News

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended the opening session of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In her speech, she highlighted the significant contribution the Treaty makes to world peace and safety, especially taking into account the complexity of the security environment marked by various challenges and threats. She advocated the further strengthening of the Treaty through the implementation of its three pillars – disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The resolution passed at the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York declares the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment on a global level.

At its 10th regular session, the Government extended the mandate of Barbara Koželj Podlogar, the current Head of the Creativity Directorate, as Acting Director-General of the Directorate.

At its regular session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a draft act on a lower rate of value added tax on certain types of energy products. By temporarily reducing the VAT rate from 22% to 9.5%, the Government is addressing the impact of energy price increases during the peak energy consumption period, i.e. the heating season. The Government also took note of the partial report on the fire intervention in the Goriška Karst region and instructed the Ministry of Defence to prepare, by the end of August, a legal solution to enable the payment of a special award to volunteers participating in the system of protection, rescue and assistance in the event of large-scale disaster interventions. The Government will also launch a procedure to assess the damage caused by the Karst fire and the possibility of acquiring financial assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 27 July 2022 in Kyiv between the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Information Security and the Administration of the State Service of Ukraine for Special Communications and Cyber Security Data Protection.

The latest DESI report, DESI 2022, shows that Slovenia has made progress again and is now ranked 11th, which is its highest ranking ever.

On 26 July, 2022 in New York, the Slovenian mission to the UN hosted a hybrid event entitled Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Threats: An Analysis of Appropriate Regulation, Good Practices, International Law and Norms, prepared by the Government Information Security Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Microsoft.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon paid a working visit to Ukraine, where she met with Ukranian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and Director of the Ukraine Investment Promotion Office Sergiy Tsivkach. During talks with her hosts, Minister Fajon stressed that Slovenia will continue to support and assist Ukraine, both in coping with the catastrophic consequences of the Russian aggression and in overcoming the obstacles on the path towards EU integration.

The European Commission declared three violations to have been successfully resolved by Slovenia – the failure to fulfil obligations from the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in connection with the Rules on the Protection of Buildings Against Lightning, the non-notification of regulations in connection with the establishment of assessment methods for harmful effects of environmental noise, and the non-notification of regulations concerning common noise assessment methods for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress.

On Sunday 24 July 2022, Prime Minister Robert Golob visited the area affected by the fire in the Karst region for the third time. He was briefed on the current situation and met the mayors of the affected municipalities.

Kim Komljanec worked as a playwright, scriptwriter and stage director, theatre director, pedagogue and lecturer until she took up her position as an advisor to the Minister of Culture. Until recently, she was the head of the unit for playwrights within the Slovenian Association of Dramatic Artists, which she founded in 2019.

At its 9th regular session, the Government appointed Matevž Čelik Vidmar, former Director of the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO), as State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture. He will take up his duties on 1 August 2022.

At the 9th regular session, the Government issued its Decree Determining the Prices of Natural Gas and adopted a further decision regarding risk preparedness in the event of disruptions in the supply of power and natural gas, taking note of the information concerning the problem of the supply of drinking water to the population of Slovenian Istria. It also discussed the general baselines for the preparation of budget documents for the following two years. These will allow the line ministries to draft the financial plans that will form the basis for future coordination and the Government’s priorities in the next two years.

Following yesterday's narrow veto vote by the National Council on the government's amendment to the RTV Slovenia Act, the National Assembly has again approved the proposed amendments. The amendment aims to remove politics from public service broadcasting and ensure its institutional and programme autonomy.

Prime Minister Robert Golob visited a fire site in the Goriška Karst region and the Regional Civil Protection Headquarters to check on the situation faced by local residents, firefighters, civil protection service members and others battling the large-scale fire.

To strengthen cooperation and provide comprehensive solutions to deal with inflation and ensure Slovenia's energy security, Prime Minister Robert Golob invited the presidents and leaders of the parliamentary groups, economists and representatives of energy companies to a special meeting.

On 20 July 2022, Ambassador Suhadolnik participated at the Book Donation Ceremony at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Minister Irena Šinko attended the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The attendees exchanged opinions on the new draft Regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products presented by the European Commission. Moreover, they discussed the agricultural market situation in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the initiative to update the EU legislation on animal transport, and confirmed the Council’s decisions with regard to the new EU strategy for the sustainable development of aquaculture. The Ministers familiarised themselves with the situation of the EU member states in preparations for the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy and strategic plans.

Prime Minister dr Robert Golob visited the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia and met with the President of the Constitutional Court, Prof dr Matej Accetto.

The Ministry of Justice welcomes the first judgement of conviction of the Slovenian courts in which the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) acted as the prosecutor.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, chaired by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The main topics of discussion included the Russian aggression against Ukraine, digital diplomacy, and the relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is with great sadness that we inform you that the voice of Dr Vladimir Kos, a great Slovenian who lived and worked in Tokyo for many years, has fallen silent forever. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, relatives and fellow comrades.

At the invitation of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the informal meeting of ministers and state secretaries for European affairs in Prague. Discussing the priorities of the Presidency, the General Affairs Council focused on the EU's continued support to Ukraine, the strengthening of democratic institutions, the role of media plurality and the implementation of the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the President of the Republic of Hungary, Katalin Novak, who is on an official visit to Slovenia. The talks focused on deepening relations between the two countries, the global challenges of energy and food security, Ukraine's European perspective, and EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) aim to set new rules for the use of the internet to make it safer for users, fairer for businesses, more legally predictable and more accountable for intermediary platforms. They increase the accountability of digital platforms for services and products, thereby improving the functioning of the internal market for digital services, creating a level playing field and legal certainty for smaller businesses, and protecting the rights and interests of all European citizens. The principle “that what is illegal in the real world is illegal online” is upheld, with particular attention to the protection of freedom of expression.

The Minister of Finance Klemen Boštjančič on the basis of the third paragraph of Article 40 of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding Act, issued a Decision on the appointment and tasks of the Expert Commission for the preparation of the candidate proposal for the member of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) Supervisory Board, which will carry out the process of obtaining and evaluating candidates and prepare for the Minister of Finance the proposal of the relevant candidates. The candidate selection process is underway due to the recall of two members of the Supervisory Board of SSH.

The new migration policy being prepared by the Ministry places greater emphasis on respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the values that every democratic society should uphold – a humane attitude towards every individual and the provision of the assistance they need.

On Thursday, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia took note of the 3rd Annual Rule of Law Report of the European Commission and adopted the first measures to mitigate the impact of electricity costs.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague. The Conference adopted a political declaration in which States pledged further support for efforts to ensure accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine.

At the 8th Government session, Minister Tanja Fajon presented the European Commission's 2022 Rule of Law Report, underlining Slovenia's commitment to follow recommendations listed therein. As the lead ministry on this issue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tasked all relevant ministries and authorities with undertaking a thorough review of the report and providing a comprehensive response.

On Thursday, the National Assembly ratified the NATO accession protocols for Sweden and Finland. Before the vote, MPs were addressed by Prime Minister Robert Golob, who recalled the historic nature of the moment and the right of nations to decide on their own security and defence.

At the invitation of Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjárto, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon took part in a meeting of foreign ministers of five Central European countries (C5) in Budapest.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. One of the key topics addressed in their talks was the energy crisis related to the war in Ukraine and the resulting need to ensure energy security.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian national community in Hungary in Monošter. The meeting was attended by Erika Köleš-Kiss, the Slovenian national community’s advocate in the Hungarian Parliament, Karel Holec, President of the Slovenian Self-Governing Community, and Andrea Kovacs, President of the Union of Slovenians in Hungary.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held a bilateral meeting with his Spanish host Pascual Navarro, Secretary of State for the European Union at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, on the margins of the meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs of the MED-9 informal group in Madrid.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs of the MED-9 informal group in Madrid. Participants discussed Mediterranean and topical European issues in the light of the MED-9 Summit to be hosted by Spain in September 2022.

On 4 July 2022, the Ministry of Finance published the first Allocation and Impact Report relating to its inaugural Sovereign Sustainability Bond issued on 1 July 2021. The purpose of this Report is to justify the trust of investors with transparency and disclosure of details.

Minister of the Interior mag. Tatjana Bobnar has attended the Informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Prague.

Acting Director-General Ambassador Ksenija Škrilec attended an informal meeting of Directors-General for EU Affairs in Prague, organised by the Czech Republic upon its assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Consul General Alenka Jerak visited the SNPJ in Enon Valley, PA. Slovenefest 2022 was held there from July 8 through July 10. This event, the biggest SNPJ event of 2022, offered a chance to meet with other Slovenians while listening to Slovenian music and enjoying Slovenian dishes and beverages.

Peter Baroš, until recently the general secretary of SIGIC, the Slovenian Music Information Centre, and a former advisor for the musical arts at the Ministry of Culture, is now joining the team the team of the Minister of Culture Dr Asta Vrečko as an advisor.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and his team of ministers gathered in the national assembly to listen to President Volodymyr Zelensky's address as a sign of their support for and solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

At the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council from 13 June to 8 July 2022, the discussion focused, as is customary for June, on the rights of women and girls and on discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. In the light of the extremely worrying situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, the EU requested that an urgent debate on this topic be held during the session.

Today, the Ministry of the Interior held the first meeting of the Consultative Body on Migration, which was entitled 'A Safe, Solidarity-based and Inclusive Society'. It was attended by representatives of state authorities, NGOs, international organisations and civil society working in the area of migration.

Mihael Kelemina, an art historian and expert in the work of NGOs and freelancers in the culture sector, is joining the team of the Minister of Culture Dr Asta Vrečko as an advisor.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon paid her first visit to neighbouring Croatia. As well as spending time with her host, Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman, she also met with Croatian President Zoran Milanović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

The Minister for Digital Transformation, Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh, met with the Human Rights Ombudsman, Peter Svetina. The Ombudsman presented the “Annual Report of Human Rights for 2021”, while the Minister presented the relevant digitalisation topics, such as electronic communications and information society.

Minister of the Interior, Tatjana Bobnar met with Nina Gregori, the Executive Director of the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), in Ljubljana today.

The 109th Tour de France started in the Danish capital on July 1. On the sidelines of this major cycling event, Slovenia presented itself to the visitors as a country of outstanding cycling competitors and a green, sustainable tourist destination, as well as the host of "L'Etape Slovenia" - the official Tour de France event - which will take place in Slovenia in September.

At today’s session of the Government Committee for State Organisation and Public Affairs, the Government became acquainted with the joint report on volunteering in the Republic of Slovenia for 2020. The Government also adopted a report on the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering until 2023 for the period from 2018 to the end of 2020. The Government included in the current Plan of Development Programmes of the Republic of Slovenia 2022-2025 the purchase of business premises for the needs of the judicial authorities in Novo Mesto in the total amount of EUR 855,545.