News

A ceremony marking the official opening of a renovated research laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Maribor primarily dedicated to process and environmental engineering was attended by Dr Aleksander Jevšek, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development. The Minister underlined the importance of cooperation between educational institutions and the economic sector.

In these days when Italy commemorates the victims of the foibe and the exodus from Istria, Rijeka and Dalmatia, the Ministry reiterates the importance of comprehensive and respectful remembrance and dignity for all the victims of the tragic events of the 20th century war and post-war period. Every community keeps the memory of its painful experiences alive, but it must also ensure that this pain does not breed more resentment or fear.

In Sarajevo, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković and held consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister Josip Brkić.

State Secretary Tina Heferle and the Director of the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants Katarina Šturkelj have attended the Ministerial Conference on the integration of newcomers by EU member states held under the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union in Mechelen, Belgium.

An exhibition by Slovenian painter Katja Bednařik Sudec was held at the Council of Europe in January.

Message from Prime Minister Robert Golob on the occasion of Slovenian Cultural Holiday on 8 February.

During the Tuesday afternoon session of the second day of the Global Forum on the Ethics of AI, and before the official evening closing, five panel discussions took place, addressing the many benefits of using inclusive and trustworthy AI, the pathways to it, and the possibilities of making AI a reality.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob called an informal meeting before the continuation of health pillar negotiations, inviting the representatives of major healthcare unions to discuss the situation and speed up negotiations.

Today, Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob met with President of Supreme Court of Slovenia, Dr Miodrag Đorđević.

Instead of artificial intelligence, we could use the term virtual intelligence, as powerful machines are still far from being intelligent, and instead of an ethics of artificial intelligence, we could talk about the ethics of those who use modern technologies, said Igor Papič, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, in his opening remarks on the second day of the Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.

"We are aware that AI can improve our lives, but it can also pose certain dangers," said dr. Emilija Stojmenova Duh, Minister for Digital Transformation, at a press conference in the middle of the first day of the Global Forum on the Ethics of AI.

The European Commission Representation in Slovenia and the Recovery and Resilience Office today hosted the annual event of the Recovery and Resilience Plan in Slovenia. At the conference entitled Double Transition for Sustainable Economic Growth, the participants discussed the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy in light of the green and digital transition.

At the informal meeting of ministers responsible for cohesion policy, held in Mons, Belgium, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development Dr Aleksander Jevšek pointed out that Slovenia is closing the 2014-2020 programming period as one of the most successful members in terms of EU Cohesion Policy funds absorption. The Minister also underlined that in the future, more support should be given to regions.

On the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, high-tech companies, centres of excellence and research institutes, the Slovenian Science Foundation, together with the Jožef Stefan Institute and the Embassy of India in Ljubljana, organised the first Slovenian-Indian Day of Science and Innovations at the Jožef Stefan Institute.

Please be informed that on 1 February 2024 the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia moved to Rruga ˝Skënderbej˝, number 21/1, Tirana.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Nationwide awareness-raising campaign on social inclusion of people with disabilities.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay.

In Rome, State Secretary Štucin met with Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Edmondo Cirielli to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations between Slovenia and Italy. He also participated in a meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans and presented a joint Slovenian-German initiative to improve the efficiency of decision-making in the enlargement process.

In Brussels, Minister Fajon took part in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers hosted by Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib under the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council. The meeting was chaired by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell and focused on the EU's relations with Africa and Türkiye, as well as on further assistance to Ukraine and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Ambassador Dr Andrej Benedejčič, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to NATO, took part in the visit of the North Atlantic Council to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1-2 February 2024. Led by Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, Allied Ambassadors and Invitee Sweden met with members of the Presidency, the Chairwoman and members of the Council of Ministers, the Foreign and Defence Ministers as well as members of the Collegium of House of Peoples and the House of Representatives of BiH. The programme included discussions with international community actors and civil society.

As part of the scheduled visits to regional chambers of commerce and industry, State Secretary Marko Štucin joined the plenary part of the visit of the economic diplomacy delegation of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to the Zasavje region. During the visit organised by the Zasavje Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he met with representatives of the region’s companies and the heads of the Zasavje Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum and the EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Brussels. In her remarks, she underlined Slovenia's commitment to strengthening EU cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, given their great economic and geostrategic importance.

On 2 January 2024, the flag of Slovenia was officially raised in front of the Security Council Chamber together with other four new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council (Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea and Sierra Leone). During the ceremony the Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar stated: "The work of Slovenia in the Council will be guided by the UN Charter, international law, and our foreign policy of peace. We pledge to act in good will and transparency. We trust in the multilateral system with the UN at its core as the only way to find solutions to the most serious crisis." Slovenia will base its activities on four thematic priorities: prevention of conflicts, protection of populations in armed conflicts, women, peace and security and climate, peace and security.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Non-formal education and training.

Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in the United States hosted a presentation and degustation of Slovenian wines on January 31st 2024. Representatives of Klet Krško and Ptujska klet were personally present at the event, organized by Marq Wine Group and was part of the Wines of Slovenia promotion tour in Chicago, Dallas, New York and Washington D.C..

On January 26, Ambassador Iztok Mirošič had the honor of presenting the Letter of Credence from Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar to the esteemed First Vice President Brunner in Costa Rica. Subsequently, Ambassador Mirošič participated in substantive discussions with President Chaves and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship, André Tinoco.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a special European Council meeting in Brussels. The EU leaders were unanimous in their position on the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021–2027, in particular as it relates to the envisaged financial support for Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib in Brussels to discuss the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the signing of the Ljubljana – The Hague Convention, feminist foreign policy, Slovenia's membership of the UN Security Council and other current European and foreign policy issues.

Slovenia celebrated the official launch of its Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) with an opening event in Postojna, attended by around 100 national and international representatives. The event presented the programme of the Slovenian Presidency and the main upcoming activities of EUSALP in 2024.

On Tuesday, February 6th, the Archive, the reading room will be closed due to a cultural event.

Today, the UN Security Council convened an open briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The meeting followed the 26 January order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case of South Africa against Israel, indicating provisional measures. Slovenia voiced its clear and strong support to the ICJ’s work and underlined that UNRWA is playing an indispensable role in the midst of the current crisis.

The Embassy of Slovenia in the Hague is looking for an experienced driver for a full time position of Embassy Driver/Caretaker.

Interested in joining our team? Apply by March 15.

A political agreement was reached between the EU Council and the European Parliament on Tuesday, 30 January 2024, regarding the European Commission's proposals for greater transparency in the labelling of the origin of honey blends.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for amendments to the Promotion of Digital Inclusion Act, which determine who is eligible to access computer equipment in more detail. It also approved the call for applications for enrolment in undergraduate and integrated master study programmes in the 2024/2025 academic year.

Slovenia's energy self-sufficiency and the long-term use of nuclear energy warrant the broadest possible national and political consensus.

During the consultations in Warsaw, State Secretary Marko Štucin met Polish Minister for the EU Adam Szłapka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andrzej Szejna, and Head of the International Policy Bureau in the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Poland Mieszko Pawlak. The talks focused on bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as current European and international issues.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with Wang Yong, the Vice-Chair of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

On the margins of the EU General Affairs Council, State Secretary Marko Štucin took part in the EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference, where participants took stock of the overall accession process and provided political steer for future work. The Conference is a recognition of the results achieved by Montenegro and an encouragement to continue reforms, with special focus on the rule of law.

At the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU set out the priorities for the Council's work in the first half of 2024, with a focus on the topics addressed by the General Affairs Council. The six-month period will be marked by the end of the mandates of the current European Commission and European Parliament, and by the European elections.

Prime Minister Robert Golob received today at Brdo pri Kranju representatives of organisations that provided relief to those affected by the floods in August last year.

On 27 January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, Slovenia remembers the Jewish, Roma and other victims of the Holocaust, including many from Slovenia.

Slovenia welcomes today's order delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case of South Africa against Israel, indicating provisional measures, including that Israel must take effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and prevent genocide in Gaza.

Ljubljana, 26 January 2024 – The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has issued 37 funding decisions marking the start of the implementation of community-led local development (CLLD) in the framework of 37 Local Action Groups (LAG). A total of 40.1 million euros in ERDF funding was approved for the implementation of CLLD.

Today, two days before World Holocaust Remembrance Day, the military facility Kadetnica in Maribor hosted the opening of a guest exhibition entitled A Tale of Two Transports, the Jews of Medjimurje and Prekmurje during the Holocaust, prepared by Boris Hajdinjak, Director of the Centre of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor.

At today's session, the Government adopted a decision on drafting a national spatial plan for reducing flood risks in the Lower Savinja Valley, with a view to comprehensively reducing flood risks in urban areas. It also approved the Agreement on the Amendments to the Strike Agreement with the Higher Education Trade Union.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Union for Home Affairs in Antwerp and Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday.

EU Med Ministers and State Secretaries met today in Brussels on the initiative of the Greek Minister of Agriculture. The group consists of Mediterranean countries that are EU member states: Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. Slovenia was represented by State Secretary Eva Knez.

The Government adopted the opinion on the draft recommendation to address the worrying situation in residential care homes and approved an amendment to the Act Regulating the Implementation of the Budgets of the Republic of Slovenia.

The Siol.net portal has published an article entitled "The forgotten lesson of 1991, when Slovenians drove out the occupier" in the Active Citizenship thematic section, which provides readers with in-depth information on specific topics. Within the article, Dr. Damir Črnčec, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, addresses questions regarding the current state of the Slovenian Armed Forces and their preparedness for a potential escalation of armed conflict in Europe.

The Ministry of Finance will issue bonds for citizens on 1 February with a maturity of three years, an issue volume of €250 million and an interest rate of 3.4 %.

For the first time since Slovenia became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the ministerial meeting of the UNSC in New York on the situation in the Middle East. In her address, she called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and in the region, outlining the reasons why it is so important.

The discussion at the first Agriculture and Fisheries Council under the Belgian Presidency has revolved around the future of agriculture in Europe and the international trade in agricultural products, and the establishment of an EU-wide forest monitoring framework.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, and the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, hosted their traditional New Year's reception for the Diplomatic Corps. On this occasion, he highlighted Slovenia's main domestic and foreign policy achievements over the past year.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, where the discussions were again devoted to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. During the debate on the Middle East, the EU foreign ministers were joined by several ministers from the region, with whom they agreed to step up their cooperation in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ambassador Dr Andrej Benedejčič, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to NATO, hosted a reception at NATO Headquarters for members of NATO Civil Society Advisory Panel for Women, Peace and Security, as well as Allies and partner countries.

In the first episode of the GOVSI podcast, host Boštjan Lajovic hosts Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and Marjan Šarc, Minister of Defence.

At today’s session, the Government appointed Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič the head of the umbrella negotiating group for negotiations and coordination with the representative trade unions of the public sector. It also appointed the heads and members of negotiating group for negotiations by individual wage tiers.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko and Minister of the Economy, Matjaž Han, met today with representatives of Delo, Dnevnik and Večer newspaper publishing houses. They continued the discussion on the situation of printed media in Slovenia.

Speaking to a wide range of interlocutors at the 54th World Economic Forum in Davos, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon stressed the urgency of an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the protection of civilians, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and an early agreement on a peace plan for a two-state solution, the recognition of the state of Palestine and the provision of security for Israel.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and line ministers today met with representatives of business organisations and associations. The need for a continuous dialogue was already agreed upon at the Economic Summit at the end of last year. This is the only way to draft solutions that would enable businesses to be competitive while preserving the current level of prosperity.

At today's meeting, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Robert Golob and the President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar exchanged views on current international and political developments.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the premiere of the play “The Miser” by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name Molière, at the Slovenian National Theatre Drama Ljubljana.

Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek attended a meeting of chairpersons and lead partners of Local Action Groups (LAGs), which took place in Gorica pri Slivnica. In his address, he expressed his satisfaction that all Slovenian municipalities are involved in Local Action Groups, a rare trend in Europe. The Minister also underlined that bottom-up mechanisms are the most effective approach to addressing people’s concrete problems and are gaining importance.

At the Government committees’ sessions, the Government adopted the opinion on the proposal for a review of the constitutionality and legality of the Decree on setting prices for certain petroleum products and a position on the proposed EU regulation on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans.

A trilateral meeting of the Ministers of the Interior of Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, Davor Bozinović, Matteo Piantedosi and Boštjan Poklukar, took place in Buzet, Croatia. The ministers discussed current developments on the Western Balkan migration route, the strengthening of cooperation with the Western Balkan region and the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations with Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Türkiye in Ankara. The officials welcomed the extensive political dialogue and exchanged views on current foreign policy issues.

During his visit to Podgorica, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Filip Ivanović, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević, and Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa. He held political consultations with Milisav Raspopović, State Secretary at the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first governmental podcast, entitled “GOVSI podcast”, is being prepared by the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia (UKOM). This is a (video) podcast of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia by means of which we will broaden the conventional methods of informing and communicating with the public and thereby enhance the transparency of the Government’s operations.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia has appointed Mateja Čalušić as the new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food on the proposal of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Robert Golob. Minister Čalušić has taken over from Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec who was temporarily put in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food on 13 October 2023.

On the basis of the Act on Aid to Ensure Enhanced Air Connectivity (hereinafter reffered as: the Act), a Public Tender for Enhanced Air Connectivity of Slovenia was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia and the Official Journal of the European Union on 12. 1. 2024. In accordance with the first paragraph of Article 10 of the Act, the tender documentation is publicly published, however, the English translation is merely an information aid for foreign air carriers when preparing applications for aid.

The application for aid and Annexes must be submitted in Slovene language. Submission deadline is 12. 2. 2024 at 23.59

Minister Tanja Fajon hosted Dr Constantinos Kombos, Foreign Minister of Cyprus, during his official visit to Slovenia. As like-minded, Mediterranean and economically comparable countries, Slovenia and Cyprus are natural allies and members of the Union for the Mediterranean and the MED-9, an informal group of nine Mediterranean countries. The two ministers addressed the settlement of the Cyprus issue and the current situation in the Middle East and Yemen.

On the margins of the NATO Ministerial Meeting in October 2022, the Republic of Slovenia, together with 14 other countries, signed a Letter of Intent to join the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), initiated by the Federal Republic of Germany and involving 19 European countries as of July 2023.

At today's session, the Government adopted the draft Act on the Implementation of the EU Regulation on a Single Market for Digital Services, and a Resolution on Slovenia's participation in the procedure for rendering an Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs proposed to the Government that Slovenia participate in the ICJ proceedings initiated by the UN General Assembly in 2022 concerning Israel's allegedly controversial activities in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the Government approved. Minister Fajon stressed that the alleged violations in question cover a broad spectrum and have been taking place in the region for decades, going beyond the recent conflict.

The Joint Committee Slovenia - Styria, which meets once a year in plenary session, held its sixth meeting in Celje. It was co-chaired by Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and Christopher Drexler, Governor of Styria. In a joint statement, the two sides welcomed the initiative of the Slovenian minority to establish a "House of Cooperation" in Graz.

At the Government committee meetings, the Government adopted, among other things, an opinion on the proposal to temporarily suspend the implementation of parts of the Act on status transformation of Vzajemna health insurance company d.v.z., gave its consent to the 2024–2025 Business Plan of ARAO – the Agency for Radioactive Waste Management, and adopted a number of responses to decisions of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia and its commissions.

On Monday, 8 January 2024, the Government appointed the Government negotiation team for the negotiation of the strike demands of the Union of Doctors and Dentists of Slovenia – Fides, and today invited it to start negotiations on a solution to the strike demands.

The European Commission has announced the New European Bauhaus Academy (NEBA), a pan-European consortium led by the University of Primorska and based at InnoRenew CoE, as the winner of the call for proposals for the establishment of a New European Bauhaus (NEB) Academy.

During her visit to Paris, Minister Tanja Fajon and Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries and concluded a new Strategic Partnership Action Plan. Minister Fajon stressed that Slovenia will strive to overcome differences in the UN Security Council and actively seek opportunities to promote its priorities.

We would like to inform that the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana on January 2024 will be moving to the new premises with mailing address Rruga ˝Skënderbej˝, nr. 21/1, Tirana

The Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, today attended the traditional award ceremony for the personality of the year campaign "SHE or HE 2023 – Act of the Year".

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the memorial service in Paris to mourn the death of former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors. The ceremony was also attended by the president of the first Slovenian Government, Lojze Peterle.

Prime Minister Golob met today with Beti Hohler, judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. They discussed the role of the International Criminal Court and the challenges it faces in its work.

On Wednesday, 3 January 2024, the Republic of Slovenia, rated A3 (stable) / AA- (stable) / A (stable), successfully accessed the international capital markets with a EUR 1.5bn long 10-year Reg S issuance due 10 March 2034. This transaction marks the first sovereign EUR-denominated transaction of 2024 benefitting from start of year investor liquidity.

The Republic of Slovenia - EUR 10-year mandate

On May 1, 2024, Slovenia will mark the 20th anniversary of its accession to the European Union, coinciding with the largest EU enlargement in history. In collaboration with institutions such as the National Assembly, the Office of the President of the Republic, and the representations of the European Commission and the European Parliament in Slovenia, the government has curated a comprehensive program of activities.

We begin our membership of the UN Security Council in a period full of complex challenges for the international community. This will make it all the more important that, as we have done in the past, we work for balanced international relations and for the protection of the most vulnerable.

On 1 January 2024, Slovenia becomes a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the second time in its history. Following its successful election by an overwhelming majority of 153 votes, and after three months as an observer, Slovenia will participate in decisions to maintain international peace and security during the 2024–2025 term. It will act in an inclusive and responsible manner, committed to the principles of the UN Charter, international law and human rights.

Message from Prime Minister Robert Golob for the New Year.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana will be closed on Monday 1 January and Tuesday 2 January (New Year).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food has issued an open call to citizens, legal persons or other organisations for the identification of candidates for the 2024 Golden Bee Award. The call is open till 15th March 2024 and applications from Slovenia and abroad are expected. The subject of the call are projects or achievements in promotion of bees and other pollinators in the past seven years (i.e. in the period 2016–2023).

Slovenia has received EUR 536 million in response to its second request for the payment of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Reducing flood risk in the Vipava River basin – stage one.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the operation Strengthening cooperation between the employment offices, the social work centres and other stakeholders in the integration in the labour market of the long-term unemployed.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed on 25 December 2023, Christmas Day, as well as on 26 December 2023, Slovenia's Independence and Unity Day.

Christmas and New Year greetings from Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs:

The most magical time of the year is before us. A time spent in anticipation of Christmas and the beginning of the following year. A time that we would look forward to as children and still do today, as adults.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Robert Golob, delivered a solemn address at the ceremony on the occasion of Independence and Unity Day.

"I am pleased that today we signed a contract with the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), which will provide sufficient resources for the provision of this public service in 2024," said Petra Bezjak Cirman, Director of the Government Communication Office, at the signing ceremony.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed on 25 December on Christmas and on 26 December on the Day of Independence and Unity of Slovenia.