News

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and State Secretary Arnoldas Pranckevičius at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania held talks via videoconference, discussing the upcoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project COVID19 – Integrated energy-saving renovation of the Hospital building of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana. Total project value of EUR 50 million will be covered by the European Regional Development Fund under the React-EU initiative. The project, implemented by the Ministry of Health, is already the sixth project financed by the React-EU grants under the NextGenerationEU recovery plan.

Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač attended today’s annual session of the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia. In his presentation to the mayors he outlined the state of play in the field of European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 implementation and the most recent info on the 2021-2027 programming period as well as the national Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Prime Minister Janez Janša is today attending a NATO Summit in Brussels that will focus on the NATO 2030 process – a forward-looking agenda centred on adapting NATO to meet new challenges.

This year’s report on the realisation of the 2030 Agenda sustainable development goals, issued by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) under the auspices of the United Nations Organization (OZN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation and Cambridge University Press, ranks Slovenia in the 9th place out of 165 countries. Slovenia has been most effective in eradicating extreme forms of poverty, ensuring decent work and economic growth and enhancing peace, justice and strong institutions.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the call for proposals Incentives for digital transformation of SMEs (P4D React EU). A total of EUR 30 million will be available under the call for proposals that will be implemented by the Slovene Enterprise Fund. The entire amount will come from the European Regional Development Fund under the React-EU initiative. This is already the fifth investment in a series of investments under React-EU, an initiative designed to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and prepare a green, digital and resilient post-Covid-19 recovery of the Member States’ economies.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and Parliamentary Secretary at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica held talks via videoconference, with the main topic covering Slovenia's upcoming EU Council Presidency and its priority tasks.

The press conference to provide updates on COVID-19 featured Director of the National Institute of Public Health Milan Krek.

As of 14 June 2021, entry into the Republic of Slovenia is possible for non-essential travel in accordance with the Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction, including amendments thereto.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan participated in an informal videoconference of the EU Foreign Affairs Council attended by development ministers, at which they discussed the cooperation between the European Union and middle-income countries as well as human development.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held talks with the Parliamentary Secretary within the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi. State Secretary Dovžan briefed his counterpart on the fast approaching Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

The press conference to give a Covid-19 update was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, and the head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, Dr Mateja Logar.

With the amendment to the Foreigners Act, the Republic of Slovenia transposed into national law the Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Reconstruction of the section Cerknica-Bloška Polica. The EUR 3.6 million reconstruction project will be implemented by the Slovenian Infrastructure Agency under the Agreement on the development of the Primorsko-Notranjska region and will be supported by the EU with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund standing at over EUR 2.5 million.

Before Slovenia officially assumes the EU Council Presidency, Barbara Sušnik, Director-General for European Union Affairs, held bilateral consultations via videoconference with Aniela Crețu, Special Representative for EU Affairs at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Dr Jože Podgoršek, hosted today at Brdo the Ambassadors of the Member States of the European Union (EU). Central focus was on presentation of priority tasks of Slovenia’s Presidency of the EU Council in the sector of agriculture, forestry and food, and on principal events to be organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF) during the Presidency. Using this opportunity, the Minister presented to the Ambassadors the Traditional Slovenian Breakfast project to take place tomorrow in all the Slovenian schools and kindergartens – in the past year, on account of the epidemic, the breakfast could not be carried out, and had to be postponed.

Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Andrej Vizjak attended the last meeting of the Environment Council before the start of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Portuguese Presidency presented the report on the progress made in negotiations on the proposal for a regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, which is an integral part of the European Green Deal. The Council Conclusions on EU strategy on adaptation to climate change were also adopted, where the ministers welcomed the preparation of the adaptation communication in line with the Paris Agreement to be submitted to the UNFCCC. The ministers also exchanged views on the action plan on zero pollution, which sets out a vision for zero-pollution by 2050 and horizontally addresses all aspect of pollution. At the end of the meeting, Minister Vizjak presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency in the field of the environment.

In advance of Slovenia's approaching EU Council Presidency, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held talks with State Secretary for the European Union Affairs at the Croatian Foreign Ministry, Andreja Metelko Zgombić, via videoconference. State Secretary Dovžan briefed his counterpart on the priorities of Slovenia's Presidency in the second half of this year.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Upgrading the water supply system C – Phase 2. The project worth EUR 10.9 million will be implemented by Municipality Gornja Radgona in cooperation with Municipality Apače and Municipality Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici under the Agreement on the development of the Pomurje region. The Cohesion Fund contribution stands at EUR 4.8 million.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Promoting vocational education and training 2021-2022. The project worth EUR 700 thousand will be implemented by the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training and will receive EUR 560 thousand of European Social Fund support.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment in the Drava River basin – Municipality Šentilj. The project worth a little under EUR 1.6 million will be implemented by the municipality Šentilj under the Agreement on the Development of the Podravje region and will receive EUR 553 thousand of Cohesion Fund support.

Today Prime Minister Janez Janša met with the President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, Guy Parmelin, who is currently on an official visit to Slovenia. At their meeting in Ljubljana, they primarily discussed the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Presidency and current international developments.

Prime Minister Janez Janša meet today with President of the Swiss Confederation and Minister of the Economy, Education and Research, Guy Parmelin.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held consultations with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, ahead of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Wendy Morton, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who is on a two-day visit to Slovenia.

Before the launch of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Director-General Barbara Sušnik held bilateral consultations with the Secretary General for European Union Affairs at the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, Philippa Karsera, via an audio-video link.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in an online meeting with Polish Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymański. The State Secretary briefed his counterpart on the priorities of Slovenia's EU Council Presidency, which will take place in the second half of this year. He highlighted the importance of the Union's quick economic recovery, resilience to future crises and ensuring strategic autonomy. He also mentioned the Conference on the Future of Europe, where Slovenia will play an important role as the EU presiding country.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan participated in a videoconference with Märt Volmer, Undersecretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attended today’s opening ceremony of the Cooperative Union of Slovenia congress entitled "Na temeljih tradicije v poslovni model prihodnosti” (Developing a Business Model of the Future Based on Tradition), addressing the decision-makers in Slovenian cooperatives.

Secretary of State, Mr Aleš Irgolič, MSc, participated in the Informal Videoconference of Fisheries Ministers. The session was important as the ministers competent for fisheries conducted the discussion and confirmed the final agreement in principle on fishing possibilities in 2021, and on the deep sea fish stocks for 2021 and 2022, which had most recently been reached between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals Appeal Chamber unanimously rejected all grounds of appeal by Ratko Mladić, former Bosnian Serb army chief, thereby confirming the first-instance judgement. In 2017, Ratko Mladić was found guilty of genocide in Srebrenica, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the siege of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

On 15 June 2021 the Embassy will restart issuing Schengen visas.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Extension of the gym in the Stane Žagar Primary School – Kranj. The project worth over EUR 2.8 million will be implemented by the Urban Municipality Kranj under its Sustainable Urban Strategy and will receive a good EUR 1.1 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the call for project proposals Supportive environment for cultural activities 2021. The funding available under the call for proposals that will be implemented by the Ministry of Culture amounts to EUR 627 thousand with the European Social Fund contributions standing at EUR 502 thousand.

Today Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a discussion at the presentation of the publication, Z lepilom na podplatih: Trideset let slovenske države. (With Glue on the Soles: Thirty Years of the Slovenian State.), on the Nova24TV channel.

Interior ministers, including Slovenia's Aleš Hojs, held a meeting in Luxembourg today. The initial exchange of views focused on the Strategy on the future of Schengen, which was presented by the European Commission last week.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with State Secretary for the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain Juan González-Barba Pera to discuss the incoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency and current European topics.

In videoconference, the Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek met today with the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Sig. Stefano Patuanelli, Ing. The meeting was arranged as a forerunner of the Slovenian and Italian Ministerial Coordination Council to take place on 14. 6. 2021.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the ceremony held at Paloma to mark the completion of the investment in a new paper machine, the largest investment in the Slovenian paper industry in the past 40 years.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held consultations with the Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Vincenzo Amendola.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar concluded a two-day working visit to Korea today. He met with his host, Chung Eui-yong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea. They advocated strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries, including the opening of the Slovenian Embassy in Seoul. Minister Logar also took the opportunity to present the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year and to exchange views on current international issues.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with the Vice-President of the European Commission and the Commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas. Mr Janša and Mr Schinas continued the discussion they started during the visit of the Slovenian Prime Minister to Athens on 10 May 2021.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today held a videoconference with Secretary General at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, focusing on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2021.

A press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 was held by the head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, Mateja Logar, and the Director of the Ljubljana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marjana Majerič.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a videoconference with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs of Turkey Faruk Kaymakçi. They assessed bilateral relations and exchanged views on EU-Turkey relations in the light of the incoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs met with Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Vice-President for Promoting the European Way of Life, today at Brdo Castle. The discussion focused on three key topics: the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the strategy for the future of Schengen and the proposal for an amendment of the Regulation establishing the Schengen Evaluation Mechanism and internal security.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion has approved EU funding for the project Arrangement of Agricultural and Business Dobrovnik – Phase 2. The project worth a good EUR 1 million will be implemented by municipality Dobrovnik under the Agreement on the development of the Pomurje region and will receive EUR 612 thousand of European Regional Development Fund support.

Today, the Slovenian Prime Minister attended the traditional Holy Mass and memorial ceremony at the Burial Ground below Kren in Kočevski Rog. Prior to the memorial ceremony, Prime Minister Janez Janša and the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, laid a wreath at the pit under Macesnova gorica in Kočevski Rog. After the ceremony, they laid a wreath at the Memorial to the Victims of the National Liberation War at Smrečje near Turjak.