News

The city of Velenje hosted the fifth Annual political dialogue of the Initiative for coal regions in transition, which is organised by the European Commission. The target audience of the two-day international business conference was local, regional, and national representatives and just transition stakeholders from the EU and the Western Balkan region.

The Government has formulated the text of the proposal of the Act on temporary measures to improve personnel and working conditions and the capacities of providers of social assistance and long-term care services. The text of the proposal is in the third reading stage. The Government agreed to the proposed changes to the new legal amendments to the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Flood and Landslide Recovery of August 2023.

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica. In May this year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 11 July as the International Day of Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide. On this day, we remember the victims, the missing, their families and all those who have been permanently scarred by the genocide.

Before temporarily taking over the Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister Robert Golob, on the margins of the NATO Summit, held an in-depth discussion with Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec on the Ministry's work and tasks to date, as well as plans for the future. The formal handover will take place when Minister Šarec's term of office ends due to incompatibility of office. After the talks, they made a statement to the Slovenian media.

A meeting of the heads of state and government of the NATO alliance is taking place in Washington, attended by the Prime Minister Robert Golob, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec. At 19:00 CET, the meeting of the North Atlantic Council will be held in an alliance format, one of the three meetings of this year's summit.

At today’s session, the Government discussed the initial starting points for the draft Act Amending the Foreigners Act.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar paid a two-day work visit to the Minister of the Interior of Montenegro Danilo Šaranović.

The NATO Summit in Washington began yesterday with a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Golob and Tina Gaber, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, and Minister of Defence, Marjan Šarec.

At committee meetings, the Government adopted, among other things, an opinion on the draft amendment to the Criminal Code and included several new projects in the current Development Programme Plan 2024–2027.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Lisbon with the Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, Inês Domingos. The two officials confirmed the positive and friendly bilateral relations between Slovenia and Portugal, exchanging views on further support for Ukraine, institutional reforms, EU enlargement and the situation in the Western Balkans.

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal the Implementing Regulation entering the name of Istrski med/Istarski med (PDO) into the Register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications, thus protecting Istrski med as a joint product of both Slovenia and Croatia. The application for the protection was prepared jointly by Slovenian beekeepers from the Koper Coastal Beekeepers' Society and Croatian beekeepers from Istria.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon visited the Triglav Slovenian House in Sao Paulo and met with members of the Association of Slovenians in Brazil. She also attended an event organised by the Slovenian-Brazilian and Slovenian-Argentine chambers of commerce. As a guest of the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), she gave a lecture on the geostrategic situation in the world and Slovenia's foreign policy.

The Cross-border Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps was declared today at the 36th meeting of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in Agadir, Morocco. This brings together two existing Biosphere Reserves – the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve on the Slovenian side and the Italian Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve.

Minister Tanja Fajon began her official visit to Brazil, where she met with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. This is the second official visit at Foreign Minister level since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992. During their talks, Fajon and Vieira confirmed the excellent relations and cooperation between Slovenia and Brazil. The two countries signed an air transport agreement and a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation.

Today, at the Baron Andrej Čehovin Barracks in Postojna, the nine-day Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation Exercise 24 – ARSC2EX 24 successfully concluded.

The Government approved the texts of the draft act governing the measures to optimise certain procedures at administrative units and of the draft act amending the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023.

Prime Minister Golob hosted a consultation of parliamentary parties on changes to the electoral system and the introduction of a preference vote also for the election of deputies of the National Assembly. All the presidents of the parliamentary parties and the heads of the parliamentary groups were invited to the consultation.

The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe hosted a reception on 2 July to mark the National Day and the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the European Convention on Human Rights for the Republic of Slovenia

The new biennial Economic Survey of Slovenia, prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was presented today at Brdo pri Kranju. The Survey analyses key areas for Slovenia and makes recommendations for the further development and progress of our country.

At the invitation of the Prime Minister and the President of the Government Council for Slovenians in Neighbouring Countries, Robert Golob, the Government Council for Slovenians Abroad met today. The participants discussed the realities, achievements and key challenges faced by Slovenian communities around the world.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, and his delegation met today with the Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic, Luís Montenegro. This is the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries since the Portuguese elections in March this year.

As part of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, the Ministry is hosting an exhibition entitled Influential Slovenian Women without Make-up, curated by young photographer Jernej Jelen and opened today by Minister Tanja Fajon. To mark the day, a roundtable discussion brought together Slovenian and foreign women diplomats to present their lifestyles, their strengths and weaknesses, and the challenges they face.

The Government is continuing to prepare the budgets for 2025 and 2026. It has adopted a breakdown of budget expenditure by budget users. In the next two years, the focus will remain on measures to deal with the consequences of last year's floods and to strengthen economic growth and development.

An expert working group chaired by Dr Janez Vogrinc has adopted the final proposal for the National Education Programme for the period 2023–2033 and submitted it to Minister of Education Darjo Felda.

In June, when the Republic of Korea held the presidency of the Security Council, Slovenia completed the first quarter of its current term on the UN Security Council. The month was marked by the adoption of a resolution backing the proposal for a lasting peace in Gaza.

The 17th Dubrovnik Forum is drawing to a close with the participation of Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. This year's Forum, under the theme "Dire Straits and Safe Passages", focuses on the growing global economic and security challenges and provides a platform for much-needed dialogue and the search for solutions.

The social partners met again, after almost one year, at the session of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) with the aim of reviving the social dialogue and the constructive and continuous functioning of the ESC.

On Thursday, 27 June 2024, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a European Council meeting at which the leaders of EU Member States reached an agreement on the appointments and nominations for heads of EU institutions.

After the Government took note of the Report on the Implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) on Wednesday 26 June 2024, the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience today submitted to the European Commission a third request for payment of funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The Slovenian Prime Minister, Robert Golob, together with the Minister of Finance, Klemen Boštjančič, and the Minister of Public Administration, Franc Props, met with the President of the Slovenian Trade Union of State Bodies, Frančišek Verk, and the President of the Trade Union of the Administrative Unit of Ljubljana, Dragan Stankovič.

The biennial Nuclear Safety Conference took place in Brussels on 24 and 25 June under the auspices of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG). This year's conference was chaired by Mr Igor Sirc, Director of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, and attended by more than 200 participants.

Dr Slobodan Šešum, Director General for Economic and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, attended the OECD High-Level Conference on South East Europe in Paris.

At the Intergovernmental Conference with Montenegro, participants discussed the state of play of the accession process and confirmed the steps Montenegro needs to take to close key chapters on the rule of law. The Conference recognises Montenegro's track record in this area and provides an impetus for further reforms with a focus on closing the negotiating chapters.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno L. P. Marsudi during her return visit to Slovenia. The ministers focused the discussions on the strengthening of bilateral relations, including the planned political consultations, and the current international issues with an emphasis on the Middle East and the cooperation between the EU and ASEAN.

The Government set the text of the proposed new amendments to the Local Elections Act, adopted the proposed new amendments to the Companies Act and set the text of the draft act amending the Disabled People's Organizations Act. The Government took note of the report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and began consideration of Mr Tomaž Vesel’s nomination as a Member of the European Commission.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended a two-day Ministerial Conference of the Salzburg Forum in Austria.

On 25 June 2024, the Council of Europe hosted the opening of the exhibition "75 women in the 75-year history of the Council of Europe". Among the 75 women are two Slovenian women, Petra Roter and Alenka Puhar.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, which focused on preparations for the June European Council meeting. Council members discussed draft conclusions and outstanding issues related to Ukraine, security and defence, competitiveness, external relations and the new institutional cycle.

Slovenia is making its mark beyond our planet.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the quadrilateral meeting of deputy foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. They exchanged views on current European and international issues.

At a farewell meeting, the Prime Minister, Robert Golob, received Natalie Kauther and Adrian Pollmann, the German ambassadorial couple who are finishing their term of office in Slovenia.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The discussion focused on the worrying situation in the Middle East and Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Together with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Western Balkans, they discussed common challenges in the area of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and EU enlargement.

The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad is proud and pleased to present a musical greeting from Slovenians living abroad on the occasion of Slovenian Statehood Day.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed on 25 June 2024, Slovenia's Statehood Day.

From 17 to 19 June, 2024, the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration hosted the National Technical Workshop on Cybersecurity, bringing together cybersecurity professionals from various fields of cybersecurity and nuclear safety.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals Problem-based learning for students in the workplace: the economy, the non-economic and non-profit sectors in local/regional environment 2024-2027.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended bilateral consultations in Vienna. He met with Karoline Edtstadler, Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, and Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

At the invitation of Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Minister Tanja Fajon attended the Europa-Forum Wachau, a platform for discussion on European integration, with this year's edition focusing on the Western Balkans. The event also included a meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans group.

Secretary-General Renata Cvelbar Bek and Ambassador Alenka Suhadolnik opened the Slovenian Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. The Secretary-General also met with Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong and Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Municipal People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung.

In Vienna, State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in the meeting of Danube Foreign Ministers organised in the framework of the 13th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. He also attended a joint dinner with the “Friends of the Western Balkans” group, where participants discussed EU enlargement at a time of high security risks.

The Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development held the final meeting of the peer review on development cooperation and humanitarian aid in the Republic of Slovenia. The examiners from Denmark and Switzerland, on behalf of the Development Assistance Committee, presented the report and recommendations to Slovenia to improve the effectiveness of its development and humanitarian aid.

On Monday, June 24th, the Archive, the reading room and the information room will be closed due to a collective leave day.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today took part in the business and investment congress "Invest and Connect: Slovenian Business Pitch" in Munich as the keynote speaker. Senior representatives of the Slovenian and German Governments and more than 100 Slovenian companies attended the congress, which shows how important the Bavarian market is for Slovenia.

Today, the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict to honour the victims and stand in solidarity with the survivors of this horrific human rights violation and abuse. The United Nations General Assembly chose this day to commemorate the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008), which condemns the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peacebuilding.

The temporary reintroduction of controls at Slovenia's internal borders with Croatia and Hungary have been extended for another six months, up to and including 21 December 2024. Controls will continue to be carried out in such a way as to minimise the negative impact on travellers, the environment, the economy and the local border population.

Today, the European Commission published the European Semester Spring Package. The European Union (EU) has initiated an excessive deficit procedure against seven EU Member States; Slovenia is not one of them.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Promoting the inclusion of workers whose jobs are at risk, including jobs affected by digitisation and automation - SPIN 2.0. The project will receive nearly 4.4 million euros from the European Social Fund Plus.

At today's session, the Government decided to extend the temporarily reintroduced controls at the borders with Croatia and Hungary until 21 December 2024. It also adopted amendments to the Mining Act and new amendments to the Decree on the method of determining and calculating the contribution for ensuring support for the production of electricity from high-efficiency cogeneration and renewable energy sources.

Today, Minister Han attended the business and investment congress "Invest&Connect Slovenian Business Pitch: Germany Experiences Slovenia" in Munich. He also discussed opportunities for strengthening economic cooperation with Hubert Aiwanger, Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria and Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Get moving, start exercising. The European Social Fund Plus will support the project with nearly 2.8 million euros.

The Government adopted the first National Intellectual Property Strategy 2030 and tasked the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport to prepare an action plan to implement the Strategy in cooperation with other authorities. Thus Slovenia further recognises the role of intellectual property in fostering innovation, creativity and knowledge-sharing and the importance of its strategic management.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher have signed an agreement that will see Slovenia become a full member of ESA on 1 January 2025, when the current Association Agreement expires.

The Ministers of the Interior of Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, Davor Božinović, Matteo Piantedosi and Boštjan Poklukar convened for a trilateral meeting in Gorizia.

The ministers met in the context of the General Affairs Council to discuss the link between cohesion policy and the new Strategic Agenda 2024-2029. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira underlined that cohesion policy and Treaty objectives of promoting convergence and reducing disparities must feature prominently in the Council Strategic Agenda for the next five years as cohesion is a public good. Minister Jevšek stressed the importance of tailored, place-based approach to challenges.

Minister Tanja Fajon received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on a working visit to Slovenia to continue the talks they started in Abu Dhabi in May, focusing on strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

At the Prague European Summit, State Secretary Marko Štucin stressed the importance of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and supported the continuation of the enlargement process with Ukraine and Moldova.

In the new episode of the GOVSI podcast, host Zoran Potič interviewed two guests, one from the public sector and one from the non-governmental sector – Director of the Directorate for Nature at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning Dr Katarina Groznik Zeiler and President of the Society for Observation and Study of Birds of Slovenia (BirdLife Slovenia (DOPPS)) Dr Tanja Šumrada. The occasion for the interview was the awarding of a new national award, the Rado Smerdu Award, for contributions to the development of the profession of nature conservation and to nature conservation itself.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the Ministerial Meeting of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Skopje.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar has attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU in Luxembourg.

At today's meeting, the Government adopted an amendment to the Act on the Arrangement of Certain Issues Arising from the Final Ruling of the Court of Arbitration under the Arbitration Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia. It also approved a draft Aviation Act and an amendment to the Act on the Provision of Air Navigation Services, and issued the Decree on setting prices for certain petroleum products.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed on 17 June 2024, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).

On 11 June 2024, the Slovenian Government decided to allocate EUR 2.5 million to alleviate the consequences of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and to protect the Palestinian people.

On 11 June 2024, the Slovenian Government decided to allocate an additional 5 million euros in 2024 for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Ukraine and to mitigate the impact of the war in the country on global food security.

The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, together with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised the first regional conference of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) in Podgorica, Montenegro.

The reading room of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia at 1 Zvezdarska Street in Ljubljana will be open from June 17th to August 30th, 2024, according to summer working hours, from Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 2 PM.

Slovenia returns from Jordan proud of the strong appreciation of its central Arab partners for Slovenia's determined efforts for peace in the Middle East, and with two humanitarian initiatives to help the Palestinian population.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon is paying an official visit to Rabat on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Slovenia and Morocco. She and her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, reaffirmed the excellent relations between the two countries and signed a joint declaration on further strengthening cooperation in various areas, including at the operational level in the field of irregular migration.

State Secretary Sanja Štiglic is taking part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She underlined Slovenia's support for the recovery and reconstruction process in Ukraine and reaffirmed Slovenia's readiness to work with international partners, the private sector and implementing institutions in the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and under the auspices of the President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, organised an international event at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana aimed at finding solutions to strengthen the protection of civilians, who are the most numerous and tragic victims of today's complex and recurrent armed conflicts.

Today, an opening event was held at the Novo Mesto School Centre to launch the project ‘Digitalising education in primary schools, secondary schools and adult education (equipment)’. In the framework of this project, co-financed by Next Generation EU funds, 1066 educational institutions will receive various types of equipment.

Prime Minister Robert Golob began today at the international conference "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" in Jordan, hosted by the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, with bilateral meetings.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project e-procurement system. The European Regional Development Fund will support the project with 1.6 million euros.

Prime Minister Robert Golob welcomes today’s adoption of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a full, complete, and immediate ceasefire with the unconditional release of hostages, which represents a major diplomatic achievement.

As President of the Government Council for Slovenians in the Neighbouring Countries, Prime Minister Robert Golob convened the Council's first session of the current term. The session focused on the current situation of the autochthonous Slovenian national communities in neighbouring countries, the challenges of cross-border cooperation and the preservation of the Slovenian language

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Scholarships for specialised professions in culture. The European Social Fund Plus contribution stands at EUR 3 million.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Workshops providing training+. The European Social Fund Plus contribution stands at just under EUR 6 million.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the ceremony marking the opening of the newly renovated and energy-efficient nursing hospital at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana (UMCL) and toured the renovated premises. In his address, Prime Minister Golob emphasised the Government's commitment to making healthcare a priority

Prime Minister Golob today attended the annual meeting of the European Network of Science Centres & Museums (ECSITE). This is one of the world's most important meetings of global experts in the popularisation and communication of science, culture and projects related to sustainable development, research and technology.

PRESS RELEASE
Podgorica, Montenegro, 7 June 2024

This year's International Archives Day and Week are marked by the announcement of the relocation of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia to its new building. On Thursday, June 6, the Director of the Archives of Republic of Slovenia, Dr Andrej Nared, signed the hand-over report on the completed construction and reconstruction works on the building of the former military barracks at Poljanska Street 40 in Ljubljana and officially took over the new facilities, which were designated for the state archives already 30 years ago.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob received Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina, who presented him with the annual report for 2023.

During a government visit to the Posavje region, State Secretary Srečko Đurov presented the current invitation to regional development councils to prepare and sign amendments to the agreements for the development of regions and the planned amendment to the programme of development incentives for border problem areas. In Bistrica ob Sotli, Brežice and Krško, he took note of individual successfully implemented projects in the region.

Today was the first day of the international conference Building Bridges across Languages: Human-Centred AI, organised by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in cooperation with the Anna Lindh Foundation. The conference brings together experts from the cultural sphere and other stakeholders who share a common vision to promote intercultural dialogue through advances in AI and translation.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposal to increase the earmarked assets of the Slovenian Housing Fund, the starting points for drafting an act regulating the financing of the building of public rental housing and the amendments to the Decree on the compulsory health insurance service programme. It also decided that helicopter transports for emergency medical services are to be carried out as a state activity using police aircraft.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Lastovka outdoor air quality monitoring system providing air quality information and issuing air quality alerts. The Cohesion Fund will support the project with EUR 2.5 million.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, attended a ceremony marking the laying of the foundation stone for the repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILRW), which is intended for the permanent disposal of waste of this type generated in the Republic of Slovenia.

At the SCCT’24 event, Slobodan Šešum, Director-General for Economic and Public Diplomacy, presented the levers of economic diplomacy to help businesses enter or operate in foreign markets to the members of the Centre of Excellence for Modern Control Technologies, representatives of the SRIP ToP and members of other SRIPs participating in the Centre of Excellence.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon handed over a note to the Palestinian ambassador, Salah Abdel-Shafi, on the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state and the simultaneous establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Slovenia and the State of Palestine.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob today visited the construction of 87 new non-profit housing units in Ljubljana, financed by the Public Housing Fund of the Municipality of Ljubljana. On this occasion, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a financing system that will provide one billion euros over the next 10 years to finance the construction of public rental housing.

Between June 3 and 4, 2024, the Commission for Relations with Slovenians Abroad and Around the World visited Washington D.C. This visit marked the final leg of a tour through Canada and the USA, which began in Ottawa and included stops in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.