News

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan pledged a new contribution from Slovenia to the World Food Programme (WFP) worth EUR 80,000 at the international High-Level Pledging Conference for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, co-hosted by the UN, Switzerland and Sweden.

The Governments of Slovenia and the United States held the second session of the Slovenia-U.S. Strategic Dialogue in Ljubljana on March 14, 2022. The dialogue was led by Political Director Jernej Müller, Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Dunnigan, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

On the 30th anniversary of Peru’s recognition of the Republic of Slovenia, which took place on 17 March 1992, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held an audio-video discussion with Ambassador Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Peru.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, which this year was dedicated to the possibilities of transforming and adapting diplomacy to new global and security challenges.

Director-General for European Union Affairs Barbara Sušnik hosted Thomas Oberreiter, Director-General for Europe and Economic Affairs at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

After hearing the statement by State Secretary Árpád János Potápi during the Težišče television programme on 10 March 2022 that the Mura was the border river between Slovenia and Hungary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia immediately called the Ambassador of Hungary to Slovenia, Andor F. Dávid, requesting appropriate clarifications.

On 9 March 2022, the successor states of the former Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) signed a contract in New York for the joint sale of the real estate of the former SFRY Mission to the United Nations at 854 Fifth Avenue for $50 million in the most advantageous offer.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the third ministerial meeting of the International Coalition for the Sahel via video conference. Minister Logar outlined that Slovenia was very concerned about the escalation and spread of violence and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Sahel.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan travelled to Montpellier to take part in an informal EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in the configuration bringing together development ministers. The meeting focused on the situation in Ukraine, the geopolitical dimension of the EU's international cooperation and development policy, as well as biodiversity and food security.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels, led by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The meeting was concentrated on the Russian military aggression in Ukraine and the assessment of the effects of the sanctions taken against the Russian Federation.

At the invitation of France, which is currently chairing the Council of the EU, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the informal meeting of ministers and state secretaries for European affairs in Arles, France. The ministers and state secretaries focused on the crisis in Ukraine, the state of the rule of law in the EU and the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Igor Jukič, Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the participants of the third conference on international cooperation in the field of water, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. The representatives of ministries and Slovenian experts discussed priorities and possible new forms of cooperation based on Slovenian knowledge and good practices.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the extraordinary meeting of NATO foreign ministers. They discussed the situation in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in the urgent debate of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Ukraine, which was convened on the initiative of Ukraine due to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Following yesterday’s military attack by the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, in which the Consulate of the Republic of Slovenia was destroyed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs re-summoned Russian Ambassador Timur Eyvazov. State Secretary Gašper Dovžan handed over the diplomatic note of protest of the Republic of Slovenia to the Ambassador of the Russian Federation requesting an apology and compensation for the damage suffered.

Political consultations between Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were held in Sarajevo, headed by State Secretary Stanislav Raščan from the Slovenian side and Josip Brkić, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the host’s side.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anže Logar used his video address on the joint humanitarian call and the regional plan to assist Ukrainian refugees from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to announce a humanitarian contribution of the Republic of Slovenia amounting to EUR 1.1 million.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar paid a working visit to Berlin. In the light of the continuation of the regular political dialogue with Germany, he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock and held several other talks as well.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan welcomed Natalia Markevych Pritsa, Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Slovenia. He expressed Slovenia’s solidarity with Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today attended an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council via video conference, which was convened to discuss EU assistance to Ukraine while the Russian military activities are taking place.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has concluded that, in 2022, the Republic of Slovenia will make a humanitarian contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the amount of EUR 100,000 to assist the people of Ukraine. The contribution will be provided from the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. Slovenia has already provided Ukraine with material assistance totalling EUR 163,000.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The Council discussed the EU’s response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, which undermines the European security order.

Slovenia condemns in the strongest terms the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducts regular coordination with EU member states and international partners. Slovenian citizens currently in Ukraine are advised to leave the country as quickly and safely as possible.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Timur Eyvazov one more time.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the regular General Affairs Council session in Brussels. The discussion focused on preparations for the European Council meeting to be held on 24 and 25 March as well as strengthening the EU’s resilience, response capacity and preparedness to future crises. The General Affairs Council also held a hearing on the rule of law in Poland under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union. The members of the Council exchanged views on the activities under the Conference on the Future of Europe.

At the extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), the EU foreign affairs ministers took forward the debate they opened at the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council a day before. The security situation in Eastern Europe was further exacerbated following the decision by Russian President Putin to recognise two self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine on 21 February 2022.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan participated in the extraordinary meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) convened by Poland’s Chairmanship of the organisation in response to the decision taken by the President of the Russian Federation Putin to recognise the “independence” of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. This decision violates international law and the OSCE’s fundamental principles.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar participated in the first Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which was hosted by France as part of its Council Presidency programme. The foreign ministers of the EU member states and countries in Southeast Asia explored ways to step up cooperation. The main topics of the Forum were: the security situation, global challenges (climate, the environment, health, the oceans), and connectivity and digital issues.

Slovenia strongly condemns the decision by President Putin to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine as independent entities. These hostile measures are a flagrant violation of international law and obligations contained in the Minsk agreements, and will not remain without consequences.

Between 18 and 20 February 2022, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the Munich Security Conference, which was marked by debates on the heightened security situation in and around Ukraine. The highest representatives of states and international organisations were united in expressing support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, condemning the actions of the Russian Federation that endangers Ukrainian, European and international security.

Political Director and Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy Jernej Müller met with Director-General of the Directorate for Bilateral Relations with European Countries Belevski and Director-General for EU Sejfula in the framework of political consultations between Slovenia and North Macedonia.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan participated via videolink in a hybrid ministerial meeting on the “Horn of Africa Initiative” organised by Kenya (the chair of the Horn of Africa Initiative) and the European Union in cooperation with the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the virtual side event “Empowering young people as change-makers in the water sector” organised by Slovenia as part of the Africa-Europe Week.

On the 30th anniversary of Australia’s recognition of Slovenia’s independence and establishment of diplomatic relations, State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held a video conference call with Australian Deputy Secretary Katrina Cooper. Their talks focused on current international and bilateral issues.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar met in Riyadh today with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Commerce Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Minister of Investment Khalid Al Falih, and Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammed Al Jadaan. In their talks, they focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Saudi Arabia.

At the end of the second phase of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) regional programme for Southeast Asia, State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan participated in the Ministerial Conference of the OECD and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in Seoul. On the margins of the meeting, he met with Yeo Seung-Bae, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, and the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and his Deputy Pornpimpol Kanchanalak.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan participated in the hybrid ministerial meeting of the Media Freedom Coalition (Coalition) via video-conference link.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who visited Slovenia last November. Minister Logar also held a courtesy meeting with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al Thani. Discussions were centred on enhancing cooperation between the two countries.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with the Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the German Foreign Ministry Anna Lührmann in Berlin. The main topic of the discussion was the strengthening of bilateral relations in the light of the strategic dialogue between the two countries and the continuation of constructive cooperation on European affairs.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the official ceremony on the occasion of the Slovenian National Day at the Expo 2020 World Exhibition in Dubai and visited the Slovenian Pavilion. He also met with Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anže Logar, is hosting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkçvičs. Their discussions were aimed at enhancing cooperation between Slovenia and Latvia within the framework of the European Union and NATO.

In February 2022, Slovenia and Portugal celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Portugal recognised the independence of Slovenia on 15 January 1992, and diplomatic relations were established on 3 February 1992.

As part of his visit to Serbia, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Marta Morgan emphasised excellent bilateral relations between the two countries since Canada's recognition of the Republic of Slovenia three decades ago.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held talks with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, Freddy Mamani Machaca via video conference, expressing thanks once again for Bolivia’s recognition of Slovenia’s independence on 28 January 1992.

For many years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the Slovenian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) have supported, and actively contributed to, remembrance, research, and education on the Holocaust.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Brazil’s recognition of the Republic of Slovenia, State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held an audio-video conference with Ambassador Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Secretary of Bilateral Negotiations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first session of the General Affairs Council after the conclusion of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in Brussels. At the beginning of the session, he expressed support to the French Presidency for the guidelines for the work of the General Affairs Council in the first half of 2022 and advocated for the ambitious continuation of work of the Conference on the Future of Europe. He also called for further coordinated action of EU member states in facing the COVID-19 pandemic and welcomed the commitment of the EU to the enlargement process and strengthened cooperation with the Western Balkans.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today attended the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, led by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The meeting focused on the situation in Syria, Libya and Eastern Europe. The ministers exchanged views with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the situation at the Ukrainian-Russian border via video link.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held an audio-video discussion with Deputy Foreign Minister of Argentina Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Argentina’s recognition of the Republic of Slovenia on 16 January 1992.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the third Plenary of the Conference on the Future of Europe in Strasbourg. The discussion centred on the recommendations put forward by European Citizens’ Panels on European democracy, values and rights, the rule of law, security, climate change, environment and health, and on the related recommendations adopted by the national European Citizens’ Panels. On the eve of the session, the working groups met and held preparatory discussions. State Secretary Dovžan participated in the Working Group on “European democracy”.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held a video conference call with Uruguay Deputy Foreign Minister Carolina Ache Battle. The discussion was aimed at assessing relations between the two countries on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Uruguay’s recognition of Slovenia’s independence.

State Secretary Dr. Stanislav Raščan held a video conference call with Acting Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Chile Carolina Valdivia, stressing that Slovenia will be forever grateful to Chile for recognising Slovenia's independence on 16 January 1992 – only a day after a number of European countries recognised it as well.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held bilateral consultations in Bratislava with Martin Klus, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and took part in a discussion on the future of Europe with student from a bilingual high school.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar took part in an informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers (Gymnich), which was held in Brest, France. The ministers focused their discussions on the security situation in Eastern Europe and relations between the EU and China. They also resumed their political debate on the Strategic Compass.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič met with Ute Klamert, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), via a videoconference.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of NATO member states that took place by videconference. At the meeting, the allies held a consultation on the security situation in Ukraine and its neighbourhood ahead of the announced talks between the US and the Russian Federation on 10 January 2022 and between NATO and the Russian Federation at the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) on 12 January 2022.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar met with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today in Washington, which was the third bilateral meeting at the level of foreign ministers over the last year and a half. The meeting was aimed at continuing the strategic dialogue between the two countries.

On the invitation of Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt, Minister Dr Anže Logar is paying an official visit to the Kingdom of Norway. Cooperation between Slovenia and Norway is excellent, and the ministers discussed opportunities for further widening and strengthening mutual collaboration.

A regular informal political dialogue between the European Union and the Russian Federation on the EU enlargement was held today via video conferencing. The EU side was led by Political Director and Director-General Jernej Müller.

A regular informal political dialogue between the European Union and the United States on the EU enlargement was held today via video conferencing. The EU side was led by Political Director and Director-General Jernej Müller.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar met with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris today. The main purpose of his visit to France was to outline the achievements of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and to discuss future work on the key European dossiers during the upcoming French Presidency.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the 29th consultations of the economic and social stakeholders of the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) via video conference.

Igor Jukič, Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation, attended the meeting of the EU directors-general for development cooperation on Team Europe initiatives, which was held as an audio-video conference.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today chaired the final regular meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC) in Brussels in the context of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council. Ministers of European affairs discussed draft conclusions for the December European Council and the coordination of the enlargement conclusions that have been unanimously confirmed, which is yet another achievement of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Acting as Minister for Development Cooperation, State Secretary Raščan addressed the participants of an important virtual event marking the launch of the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a multi-stakeholder mechanism of the “Team Europe” initiative, the aim of which is to strengthen dialogue and partnership in digitalisation to promote a human-centric digital transformation.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan, on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, led the thirteenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Serbia at ministerial level today in Brussels. "Bringing enlargement forward has been one of the main priorities of the Slovenian Presidency," the State Secretary stressed.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan, on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, led the fourteenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at ministerial level today in Brussels. As the current holder of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Slovenia is striving to speed up the enlargement process.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels headed by Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The ministers focused on EU-Africa relations and Central Asia – with a special emphasis on Afghanistan – and Venezuela.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held a videoconference discussion with Téte António, President of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan passed the presidency baton in the field of development cooperation to his counterpart French State Secretary Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

On Human Rights Day, State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan addressed the participants of a hybrid round table on the importance and promotion of women’s participation in peace and security through an EU and NATO external approach.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan conducted virtual political consultations with Reenat Sandhu, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India. The two high officials confirmed the good relations between the two countries, expressing a mutual interest in strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Slovenia will formally announce its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2024–2025 term in New York today. The decision on the candidature put forth on the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia after having been considered by the Committee on Foreign Policy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

Today, Director-General Barbara Sušnik hosted consultations of the Trio Presidency of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. Its 18-month term, which was strongly marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of measures for post-pandemic economic and sustainable recovery, concludes at the end of this year.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan, acting as Minister for Development Cooperation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the representative of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the EU, attended the 2021 Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial held in a virtual format. In his address, he presented Slovenia’s peacebuilding efforts.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan attended a high-level event on “Water and Displacement” via audio-video conference.
He asserted that water is at the heart of many global, regional and local challenges ranging from health to the effects of climate change. This is also one of the reasons why Slovenia chose water as a key priority of its Council Presidency in development cooperation.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the Rome MED 2021 – Mediterranean Dialogues international conference, which is taking place in the Italian capital under this year's title “Leveraging Transitions”. Minister Logar together with the Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno and Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman took part in the panel on Mediterranean common goods, stating “we are proud that Slovenia has joined the EUMED, an excellent platform for cooperation also for its Foreign Ministers. It is important that countries on both sides of the Mediterranean strive for common values and goals, even if at different paces, for a better future.”

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan attended the virtual event "Inclusive and Resilient Digital Transition: A New Chapter for the AU-EU Relations?" at which he stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the African Union and the European Union in this field.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the 28th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Stockholm, at which the foreign ministers discussed conflicts and current crises in the region, stressing the importance of an effective OSCE approach in implementing the concept of comprehensive security.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a meeting of foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance in Riga on 30 November and 1 December 2021.

On the 70th anniversary of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a hybrid meeting of the IOM Council in Geneva via videolink. The high-level panel focussed on the impact of COVID-19 on borders, migration and mobility.

On 26 November, the European Commission organised, jointly with France, Germany, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Norwegian Refugee Council, a virtual event on International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan gave a speech at Brdo pri Kranju at the Ministerial Conference of the Three Seas Initiative on digital transformation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar participated at the 6th ministerial meeting of the Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting in Barcelona. In his speeches, Minister Logar emphasised Slovenia’s Mediterranean character and called for closer cooperation in the region.

All UK citizens and their family members residing in the Republic of Slovenia are invited to apply in due time for a new biometric temporary residence permit or for an exchange with a new biometric permanent residence permit.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in the opening session of the 31st Conference International Archives Day and the 15th International Archival School.

On this day, on 28 November, we are celebrating the first Mediterranean Day, which was declared in 2020 at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean. “It is my wish that the Mediterranean becomes a region of security and stability, progress and prosperity that will ensure a bright future for all of its young people,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar on Mediterranean Day.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan met with Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, with whom he exchanged views on the forthcoming Eastern Partnership Summit and discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

From 23 to 25 November, Minister Anže Logar attended the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg as Slovenia's high representative for relations between the Council and the Parliament.

At the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the ministerial meeting of the Adriatic Charter under the Croatian Chairmanship. This regional initiative is uniting the Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and North Macedonia) and the United States of America, with the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia participating as observers.

“Empowered young people are the key to strong democracy, responsible politics, the protection of human rights and building resilience,” stressed Minister Logar in his opening address of the 5th Eastern Partnership Youth Forum. The Forum entitled “Youth participation in democratic processes” took place from 23 to 24 November 2021.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan chaired today’s regular session of the General Affairs Council in Brussels. The discussion focused on the preparations for the December European Council meeting, the rule of law in five member states, with the cases considered in alphabetical order, and EU enlargement. Ministers and state secretaries for European affairs also took note of the state of EU-UK relations and the European Commission’s work programme for the next year.

Minister Dr Logar participated in the international conference on Belarus organised in an online format by Austrian Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Austrian Federal Foreign Minister Michael Linhart.

State Secretaries Gašper Dovžan and Stanislav Raščan held separate talks with Special Envoy for the European Union and Europe and Ambassador of Canada to Germany, Stéphane Dion, Ambassador of Canada to the EU Ailish Campbell and non-resident Ambassador of Canada to Slovenia Caroline Charette via video conference.

On 19 and 20 November 2021, the Foreign Minister, Anže Logar, attended the High-Level Forum on Resisting Authoritarianism – “The Future of Democracy” organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. High-level representatives ranging from political decision-makers and academics to human rights defenders and international organisations addressed the most current challenges in the debates related to the shrinking of the democratic space, the consolidation of authoritarianism and the path towards a democratic renaissance.

In the format of ministers for development cooperation, the EU Foreign Affairs Council confirmed the conclusions on water in the EU’s external action, which is one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in development cooperation. The EU will strengthen its reputation as the largest development assistance donor and confirm its impact as the key global actor in this field, also in the light of the UN Conference on the Water Action Decade scheduled for March 2023.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in the composition of development ministers (FAC DEV). The meeting endorsed two conclusions, including conclusions on water in the EU’s external action, which represents an important milestone in EU water diplomacy and important achievement of Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in a seminar on the Western Balkans in Madrid, which was organised by the Slovenian Embassy in Madrid, the Bled Strategic Forum, and the Elcano Royal Institute. On this occasion, he also met with State Secretary for the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain Juan González-Barba Pera. In a separate meeting, the two state secretaries reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on topical European, regional, and global issues. Slovenia and Spain are both focusing their efforts towards strengthening the EU's resilience to crises of all kinds with a view to putting the slogan of the Slovenian Presidency “Together. Resilient. Europe.” into action.

The Meeting of the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee of the UN General Assembly, also referred to as the Third Committee, has concluded in New York. The Committee, which opened its meeting on 30 September, adopted more than 60 resolutions. In addition to the Council Presidency, Slovenia is focusing on its priorities in its work within the Third Committee, particularly on the rights of women, the rights of older persons, the rights of the child, human rights and the environment, the human rights situation around the world and issues concerning civil society but is also actively involved in other topics.