote cooperation between partners, improve security at our borders, contribute to fight against climate change and foster the digital transition of our society,’’ underscored Minister Jevšek at the event.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob today attended a reception and award ceremony for athletes and coaches to commemorate the Olympic medals that Slovenia took home from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Han, and the President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Franjo Bobinec addressed the athletes.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the Prime Minister of the Principality of Andorra, Xavier Espot Zamora. This is the first-ever visit at the level of Prime Ministers between the two countries.

At today's session, the Slovenian Government has decided on a proposal for the appointment of the candidate as a Member of the European Commission and to submit the proposal to the National Assembly. The Government nominates Marta Kos as a candidate for appointment as a Member of the European Commission.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today received Tomaž Vesel, the Slovenian Government's candidate for European Commissioner. Mr Vesel informed the Prime Minister of his decision to withdraw his candidacy due to differences of opinion regarding the future composition of the European Commission. These differences emerged from a conversation between him and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised an informal meeting of the General Affairs Council that took place in Budapest on 6 September 2024. The meeting brought together EU ministers responsible for cohesion policy to discuss the role of cohesion policy in addressing demographic challenges in the EU.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has adopted amendments to the Programme of Development Incentives for Border Problem Areas in the 2022-2025 Period.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposal for the Road Tolling Act and proposed new amendments to the Inheritance Act and the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions Act. The main objective of the proposed Road Tolling Act is to promote the use of more environmentally friendly vehicles on the roads, thereby contributing to the reduction of environmental pollution.

Director of Government Communication Office (UKOM) Petra Bezjak Cirman Meets with Chief of Staff to the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy at Bled Strategic Forum.

Dr Damir Črnčec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, participated in a plenary discussion titled "NATO Beyond 75: An Alliance Fit for the Future" at the Bled Strategic Forum on 3 September. On the occasion NATO’s 75th anniversary, which has had several enlargements whilst successfully exercising deterrence, the panellists focused on current security challenges and the way forward.

The 19th Bled Strategic Forum is coming to an end, having exceeded all expectations with its challenging and complex discussions. The event brought together over 180 speakers from 48 countries and 2500 participants. This turnout proves that the Bled Strategic Forum has become an established platform for the presentation of views, constructive debate, confrontation of different positions and even exchange of opposing opinions.

The Slovenian Prime Minister, Robert Golob, today attended the opening of the Bled Strategic Forum. After welcoming the foreign leaders attending the Forum, Prime Minister Golob took part in a panel of leaders. After the panel, he presented the Bled Strategic Forum Award to Yulia Navalnaya and met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is visiting Slovenia today at the invitation of Prime Minister Robert Golob. In the morning, the two leaders together visited Črna na Koroškem and were briefed on the situation in the field one year after the floods.

The 19th Bled Strategic Forum was preceded by the Young BSF, where young people discussed with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon the divided world, in which we live in, the conflicts that have become part of everyday life, the importance of being heard, listening and working together. The young people asked her a number of specific questions about Slovenia's foreign policy, thoughts and plans.

Today, Slovenia begins its first presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the 2024–2025 term. On assuming the mandate, Slovenia will present its monthly Programme of Work (PoW), priorities and signature events to the Member States of the Security Council, the wider UN membership, NGOs and the general public.

On 30–31 August 2024, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, where he participated in a panel discussion entitled The Road Ahead: Key Priorities for the EU’s New Leadership, and held two bilateral meetings.

Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko, attends the opening ceremony of the renovated Podčetrtek Castle. The castle reopens its doors after decades of decline.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf on an official visit, reaffirming the excellent relations between the two countries, further strengthened by the opening of embassies in their respective capitals. Today, they will officially inaugurate the Algerian Embassy in Ljubljana. The two ministers focused on the enhanced cooperation between their two countries.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today received the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Hakan Fidan.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for an official visit. Their talks focused on cooperation between Slovenia and Türkiye, and in this context, they signed an Action Plan. They also discussed current global issues and agreed that both countries will continue to work for peace in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today met the Foreign Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Ahmed Attaf.

On 28 and 29 August, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs hosts the 4th Seminar for young diplomats from the Eastern Partnership countries, with participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Prime Minister Robert Golob is attending the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Paris.

During the discussion on Russia's aggression against Ukraine at the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, Minister Tanja Fajon expressed concern about attempts to attack nuclear power plants. On the Middle East, she stressed the need for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza in order to carry out vaccination campaigns to protect children against polio. She also supported the debate on the imposition of further sanctions upon Israel.

On Thursday, 29th August 2024, the Republic of Slovenia (“Slovenia”), rated A3 (stable) by Moody’s / AA- (stable) by S&P / A (stable) by Fitch / AA- (stable) by JCR, successfully priced a total of JPY50.0bn across a 3-year and a 5-year fixed rate senior unsecured bond, marking it as the first Social Samurai Bond issued by a sovereign. With a highly successful inaugural offering, Slovenia has established a strong footprint in the Japanese market. BNP Paribas, Nomura and SMBC Nikko jointly led the offering.

At today's session, the Government discussed the first package of tax amendment proposals, which will be finally approved at a correspondence meeting in the coming days. It also adopted the baselines for drafting amendments to the Radiotelevizija Slovenija Act and the Ordinance amending the amount of the radio and television licence fee for the provision of radio and television activities by Radiotelevizija Slovenija.

Minister Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Centre of Excellence in Finance (CEF), the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), the Centre for International Development and Cooperation (CMSR) and ITF Enhancing Human Security. She thanked them for their successful cooperation and assured them of the Ministry's continued support, both in their work and in reducing red tape for them.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo is seeking a talented and organised Administrative Assistant. This role offers a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic international environment. If you want to join our international team apply by 17 September 2024.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the management of RTV Slovenija.

State Secretary Marko Štucin opened the European Regional Conference on Advancing Victim Assistance Implementation and Cooperation, which brings together representatives of states, civil society and mine victims' organisations from the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Tajikistan to discuss the current challenges facing mine victims and their reintegration into society.

Today, the European Commission proposed a financial contribution from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) of more than one billion for the countries affected by severe flooding in 2023. Slovenian will receive a total of 428.4 million euros for recovery measures following the August 2023 floods in Slovenia.

Following the conclusion of the second Strategic Partnership for Humanitarian Emergency Response with Slovenian Karitas, Minister Tanja Fajon met with its Secretary General, Peter Tomažič. The two officials praised the partnership as very good and the cooperation as effective and reciprocal. They reviewed the humanitarian activities already agreed, especially in Gaza and Ukraine, and discussed further plans.

The reading room of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia at Zvezdarska 1 in Ljubljana will from September 2, 2024 be open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm due to the relocation of our archival and library holdings. During this period, some archival fonds and collections, as well as library materials, will be unavailable.

Minister Tanja Fajon concluded her official visit to Tirana, where she met with Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Iglio Hasani, President Bajram BegaJ, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Speaker of Parliament Elisa Spiropali. The main topics of their talks were the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries and Slovenia's continued support for Albania's European path.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today in Ljubljana with Joerg Reinhardt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Novartis, and other Novartis executives.

The Republic of Slovenia (the “Issuer”), rated A3 (Stable) by Moody’s, AA- (Stable) by S&P, A (Stable) by Fitch and AA- (Stable) by JCR, has mandated BNP Paribas, Nomura and SMBC Nikko to joint lead the issuance of JPY-denominated senior notes in Samurai format (the “JPY Notes”).

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the 10th conference of headteachers of educational institutions in Slovenia. In his address, he focused on three key areas: curriculum reform, reform of the public sector pay system and the establishment of a clear framework for headteachers to take on more responsibility and therefore have more authority.

Director-General Slobodan Šešum presented to the representatives of the Strategic Research and Innovation Partnership on Mobility (SRIP ACS+) the levers of economic diplomacy to help companies enter or operate in foreign markets and expand their business abroad.

The Public Agency SPIRIT Slovenia has again launched the Call for proposals for the promotion of large investments to boost productivity and competitiveness in the Republic of Slovenia, which is implemented in the framework of Slovenia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. This call for proposals, which was recently cancelled due to the European Commission's requirements to update and amend the conditions for applicants, was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No 69/2024 and on the SPIRIT website.

On the basis of the Act on Aid to Ensure Enhanced Air Connectivity (hereinafter reffered as: the Act), a Public Tender for Enhanced Air Connectivity of Slovenia was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia and the Official Journal of the European Union on 16. 8. 2024. In accordance with the first paragraph of Article 10 of the Act, the tender documentation is publicly published, however, the English translation is merely an information aid for foreign air carriers when preparing applications for aid.

The application for aid and Annexes must be submitted in Slovene language. Submission deadline is 16. 9. 2024 at 23.59

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Raising the quality of bilingual education for the Italian national community in Slovenia and the Slovenian national community in Italy.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Improving laboratory testing for new psychoactive substances and illicit drugs by including laboratory testing for prohibited drugs in sport and other performance- and image-enhancing drugs – Drug testing improvement.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Digitisation of the system for recording, storing and sharing data on long-term care and social protection - DIGIDO.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Strengthening the professionalisation of public procurement.

Paris this year is not only the centre of the sporting world, but also a meeting point of different cultures. The Olympic Games have always been linked to culture and the arts. France is a country of culture and Paris a capital of the arts. Slovenia has strong ties with the latter, as many Slovenian artists have studied there over the years and many of them have also created and worked there.

On Friday, August 16th, the Archive, the reading room and the information room will be closed due to a collective leave day.

Today's roundtable at the Slovenian House discussed the end of a sporting career, which is an important milestone in every athlete's journey. Former top skier and UKOM I feel Slovenia brand ambassador Tina Maze and sports aces Urška Žolnir Jugovar, Goran Dragić and Igor Vušurović, Montenegro's gold-winning volleyball player, spoke about the pitfalls and fears they faced along the way and about their experiences.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals Sustainable restoration and revitalisation of municipality-owned cultural monuments and inclusion of cultural experience in the Slovenian tourism – cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija. European Regional Development Fund contribution stands at 13.8 million euros.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and State Secretary for International Affairs and National and International Security Vojko Volk today issued statements following yesterday's successful prisoner swap between the Western Allies and the Russian Federation.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Machine Learning for Science and Humanities – SMASH. The project will receive 2.1 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund.

It has been one year since the catastrophic floods affected a large part of Slovenia. The Government promptly responded to this extreme event and did much to ameliorate the immediate effects. Later, it also adopted many measures for flood recovery. One of the key people who led the first response and saved lives was Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Upgrading the railway track state border-Dobova-Zidani most – phase 1: section state border-Dobova-Sevnica: stage 1 (Krško area). The project, worth 43.2 million euros, will receive a Cohesion Fund contribution of 22.8 million euros.

In July, the Russian Federation held the Presidency of the UN Security Council. The main events of the month were the open debates on multilateralism and the Middle East, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The Presidency also organised an open debate on cooperation between the UN and some regional organisations (CSTO, CIS, SCO).

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Centre for managing deinstitutionalisation. The project will receive 2.4 million euros from the European Social Fund Plus.

The Government has adopted a series of recommendations and is preparing new legislative measures to improve the fairness and transparency of the state media advertising, the European Commission noted in a recent report on the rule of law in the EU.

As of 31 July 2024, I will conclude my five-year term as the Slovenian Consul General in Cleveland. During my tenure, I have endeavored to actively represent and promote all things Slovenian—culture, heritage, tourism, economy, science, etc., and to devote maximum attention to the activities of the Slovenian community here.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project called Development and establishment of a new service model of the Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS) by strengthening digital services. The project will receive 12.7 million euros from the European Social Fund Plus.

Slovenia House in Paris has officially opened its doors today and will serve as the centre of fan gatherings and Slovenia’s comprehensive presentation featuring numerous events in the coming Olympic days.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today visited the Slovenia House in Paris, where he was received by Franjo Bobinac, the president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee – Association of Sports Federations. After a tour of the House and a working lunch, they made a statement to the media.

On 25 July 2024, the Republic of Slovenia issued its inaugural digital bond. The landmark transaction is the first such transaction of an EU sovereign, and one of the first sovereigns worldwide.

At today's session, the Government has decided on a proposal for the appointment of the candidate as Member of the EU Commission and to submit the proposal to the National Assembly. The Government nominates Tomaž Vesel as a candidate for appointment as Member of the EU Commission.

On 24 July 2024, the Slovenian Government approved proposals from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to contribute to international organisations and other international bodies involved in development cooperation and humanitarian aid for the 2024–2026 period.

Between 23rd and 25th of October 2024, the tenth meeting of the parties to the Water Convention will take place at the Ljubljans Economic Exhibition Centre, at which Slovenia succeeds the three-year chairmanship of the convention bureau from Estonia. Around 500 attendees from all over the world are expected at the event.

The European Commission's fifth annual Rule of Law Report for 2024 shows that Slovenia has made progress in almost all areas, including in implementing last year's recommendations. Slovenia remains committed to the common fundamental values of the Union, in particular the rule of law, and will actively continue its efforts to further strengthen it.

At today’s session, the Government adopted the starting points for drafting the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in Healthcare in order to simplify and accelerate recruitment procedures for foreign health professionals. The agenda also included the item “nomination for a Member of the European Commission”, but this item was suspended during the session.

On 18 July 2024, Slovenia became a member of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), marking an important milestone in its commitment to upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those online, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By joining the Coalition, Slovenia affirms its commitment to promoting and protecting digital rights and freedoms.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, accompanied by Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han, along with representatives of Renault and Revoz, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development and production of Renault Twingo E-Tech electric cars in Novo mesto.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Active inclusion – social inclusion of people with disabilities in sports in the 2024-2028 period. The European Social Fund Plus contribution stands at 3.2 million euros.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the opening of the House of New Beginnings in Slovenj Gradec.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended a regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where ministers discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine, with a focus on peace efforts, as well as the situation in the Middle East and Gaza. Minister Fajon stressed that respect for international law and the protection of civilians must always be prioritized when discussing peace plans and initiatives.

Slovenia's colours will be represented at the Olympic Games in Paris by its largest-ever Olympic delegation, consisting of 197 members, including 90 athletes. In addition to its outstanding sports team, Slovenia will also be making its presences felt at the largest version of the Slovenia House so far.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended the informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Budapest, Hungary. The ministers discussed the future of cooperation on home affairs, in particular migration, but also the fight against organised crime.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, in his capacity as Minister of Defence, today held an extended meeting with the senior staff at the Ministry of Defence, i.e. the heads of the organisational units and bodies within the ministry, at which he was informed of the current tasks and key projects underway at the ministry.

It is the third year since the Council of the European Union endorsed the Slovenian Recovery and Resilience Plan. Since then, Ministries have launched more than 40 calls for tenders to select projects for the planned investments, and carried out a number of activities to implement these reforms. Slovenia has submitted three payment requests to date, and the Plan underwent its first transformation last autumn.

In its Advisory opinion the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held that Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory breach some of the most elementary rules and principles of international law, including the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, who also serves as the Minister of Defence, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Damir Črnčec, Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan, and the Director-General of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, Leon Behin, were briefed on the situation in relation to the fire in the Karst. The Prime Minister assessed the operations of all deployed units as extremely fast and efficient.

With the new episode of the GOVSI Podcast, we are counting down the last days until the Olympic Games in Paris. In the studio, we hosted the president of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Franjo Bobinac. Petra Bezjak Cirman, director of the Office of Communications of the Republic of Slovenia, spoke with him.

The activities in response to the fire in the Karst are still ongoing. The fire that broke out today on the Trstelj and Kačnik hills has not yet been extinguished, but the situation is stable. New firefighting units with more than 350 firefighters will tackle the fire overnight.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the fourth European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace, near Oxford.

A fire broke out this morning in the Karst region of Trstelj. Strong winds caused the fire to spread over the entire hill and move towards Nova Gorica. At 10:34 a.m., RS Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan activated the National Protection and Rescue Plan for the event of a major fire in the natural environment.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposed new amendments to the Auditing Act and several decrees concerning agriculture and declared 28 September as Civil Defence Day.

The Rome Statute was adopted on 17 July 1998, paving the way for the establishment of the International Criminal Court on 1 July 2002. This is the first permanent international criminal court with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes and serves as the central institution of international criminal justice.

At today's correspondence session, the Government took note of the document on the reform of the public sector pay system – an overview of the situation as at 11 July 2024. It reappointed Damir Črnčec State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.

At the government committee meetings, the Government included several new projects in the current 2024–2027 Development Programme Plan.

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič hosted a reception in honor of the Slovenian delegation attending the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington D.C. marking 75 years of the Alliance and 20th anniversary of Slovenia's membership in NATO for Slovenian community in the USA and representatives from business and science sectors. Reception was attended by the head of the delegation, Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar met with the Albanian Minister of the Interior Taulant Balla in Tirana. They discussed the possibilities to enhance police cooperation and the current challenges in the field of home affairs, especially the importance of efficient exchange of information regarding migration and countering migrant smuggling.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Strengthening lifelong learning.

The Ministry of a Solidarity-Based Future produced a package of measures to stimulate employment in social care institutions. The measures were adopted by a broad social and political consensus. The Act was enacted at the National Assembly’s 77th extraordinary session.

The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) has merged with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to advance an ambitious agenda for implementing human-centric, safe, secure and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) embodied in the principles of the OECD Recommendation on AI.

Slovenia has joined the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), marking an important step forward in strengthening international cooperation and expertise in the field of cybersecurity. This partnership represents a significant milestone in Slovenia's commitment to enhancing cyber capacity and contributing to global efforts to combat cyber threats.

Prime Minister Robert Golob received outgoing US ambassador, Jamie Linder Harpootlian, whose term in Slovenia is coming to an end. He thanked her for her dedicated work and contribution to strengthening relationships between the two countries.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals to co-finance individual presentations of companies in international fairs in the 2024-2028 period.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was today a guest on CNN's Connect the World, where he spoke live with anchor Eleni Giokos. They discussed the recent NATO Summit, Slovenia’s NATO membership, Ukraine and Palestine.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the UNRWA Pledging Conference at UN Headquarters. This annual event aims to encourage countries to make financial contributions to support UNRWA in carrying out its activities.

Language schools across Slovenia are bustling hubs these days. The language institute Didaktum (Jezikovni inštitut Didaktum) is running a Slovenian language programme at survival level in 40 locations across Slovenia. The programme has been available to eligible persons since the entry into force of the 2023 amendment to the Foreigners Act, on the basis of which a decree providing assistance for the integration of foreigners who are not citizens of the European Union was adopted.

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Dr Damir Črnčec, and the National Armaments Director at the Ministry of Defence of the French Republic, General Gaël Diaz de Tuesta, have signed a Letter of Intent on the European joint procurement of Caesar artillery and Mistral air defence systems (hereinafter referred to as the "Letter of Intent").

The NATO Summit concluded in Washington yesterday with the meeting of the North Atlantic Council with the Indo-Pacific partners and the EU and the meeting of the North Atlantic Council with Ukraine. Following the Summit, Prime Minister Golob gave his assessment of the Summit in a statement to the Slovenian media.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the NATO Summit in Washington. She, along with Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob and Defence Minister Marjan Šarec, participated in the event marking the 75th anniversary of the Alliance and the North Atlantic Council meetings in Allied, Indo-Pacific and NATO-Ukraine Council formats.

Day two of the NATO Summit in Washington began with statements to the media from world leaders. Upon his arrival at the Summit, Prime Minister Robert Golob said that the leaders had yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to opening Ukraine’s path to NATO, and particularly to a stable financing of aid for Ukraine from NATO and other allies.