News

On the first day of the consultations, economic advisers from diplomatic missions and consular posts visited Maribor to participate in the Slovenian Global Forum: 6th Conference on the Internationalisation of the Slovenian Economy. In the afternoon, B2B meetings were held between the advisers and representatives of companies attending the conference who had previously expressed an interest.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Support for businesses for extending working lives (ASI+). The European Social Fund Plus will support the project with nearly EUR 13 million.

On June 3rd the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington and The Wilson Center co-hosted a round table "75 years of NATO and the power of Alliance: NATO's Evolution after the 2004 enlargement, Enlargement, Resilience, Peace". The event was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of NATO and 20th anniversary of membership of Slovenia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the management of Dravske elektrarne Maribor. They discussed the energy sector, the new Open Science Data Centre and the investment in a supercomputer.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was the keynote speaker at today’s launch of the modernised Paloma factory. The event marked the completion of investments in state-of-the-art technologies totalling more than EUR 130 million, making Paloma a hub for sustainable production, high-quality products and services.

20 May 2024 is World Metrology Day, a celebration marking 149 years since the signing of the Metre Convention in Paris, France in 1875. This year's theme is 'We measure today for a sustainable tomorrow'.
UNESCO officially recognises 20 May each year as UNESCO International Day. This designation opens new avenues to promote metrology, aligning with UNESCO’s mission to construct a better world through science and education.

On the initiative of the Commission for the management of the public call for proposals for the implementation of development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects (2024–2026) and for a strategic partnership for international humanitarian aid in partner countries for the 2024–2028 term, the Ministry adopted, on 27 May, the decisions to co-finance three projects and to conclude a strategic partnership for international humanitarian aid.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has issued an award decision for the call for proposals Development and piloting of a nursing assistant traineeship programme 2024-2026. The European Social Fund Plus will provide just under EUR 358,000 for the implementation of the call for proposals.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the 1st Green Healthcare Path conference, organised by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy. The Prime Minister also addressed the audience.

The 6th Conference on the internationalisation of the Slovenian economy, organised by the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport together with its partners, took place today in Maribor under a new name: the Slovenian Global Forum. Representatives of three ministries, the academia and entrepreneurs discussed the future development of the Slovenian economy in front of a packed auditorium.

It has been 20 years since the entry into force of the Agreement on Succession Issues, the first binding international legal instrument confirming the break-up of the former SFRY and the emergence of five sovereign and equal successor states on its territory. On this occasion, Minister Tanja Fajon reiterated her call to the successor states "to find the political will and wisdom to resolve the outstanding issues for the benefit of all our citizens."

May, when Mozambique held the presidency of the UN Security Council, was another month dominated by the situation in Gaza. The war in Sudan and the catastrophic humanitarian situation there, especially in Darfur, also came increasingly to the fore.

In Ulaanbaatar, State Secretary Sanja Štiglic held political consultations with the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Ankhbayar Nyamdorj. They agreed that the bilateral dialogue was dynamic and could be further strengthened through high-level political visits.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Prague to prepare for the Washington Summit in July. In her intervention, Minister Fajon stressed that "Slovenia's actions are underpinned by the values of democracy, international law and solidarity. As a responsible member of the Security Council, Slovenia is doing its utmost to contribute to peace and security in the world."

On May 22, 2024, the President of the Republic of Slovenia dr. Nataša Pirc Musar and the President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, inaugurated the new premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana on Rruga ˝Skënderbej˝.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and the Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, Asta Vrečko and Matjaž Han, presented the achievements of the first half of the current Government's term of office. All three welcomed the Government's decision today to recognise Palestine.

At today’s session, the Government adopted the proposal on the recognition of independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine, approved the starting points for drafting amendments to the Health Services Act, the starting points for amending tax legislation and the strategy for eliminating precarious work. It also adopted the intervention act on personnel in social care.

According to media reports, ministers from the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Council of Ministers, meeting in Sarajevo on Tuesday, rejected requests from Slovenia and several other EU member states to hold polls for the European elections in their embassies. So far, Slovenia has not received any official notification of a refusal to allow elections to be held at the Slovenian diplomatic and consular representation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today met the Slovenian men's national football team, watched their training and wished them success at the upcoming European Football Championship.

From 28 May to 1 June 2024, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is hosting a group of ten young American opinion leaders and prominent voices from politics, business, think tanks and NGOs as part of the EU-US Emerging Leaders Visitors Programme, a pilot exchange programme under the auspices of the European Commission.

"After a series of consultations over the past few days, I have decided to place on the agenda of Thursday's Government meeting a decision to forward recognition of Palestine to the National Assembly."

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob and his delegation are paying an official visit to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. The purpose of the visit is to further the intensive and friendly relations between the two countries. This is the first bilateral visit since the entry into force of the agreement on economic cooperation on 20 March 2024, which aims to promote regular dialogue to enhance trade and investments.

At the regular monthly meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, ministers, including Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon, stressed the need to comply with the decisions of the relevant international courts and agreed that the EU should play a more active role in the process of strengthening the Palestinian Authority. Fajon said that the Slovenian government was working to recognise Palestine as soon as possible.

On the margins of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended an international conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region. She welcomed UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen's efforts to make progress on the resolution of the conflict in Syria and announced new humanitarian aid from Slovenia.

On the basis of the reverse inquiry, on May 21, 2024, a bond exchange transaction of the Republic of Slovenia was concluded. The RS66 bonds maturing in 2024 and 2025 were exchanged for RS74 bonds maturing in 2035.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob was today the main guest at the 19th Craft and Entrepreneurship Forum, where he took part in a discussion.

Slobodan Šešum, Director-General for Economic and Public Diplomacy, explained to business representatives from the Ljubljana, Brezovica, Dobrova - Polhov Gradec, Horjul, Ig, Škofljica and Velike Lašče municipalities how economic diplomacy can help businesses penetrate foreign markets.

At its two last sessions, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted two flood recovery programmes to repair the damage caused by the August 2023 floods, with the development incentives measures programme also being drafted. After successfully preparing and submitting the application for financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund, Slovenia received the maximum possible advance payment from the EU Solidarity Fund of EUR 100 million already in December 2023.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Together for Knowledge: implementing activities in multi-purpose Roma centres.

Rok Tomšič, Head of the Department for Bilateral Economic Cooperation II at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, attended the 18th Meeting of National Coordinators of Central and Eastern European Countries and China (the so-called 14+1 Initiative), hosted by China in Ningbo on 23-25 May.

To mark the launch of the Stop Disinformation - reREAD, reTHINK, RECHECK campaign, we're taking a closer look at this topic in a new episode of the GOVSI Podcast.

The annual meeting of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) took place in Ireland, and was also attended by the Director of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office Karin Žvokelj. The first draft of the European Union Intellectual Property Office's Strategic Plan 2030 and the framework for cooperation were discussed.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Slovenia co-sponsored the resolution based on the international principles of recognition, remembrance and respect for the victims and survivors of genocide.

From 8 to 10 April 2024 the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, met in Greece with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The official visit was an opportunity to further strengthen the already excellent cooperation between the two countries and to exchange views on current foreign policy issues. Slovenian President was a keynote speaker at the 9th Delphi Economic Forum opening ceremony.

At today's session, the Government adopted a draft Act on the classification of judicial and prosecutorial functions in salary grades on the basis of the Constitutional Court's decision and took note of the report on the utilisation of European Cohesion Policy funds in the 2014–2020 programming period, which had been fully absorbed.

At a ceremony held in Ljubljana on the occasion of the closure of the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014-2020, Minister Jevšek underlined that Slovenia has been successful in using all the available EU funding for introducing improvements in infrastructure, promoting innovation and job creation in numerous regions across Slovenia.

Today, Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob attended a gala reception marking the 130th anniversary of the Novo Mesto General Hospital, where he was the keynote speaker.

When the catastrophic storm that struck much of Slovenia in August 2023 caused a widespread disaster, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) immediately provided a rapid, coordinated and efficient flow of information between field teams, the government and the population through official communication channels and close cooperation with the media. Its professionalism in this regard was recognised by the Slovenian Public Relations Association with the Prizma Award.

In mid-May, two prominent Slovenian writers visited Greece. Drago Jančar presented the Greek translation of his novel And Love Itself in Athens and at the 20th Thessaloniki International Book Fair. Dušan Šarotar presented his novel Panorama to the Greek audience in Thessaloniki.

Have you heard about the invasion of bedbugs in one of Europe’s countries? And seen a photo of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket? Even if the news sounds credible and the photo on the screen in front of you looks completely real, these two cases are among the more well-known examples of disinformation that has been exposed.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon opened the 13th Africa Day International Conference dedicated to celebrating the international Africa Day and fostering the friendship between Slovenia and African countries, as well as between Europe and Africa. This year's event is focused on a fair green transition and on effectively tackling one of the greatest challenges of our time – the triple planetary crisis.

Today, the Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, signed a Letter of Intent with the Rector of the University of Primorska, Dr Klavdija Kutnar, for the development and implementation of a single master’s degree programme in medicine at the University of Primorska.

In a media statement, Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar presented Slovenia's decision to extend temporary control at the internal borders with Croatia and Hungary by six months.

On Slovenian Diplomacy Day, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon thanked the diplomats and Ministry staff for their contributions to enhancing Slovenia's visibility, prestige and strength on the global stage. The Ministry also marked the day with a special event in honour of Jožefa Puhar, the highly esteemed first female ambassador to the then Republic of Macedonia.

The joint delegation of the European Commission, led by Ms Sofia Alves, Director at the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, and the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, led by Minister Jevšek, visited the Zasavje region on the occasion of the closure of the 2014-2020 programming period.

The main international event to mark the 7th World Bee Day this year - the international forum “Bees for People, Planet and Peace” took place in Ljubljana, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The opening part of the international forum “Bees for People, Planet and Peace” was attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Ervin Kosi.

"I welcome today's announcement by the leaders of the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of Ireland and the Kingdom of Norway on recognising the State of Palestine. In recent weeks, I have been in close and regular contact with them. In the coming days, I will also be in contact with many colleagues from EU Member States that have not yet recognised Palestine, in the hope that they join the recognition process in the near future.

On World Bee Day, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu inaugurated an urban beehive in the garden of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs at a special ceremony and opened the international forum "Bees for People, Planet and Peace".

Prime Minister Robert Golob meet with Qu Donyu, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The two speakers discussed the global food crisis and food security, especially in war zones.

At the invitation of President Jakov Milatović, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, was on an official visit to Montenegro. The Slovenian President was received with military honours by her host, and their talks today focused on Montenegro's efforts on the path towards the European Union and the importance of the earliest possible integration of the Western Balkan countries into Euro-Atlantic integration for the stability of the region.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for two calls for proposals. The Just Transition Fund makes a total of EUR 77,740,000 available for both calls, i.e., Call for proposals for promoting investments for the economic restructuring of the Zasavska and Savinjsko-Šaleška coal regions and Call for proposals for co-financing the projects of economic and business infrastructure development in the Savinjsko-Šaleška coal region.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Riga, where he and Andris Pelšs, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, confirmed the good and friendly bilateral relations between Slovenia and Latvia.

The Golden Bee Award was presented on World Bee Day for the fourth time. The award was presented by the President of the Republic Nataša Pirc Musar, and the winner was declared by the Minister of Agriculture Mateja Čalušić. The Golden Bee Award was presented to The Wheen Bee Foundation Limited of Australia. Many other events were organised around the world on the occasion of today's World Bee Day.

The European Commission adopted a decision to increase short stay Schengen visa (visa type C) fees worldwide by 12 per cent. The increase will apply worldwide as of 11 June 2024.

Maja Brkan presented the Annual Report of the Court of Justice of the European Union for 2023 to Prime Minister Robert Golob and outlined the key challenges for the period ahead.

In the coming days, we are celebrating a series of European, global, and international days that remind us each year of our relationship with nature and the importance of preserving nature for future generations – World Bee Day on 20 May, European Natura 2000 Day on 21 May, International Day of Biological Diversity on 22 May and European Day of Parks on 24 May.

Danijel Levičar, State Secretary for the National Nuclear Programme, today took part in a debate on the role of nuclear energy in the green transition, which took place as part of the international SEEnergy conference in Celje.

In Strasbourg, Minister Tanja Fajon attended the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which focused on Ukraine, reviewed progress in implementing the decisions of the Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government and adopted the first international instrument on artificial intelligence and human rights. She also represented Slovenia at the Commemorative Ceremony of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals to finance the establishment, maintenance and management of a public informing and alerting system, including the transmission of warning notifications.

This year, the theme of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is “No one left behind: Equality, freedom and justice for all”, which highlights the need for equality and respect for all people, regardless of their circumstances. As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights".

Today we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's membership in Europol at the Police Academy in Tacen.

Today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) published its decision on the applications of three Slovenian fishermen against the Republic of Croatia. Slovenia intervened in the case to ensure legal aid for its citizens.

This year's Slovenian Regional Days, themed Demography, Human Resources, Regional Development, is held in Novo mesto. Demography, human resources and regional development are the key elements that shape the future of any region. The event looks into the various aspects of the three areas and their impact on the overall development of Slovenian regions.

Between 7 and 8 May 2024, the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) hosted the annual meeting of European Association of Competent Authorities for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material in Slovenia (EACA) for the first time since joining this European association of competent authorities for safe transport of radioactive material.

At its meeting today, the Government adopted a rehabilitation programme to deal with the consequences of the August 2023 floods. The programme is worth EUR 2.3 billion over five years, with EUR 360 million earmarked for this year. The programme will provide all the funds for replacement construction, for all municipal infrastructure, for public buildings, i.e. schools, kindergartens, etc. The programme also includes the rehabilitation of watercourses through permanent measures.

State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in the UN Security Council debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, presented the latest report on the situation in the country. In his intervention, the State Secretary underlined the importance of respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and reiterated that the country’s future lies in the EU.

On May 14, 2024 ambassador Iztok Mirošič presented his Letter of Credence as Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the Secretary General of CARICOM dr. Carla Barnett in Guyana.

On the fifth day of her visit to the Middle East and the Gulf, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal F. Alibrahim. As well as exchanging views on the Middle East, they spent a significant amount of time discussing how to strengthen economic cooperation.

On the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs would like to emphasise that the Austrian State Treaty is of lasting importance for the Republic of Slovenia, as Article 7 of the Treaty provides an international legal basis for guaranteeing the rights of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia and Styria. The Republic of Slovenia is the legal successor to the Treaty and the state protector of the Slovenian minority.

The 9th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) is taking place on 15 and 16 May 2024 in Šibenik, Croatia. State Secretary mag. Marko Koprivc attended the official ministerial programme. High-level participants adopted the Šibenik Declaration that reflects the common efforts and achievements under the Croatian EUSAIR Presidency and outlines the way forward for the EUSAIR and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended a ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the Murska Sobota Community Health Centre, where he toured the newly renovated premises.

In Turkey, representatives of Mediterranean countries are discussing actions that countries need to take to increase climate resilience and water and food security. As Slovenia currently holds the Presidency of the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean, the Slovenian representatives presented the activities and measures being implemented within the framework of the Convention.

On the fourth day of her Middle East and Gulf tour, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. The main topic of the talks was the Middle East, including the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

State Secretary Matevž Frangež today presented the starting points of a Slovenian startup strategy at the Podim Conference – one of the most important technology and startup events in Europe. The goal of the strategy, which was created in cooperation with active stakeholders of the ecosystem, is to make Slovenia one of the most attractive environments for startup companies by 2030.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a meeting titled 'Good Practices in Monitoring the Effective Workload of Doctors'. At a working meeting organised by the Ministry of Health, representatives of hospitals presented examples of good practice from the project on monitoring the effective workload of doctors.

At the Informal Ministerial Meeting of the Visegrad Group and seven other member states of the European Union, which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, Ministers responsible for Cohesion signed a Joint Declaration on the future of Cohesion Policy beyond 2027. The Joint Declaration emphasizes the need for strengthening Cohesion Policy and for the Policy to remain the EU’s main investment policy with the aim of reducing development disparities between EU member states and regions.

The last working day of the Consular section of the Embassy of the Republic in Slovenia in Cairo before the closure will be Thursday, 30 May 2024.

On the third day of her visit to the Middle East and the Gulf, Minister Tanja Fajon met with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The main topics of discussion were the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and developments in the Middle East. At the request of Sheikh Zayed, Minister Fajon gave an assessment of the situation in the Western Balkans. She also visited the Abrahamic Family House.

We are only a week away from the seventh World Bee Day. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food along with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) co-organise an international forum "Bees for people, planet and peace" as part of World Bee Day celebrations. It will be held on 22 and 23 May 2024 in Ljubljana.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today participated as a keynote speaker in the ceremony marking the completion of the Maribor-Šentilj-Slovenian state border railway upgrade project.

The guest of the new episode of the GOVSI podcast is Romano Prodi. We invited him to talk to host Nataša Čepar on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's accession to the EU. They also discussed relations between Slovenia and Italy and current events in world politics.

In the second part of her visit to the Middle East and the Gulf, Minister Tanja Fajon visited Egypt. She and her Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, agreed that every effort must be made to bring Israel and Hamas back to the negotiating table. On the first day, the Minister visited the Red Crescent logistics depot and a hospital in Arish, North Sinai, and later travelled to the Rafah Border Crossing.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, today received representatives of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Slovenian National Disability Council (NSIOS). The meeting was held within the framework of the EDF General Assembly, which took place in Ljubljana from 10 to 12 May 2024 in co-organisation with NSIOS.

At today's correspondence session, the government adopted an opinion on the proposal to temporarily suspend the Ordinance related to the petition to review the constitutionality of the Ordinance calling a consultative referendum on regulating the right to assistance in the voluntary termination of life.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Educational activities for people serving a prison sentence.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's EU membership and Europe Day, Minister Fajon hosted a debate with Slovenians who were active in the pre-accession process and later worked in the EU institutions. In a relaxed discussion, the Minister and her guests exchanged views on Slovenia and the Union underscoring the importance of citizens casting their votes in the upcoming European elections.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended today's state ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's accession to the European Union, which was held in Nova Gorica. The ceremony took place on Europe Day, which commemorates the signing of the Schuman Declaration and the beginning of European integration.

At today’s session, the Government reached the decision to start the procedure for the recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state. It also adopted the framework to erect a monument commemorating Slovenia’s independence in Trg Republike in Ljubljana and approved the proposal for a new State Assets Management Strategy. The procedure for drafting the 2025 and 2026 budgets was initiated.

Today, in the National Gallery, the Minister of Culture, Dr Asta Vrečko, presented a charter to the representatives of the Chamber of Nursing and Midwifery Services of Slovenia – the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia – and the Natural Beginnings Association on the occasion of the inscription of midwifery on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In Celje, young people celebrated the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's accession to the European Union (EU). Ahead of Europe Day, children from kindergartens and schools in the Celje region, as part of the European Village project, presented EU member states and countries on the path to EU membership at stands on the Main Square. Additionally, awards were presented at the Celje Cultural Center for the best works by students who participated in the Europe in School competition.

Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek attended the opening of a photographic exhibition depicting the historical development of the museum and a panel discussion regarding the exhibition at the Park of Military History in Pivka. In his opening address, the Minister underlined that today, 20 years after the concept idea of establishing the museum, it has become one of the most visited museums in Slovenia and it is a success story also in terms of EU funds use.

The Minister of the Interior, Boštjan Poklukar, visited Malta, where he met with the Maltese Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment, Byron Camilleri, and the Executive Director of the European Union Asylum Agency, Nina Gregori.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today received Admiral Stuart Munsch, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and of the new Allied Joint Force Command in Naples. They discussed the situation in the Western Balkans and the importance of NATO's KFOR mission for the stability of Kosovo and the wider region.

At the government committee meetings, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, among other things, adopted an opinion on the draft Declaration marking the 20th anniversary of Slovenia’s membership of the European Union "At Home in Europe". It also included the project Major Maintenance of Halls of Residence for Secondary School Students 2024-2027 in the current Development Programme Plan for the period 2024-2027.

The Strategic Food Council and the Strategic Health Council held a joint meeting to discuss the starting points and options for changes in the taxation of unhealthy foods, sugary drinks, energy drinks, alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Robert Golob.

The Resolution on the national programme for the prevention and suppression of crime 2024–2028 paves the way to better civilian security. It is a fundamental guideline for formulating the Government’s national security policy.

On May 4, before the Europe Day, the European institutions opened their doors to visitors, who were able to visit long and complex corridors of the institutions and learn about everything the EU does for its citizens. The member states also presented themselves: Slovenia presented to around 10,000 visitors with its potica pastry and excellent athletes, who are true ambassadors of the Slovenian way of life.

In the first three days of May, most of Slovenia’s electricity consumption was covered by renewable energy sources, while on 4 May 2024, the electricity generated from renewables even exceeded daily consumption.

In late April, Brdo pri Kranju hosted a gathering of communications professionals from various EU member states, candidate countries, and European institutions. The event was organized jointly by the Government Communication Office and the Club of Venice. Participants delved into two key themes: tackling disinformation and the communication challenges posed by the EU's expansion into the Western Balkans.