News

The latest information on the floods in Slovenia was presented at the press conference by meteorologist Brane Gregorčič and hydrologist Janez Polajnar, both from the Slovenian Environment Agency, Director of the Slovenian Water Agency Neža Kodre and Commander of the Civil Protection of the Republic of Slovenia Srečko Šestan.

With 332 million, the United States of America presents an important market with many opportunities for the Slovenian economy and tourism. It can take several years for companies to successfully penetrate the US market, and Slovenia as a country can open doors through increased promotion.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, which focused on the war in Ukraine. Ministers also met with Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh, and heard a report from Minister Fajon on her joint visit to Montenegro with Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

From 18 to 20 January 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the 53rd World Economic Forum in Davos, a meeting point for leaders, civil society representatives and top-performing business people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised an international event entitled Humanitarian crisis, protection of critical infrastructure and the environment during armed conflicts and in relation to peacebuilding measures: Legal challenges of the 21st century, which was aimed at seeking solutions that could contribute to enhancing respect for international humanitarian law in practice. This is particularly relevant in the light of the war in Ukraine and the Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in the country.

On 19 January 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Strategy for the Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia with the OECD until the end of 2025.

On her first official visit to Pristina, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of the Republic of Kosovo Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz. The meeting was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, with a focus on economic cooperation, the situation in the country and discussion on Kosovo's European perspective.

During her working visit to Sarajevo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr Bisera Turković, Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, and Presidency members Željko Komšić and Dr Denis Bećirović. This was also the first political visit from Slovenia since BiH was granted candidate status.

Today, State Secretary Samuel Žbogar hosted Sanjay Verma, Secretary for the West of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, in Ljubljana for political consultations. The two officials reviewed the key areas of bilateral cooperation and went on to exchange views on the topical regional and global themes.

At the start of the year, Slovenia became a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2023–2025 period. This is Slovenia's first membership of this UN body, which coordinates the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Six Ambassadors-at-Large, two of whom are women, namely for the future of Europe, the insitutional EU matters, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Western Balkans, climate diplomacy and water diplomacy have been appointed by Foreign Minister Fajon. Through these appointments, the Minister aims to ensure visibility and active engagement in some of the priority areas of Slovenia's foreign policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon attended an event to mark Croatia joining the Schengen area and the eurozone at the Obrežje/Bregana border crossing point, which was hosted by Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Ambassador of Ukraine Andrii Taran at the Medicop company headquarters in Nemčavci near Murska Sobota today to hand over two ambulances that Slovenia has donated to Ukraine.

Today, two wounded Ukrainians arrived in Slovenia, accompanied by an attendant. Both will receive full medical assistance and care. In the spirit of solidarity, Slovenia is joining 18 other EU member states in the care for the wounded and sick from the warzone. We are thereby expanding our political, humanitarian, material and military support for Ukraine to include medical aid.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon and Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg visited Montenegro on behalf and at the request of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. They met President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović, Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, and Assembly Speaker Danijela Đurović.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met her Serbian counterpart Ivica Dačić during an official visit to Belgrade. Their meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations between their two countries, succession issues and Serbia's rapprochement with the EU.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held talks at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin with Minister of State for Europe and Climate Dr Anna Lührmann, State Secretary Andreas Michaelis and Director for Europe Sibylle Sorg. The meeting was aimed at identifying ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between Slovenia and Germany, and also provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on topical European and international themes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of Economic Development and Technology Matjaž Han discussed with key internationalisation players the support for the Slovenian economy abroad at the Economic Internationalisation Council.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very pleased that EU leaders at the European Council on 15 December took the important political decision to grant EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the 45th Commemorative Summit of the ASEAN-EU in Brussels. The event was the first to bring together the highest representatives of all of the member states of the two organisations. She also held numerous bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels on the preparations for the European Council meeting and the conclusions on enlargement and stabilisation and association process.

The "Standing with the Ukrainian People" conference in Paris, bringing together high and senior representatives of 70 states and international organisations, was held on 13 December. At the conference organised by France, Slovenia was represented by Ambassador Metka Ipavic.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, chaired by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The meeting focused on the Russian aggression against Ukraine and on the situation in Iran. A meeting of the EU-Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers was held in the morning in advance of the Council meeting.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted the second high-level event of the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean in Brussels. In her opening address, the Minister underlined the need to strengthen partnership and cooperation on AI.

Minister Fajon took part in the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), themed: "Three Continents, Three Oceans, a Common Destiny: Let's Build a Resilient and Sustainable OACPS". On the margins of the Summit, she held numerous bilateral meetings.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held bilateral consultations in Stockholm with Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Jessika Roswall. They discussed the priorities of the Swedish EU Council Presidency, current European and international topics and EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, the day that saw the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which is regarded as the foundation for all future international human rights instruments. This year's slogan is: "Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All".

On this day 74 years ago, in recognition of the grave suffering and tragedies of WW II, the 50 Member States of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, one of the UN's fundamental documents.

Slovenia has formally filed a declaration of intervention before the International Court of Justice in The Hague relating to the Ukraine vs Russian Federation proceedings for violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

In Helsinki, State Secretary Štucin held bilateral consultations with Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen, Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara and Director of Foreign and Security Policy in the Cabinet of the President Petri Hakkarainen.

During a bilateral visit, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Minister of State for Europe Laurence Boone. They discussed strengthening strategic relations between Slovenia and France and went on to exchange views on current European and international topics.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the 21st session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and participated in the general discussion. Alongside the Assembly session, he engaged in numerous bilateral dialogues.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has earmarked an additional 100,000 euros for humanitarian aid to Ukraine to help people survive the approaching harsh winter, as the devastating effects of the war continue.

During a visit to the Hague, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Director-General for European Cooperation Anita van den Ende. They discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations and current European topics, including the situation in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the rule of law, EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, migration and Schengen.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed more than 100 local staff members from almost all diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Slovenia, who are attending their first ever consultation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed the panel entitled “Reviving Multilateralism: the UN in Times of Crisis” at the Rome MED 2022 (Mediterranean Dialogues) International Conference. In her speech, she emphasised in particular the importance of cooperation, dialogue and confidence-building in international relations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the 29th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Łódź, Poland, where foreign ministers discussed the war in Ukraine and the current situation within the OSCE.

Under the leadership of the National Coordination of Macro-Regional Strategies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia will hold the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023. Its term will conclude with the EUSDR Annual Forum, which Slovenia is planning to hold on 24–25 October 2023 at Brdo pri Kranju.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar attended the Ministerial Council between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, Pacific States. The Ministers discussed global issues, in particular food and energy security, the Post-Cotonou Agreement, the implementation of the Partnership Agreement, the Global Gateway Strategy and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), as well as cooperation in international forums.

The plenary meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 28 November to 1 December 2022. The Slovenian delegation presented the life and work of one of the most important chronicler of the historical events and tragedies of the 20th century, writer Boris Pahor, who passed away in May 2022 at the age of 108, to the Committee on the Holocaust, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar attended the Foreign Affairs Council in its development configuration. The meeting discussed the follow-up to the sixth EU-African Union Summit and Team Europe’s crisis response, with a focus on Ukraine and Afghanistan.

At the request of the Ukrainian side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide 370,000 euros in humanitarian aid for the purchase of an ambulance for the transport of premature babies and mothers. The donation agreement was signed today by the Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Renata Cvelbar Bek, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia, Mr Andrii Taran.

In the wake of the global food crisis, which has deepened since the start of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed that Slovenia join Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative, in which Ukraine donates grain while donor countries, including Slovenia, finance shipping to the least developed countries in Africa and Asia, where people are at risk of starvation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supported a project to complete the renovation of a rehabilitation home in Ukraine. With the project, which will be implemented by the Ministry’s strategic partner for humanitarian aid, Slovenian Caritas, Slovenia will help ensure facilities for the proper care and rehabilitation of 90 children, people with disabilities and young people with special needs, who are increasing in number as a consequence of the bombing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs joins the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Violence against women remains one of the most common human rights violations around the world. For many years, the global average of one in three women experiencing violence in their lifetime has remained unchanged.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the 7th Regional Forum Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting held in Barcelona. The ministers discussed the impact of the current situation in the region on younger generations and its improvement, solidarity, and cooperation, and outlined the way forward for the work of the UfM.

State Secretary Žbogar and Omani Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalifa Al-Harthy held the first political consultations between Slovenia and Oman in Muscat. These are the first consultations since the signing of the Agreement on the Establishment of Political Consultations in December 2021, which forms the basis for further regular contacts at this level.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar, accompanied by a Slovenian business delegation, attended a Saudi-Slovenian business forum, organised at the Association of Saudi Chambers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He met with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir.

Minister Fajon presented to the students of the Faculty of Social Sciences the role of Slovenia in addressing current challenges and the multilateral aspect of Slovenia's foreign policy. In her presentation titled "Confidence in the Future: Slovenia in the United Nations Security Council," she spoke about Slovenia's candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2024–2025 term.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed the participants of the 4th Latin America and Caribbean Days conference (LAC Days 2022). The event was held in a virtual format under the theme "Water-related disaster risk management in a changing climate" and focused on climate change, water, and digital solutions to address the current challenges facing both regions.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a regular meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels. The focus was on the preparations for the December European Council meeting and on the hearing of Hungary on the state of the rule of law under Article 7 of the EU treaty.

As part of its regular annual programme, the Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) paid a two-day visit to Slovenia to meet with representatives of NGOs, social partners and civil society.

Yesterday at COP27, Slovenia presented itself as a green, creative and smart country, active in the field of climate change and oriented towards a green transition, supported by advanced digital technologies. The government of Slovenia demonstrated excellent mutual cooperation of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, MEST, MEDT, MFA with climate and economic diplomacy, Spirit Agency and STO.

Today, the Volčji Potok Arboretum played host to an event within the framework of the regular Business to Diplomacy (B2D) meetings organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the auspices of Minister Tanja Fajon. The events are aimed at the internationalisation of the Slovenian economy and represent an excellent opportunity for Slovenian companies to present their know-how, products and services to the diplomatic corps in Slovenia.

State Secretary Marko Štucin paid a bilateral visit to Vienna and met with Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution Karoline Edtstadler and Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs Dr Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted the second meeting of the Strategic Council for Foreign Affairs, which was dedicated to discussions about China and its role in the changing political and social global order. The debate revolved around the question of whether China, with its position as a superpower and its relationship with the US, is an adversary, a rival or partner to the European Union.

A trilateral Letter of Intent was signed in Podgorica between the ministries of foreign affairs of Slovenia, France and Montenegro on the establishment of a regional Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C; Centre de développement des Capacités Cyber des Balkans Occidentaux - 3CBO) at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, which is part of the University of Montenegro in Podgorica.

In the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Slovenian delegation headed by Minister of Infrastructure Bojan Kumer and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon concluded a deal on the supply of natural gas to Slovenia.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the regular EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting chaired by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Brussels. The discussions focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Great Lakes region in Africa and the Western Balkans.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar received a courtesy visit from the Special Representative of the People’s Republic of China for Cooperation between Central and Eastern Europe Countries and China, Ambassador Jiang Yu.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon responded to the accusations made in the interpellation submitted by the Slovenian Democratic Party deputies upon the recall of Mr Tone Kajzer, Slovenia’s Ambassador to the USA. Minister Fajon won the confidence vote by 52 votes.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is taking place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November. The aim of the conference is to re-energise the global ambition to scale up climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and to mobilise adequate financing for climate action.

State Secretary Marko Štucin paid a bilateral visit to Budapest during which he met Minister of Justice of Hungary Dr Judit Varga, State Secretary for EU Affairs at the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Justice Dr János Bóka and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Levente Magyar.

On 11 October 2022, the Republic of Austria announced to the European Commission, the Parliament and the Member States that it would extend the border control at the internal Schengen border with Slovenia for the period from 12 November 2022 to 11 May 2023. The reasons cited include an increase in migration flows, including due to visa policies in the Western Balkans, and an increase in secondary migration due to the current situation at the EU's external border, as well as due to the activities of organised groups of smugglers.

State Secretary Marko Štucin took part in the Ministerial Meeting of the Central European Initiative hosted by the Bulgarian CEI Presidency in Sofia. The meeting focused on Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the broader consequences of the war, which is having a profound negative impact on all CEI Member States. The ministers and state secretaries expressed their continued support for Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Korea Park Byeong-seug. The meeting was devoted to discussions on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Korea.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian national community in Austria as part of her regular contacts with Slovenians abroad. The discussion focused on outstanding issues concerning the situation of the Slovenian national community in Austria.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian national community in Italy. The meeting, which was aimed at exchanging views on current issues concerning the situation of the Slovenian national community in Italy, is part of the Minister’s regular dialogue with Slovenians living abroad.

In Montevideo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Carolina Ache Batlle, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. During their talks, the two high officials expressed interest in strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic Santiago Cafiero in Buenos Aires. They discussed the strengthening and development of bilateral relations, cooperation in the framework of international organisations, topical global and regional issues and the strengthening of relations between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended the third meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Buenos Aires. Ministers stressed the importance of regular high-level dialogue between the EU and CELAC, and discussed matters ranging from innovations, climate change, digitalisation and security to the strengthening of democracy, the protection of human rights, and sustainable development in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the invitation of Prof. Dr Franz Schausberger, former Landeshauptmann (Governor) of Salzburg, State Secretary Marko Štucin took part in a debate as part of the 18th Salzburg Europe Summit taking place on 23–25 October 2022 in Salzburg under the title "Visions for Europe: Expectations and Reality".

At the invitation of German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon took part in the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Berlin Process. The focus was on energy security, the green agenda, the Common Regional Market, reconciliation in the region, and a positive perspective for young people in the Western Balkans.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar addressed the participants at the opening ceremony of the Consulate of the Republic of Slovenia in Fukui, Japan, along with Honorary Consul of the Republic of Slovenia Tetsuji Shindo and senior representatives of national, regional and local authorities. During his visit, the State Secretary participated in a business seminar on IT solutions and space technologies.

Today, Slovakia hosted the Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon took part in the event, where she underlined the importance of enhancing cooperation between all countries and regions and of involving young people in the Strategy.

As part of his visit to Japan, State Secretary Samuel Žbogar held political consultations with Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Kenji Yamada and Director-General Masashi Nakagome. During the talks, the two sides discussed key areas of bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Japan, talked about EU-Japan relations and exchanged views on the situation in the two regions.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon paid an official visit to Skopje and met with Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani. They discussed the excellent bilateral relations between their two countries and Slovenia's continued support for North Macedonia's European path.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, which focused on the preparations for the October European Council, the follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe, the state of the rule of law in Poland and the European Commission's report on the enforcement of EU law.

In Luxembourg, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon 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 on the agenda were the Russian aggression against Ukraine and relations with China.

The plenary part of the 68th Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which will take place until 21 October 2022, this year under Slovenia's chairmanship, has started. High-level participants, including a number of delegates from the Contracting Governments and representatives of non-governmental delegations, were addressed by State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Samuel Žbogar, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Uroš Brežan, and Mayor of the Municipality of Piran Đenjo Zadković.

As part of the enlargement package, the European Commission today issued a recommendation that Bosnia and Herzegovina be awarded EU candidate status but will have to meet additional requirements before making further steps on the path to the Union. This is the same formula that the Commission has already applied in the case of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the recommendation as an important step towards the granting of EU candidate status. In the next stage, this will be decided on by the EU heads of state and government at the European Council.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar attended the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Lima, Peru, from 5 to 7 October 2022. Foreign Ministers from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as permanent observers, held discussions under the title "Together against inequality and discrimination" to reduce social and other inequalities that have been exacerbated in the countries of the Western Hemisphere by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council concludes its 51st regular session today. Between 12 September and 7 October 2022, the central body of the UN in the field of human rights addressed the most pressing human rights situations around the world and adopted a number of thematic resolutions. At the meeting, Slovenia presented two initiatives in cooperation with partner countries, an initiative on the human rights of older persons and a resolution on human rights education. Slovenian expert Dr Sancin was elected to the Advisory Committee of the Council.

State Secretary Marko Štucin addressed participants at the event held at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Slovenia and Austria.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed Diplomatic Academy participants at the start of the new academic year. She spoke about her experience during the first months since taking up the post of Foreign Minister, and went on to mention current foreign policy issues and related priorities for Slovenian foreign policy in the coming period.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met with State Secretary at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Andreja Metelko Zgombić, in Zagreb. They discussed opportunities for strengthening and further deepening bilateral cooperation and topical issues of the EU.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanja Fajon, State Secretary for Economic Development and Technology, Matevž Frangež, and State Secretary for Defence, Rudi Medved, addressed the Business to Diplomacy (B2D) event entitled “Slovenia in Space” in the Noordung Centre. The purpose of the event was to help create new connections and opportunities for cooperation at the national and international level, to present the activities and achievements of the Slovenian space sector to representatives of foreign embassies and the Slovenian economic and defence attachés.

This year’s International Day of Older Persons, celebrated on 1 October, is dedicated to the resilience and contributions of older women. The discrimination and inequalities that women face can increase with age. For this reason, the contributions and experiences of older women, who play an important role in social, political, economic and cultural life, often remain disregarded.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the international conference in Gorizia held under the title European Cultural Links - Cross-border cities as European meeting points. In a panel entitled How to further define cross-border cooperation and remove barriers: policy instruments and territorial perspectives, he highlighted the European Capital of Culture 2025 project and the successful partnership between Nova Gorica and Gorizia as outstanding examples of cooperation between the two border towns.

In March 2022, the successor states of the former Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) signed the joint sale contract and in September 2022, the closing documents for the sale of the real estate of the former SFRY Mission to the United Nations. Slovenia will receive EUR 7.3 million from the sale of the property at 854 Fifth Avenue, New York, which is 14 per cent of the total purchase price.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Eva Tomič took part in the meeting of EU development directors-general in Brussels. The directors-general discussed the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, global food supply and preparations for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the opening session of the workshop "ERP and IPA Coordinators as Inspired Leaders" in Bled. The event has been organised as part of the EU-funded project "Structural Reforms Better Integrated Within Fiscal Frameworks - FIR 2".

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and President Borut Pahor presented Slovenia's vision for its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council to the Permanent Representatives of the UN Member States in New York. "During its 30-year UN membership, Slovenia has proven on several occasions its commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and shared responsibility for world peace, security and development. Today, we are committed to this goal more than ever," underlined Minister Fajon.

On the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in a number of ministerial events, held several bilateral meetings, and signed the economic cooperation agreement between the Republic of Slovenia and the Kyrgyz Republic.

The 7th edition of the Mediterranean Coast and Macro-regional Strategies Week under this year's slogan "Healthy seas for a safer future" was officially opened in Izola on Tuesday. The attendees were addressed by Ambassador Ksenija Škrilec, Acting Director-General for EU Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her third State of the Union address to the European Parliament today, in which she set out the vision for the Union in the year ahead, before holding a discussion with MEPs the achievements of the last year and the way forward.

The 11th Slovenian Economic Diplomacy Day was held as part of the MOS Celje trade fair. Strengthening economic diplomacy is one of the priorities of Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon. The event was attended by ambassadors and honorary consuls to the Republic of Slovenia and by a number of representatives of Slovenian companies and institutions.

Slovenia joined the Copenhagen Pledge on Tech for Democracy that lays out a framework and envisions a shared digital future based on democratic values and human rights.

On the day of the official opening of the 77th UNGA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for representatives of embassies based in Ljubljana. State Secretary Samuel Žbogar presented Slovenia’s priorities for the UNGA and plans related to participation in the General Debate, which will take place in New York from 20 to 26 September 2022.