News

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.

Prime Minister Janez Janša wrote on the social network Twitter today: "We have successfully avoided #coronavirus for two years. Yesterday, both boys tested positive with the self-test; my test result was negative. Today, unfortunately, I tested positive too. With all the classic symptoms. For now, they are mild. Let’s hope it stays that way."

Announcement of the Republic of Slovenia Cash Tender Offer on EUR and USD denominated Notes

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.

Dear citizens of Slovenia, fellow Slovenian women and men,
Dear fellow Slovenians abroad, dear friends

Board of Directors of the Prešeren Fund annually announces recipients of the highest state awards for artistic achievements on December 3, on this Joyous Day, when several cultural institutions throughout Slovenia open their doors to celebrate the birthday of France Prešeren. The awards ceremony is then held on February 7, on the eve of Prešeren Day, a Slovenian cultural and national holiday, when we mark the anniversary of the death of the Slovenian poet.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife Urška Bačovnik Janša attended the Prešeren Prize and Prešeren Fund Prize ceremony and the celebration marking Slovenian Cultural Day.

Prime Minister Janez Janša took questions from his followers on Instagram who wanted to know, among other things, what his favourite sport is, which film he likes most and how he deals with the daily attacks from the media. He also received many words of praise, appreciation and encouragement.

The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry of the Italian Republic, Stefano Patuanelli, paid a visit to Slovenia at the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart, Jože Podgoršek. The two ministers discussed topics of mutual interest. After the meeting, they attended the unveiling ceremony of a monument commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Zvonimir Simčič, the father of Rebula wine and for many years the director-general of the Goriška Brda Cooperative Wine Cellar. The honorary speaker at the event was the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the deputy head of the Communicable Disease Centre at the National Institute of Public Health, Nuška Čakš Jager, who presented the current situation on COVID-19 cases in the world, Europe and Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Energy-saving renovation of the Residential Care Home of dr. France Bergelj Jesenice. The project will receive Cohesion Fund support.

Prime Minister Janez Janša talked to journalist Andrea Romoli on the television channel Rai 2 about the current situation in Ukraine, the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, and the state of relations between Italy and Slovenia.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with a member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Art, Dr Igor Emri. The meeting is a follow-up to the debate held on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s recent visit to the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, who is on an official visit to Slovenia.

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.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the two-day informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers in Lille, France. The key topics of the meeting were the reform of Schengen and progress in shaping a common EU migration policy.

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.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the leadership of the Association of Societies of Blind and Partially Sighted People of Slovenia. The meeting focused on the activities of the Association and the current challenges faced by the blind and partially sighted in Slovenia.

Prime Minister Janez Janša visited the Bank of Slovenia today. The visit was part of the celebration of 30th anniversary of the Bank of Slovenia, and the Prime Minister received a gold medal issued on the occasion. The Bank of Slovenia was established on 25 June 1991 with the adoption of the Bank of Slovenia Act. Its first task was to establish an independent currency – the tolar.

At the 29th regular session of the National Assembly today, Prime Minister Janez Janša answered parliamentary questions put to him by Branko Simonovič (Desus) on the adoption of implementing regulations based on the Long-Term Care Act, Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti (SNS) on the current situation in the Republic of Slovenia, Janja Sluga (non-affiliated deputies) on the amendment to the Communicable Diseases Act, and Mojca Žnidarič (Konkretno) on Slovenia’s international rankings.

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.

The reading room and information room will be closed on February 7th, 2022.

The Republic of Slovenia issued an open call for the 2022 Golden Bee Award. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia has issued an open call to citizens, legal entities or other organisations for candidates for the 2022 Golden Bee Award, which is awarded by the Golden Bee Award Committee

The Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, the Director of the Postojna Primary Health Care Centre, Irena Vatovec, and paediatrician Denis Baš attended a press conference on COVID–19 updates.

At today's press conference after the Government session, Prime Minister Janez Janša and Deputy Prime Ministers Zdravko Počivalšek and Matej Tonin discussed the adopted emergency measures to aid the citizens and the economy in light of high energy prices.

Published below is an interview with Prime Minister Janez Janša for the magazine Grosupeljski Odmevi. The interview was conducted by the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Brane Petrovič.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the call for proposals E-care at home, which will be launched by the Ministry of Health. The funding for the call comes from the European Social Fund under the React-EU initiative.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the COVID-19 hospital bed coordinator at the Ministry of Health, Dr Robert Carotta, Head of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Fever Conditions, Dr Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, Medical Director of the Murska Sobota General Hospital, Dr Manuela Kuhar Makoter, and Director of the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Tjaša Žohar Čretnik.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the leadership of the Heraldica Slovenica association. The meeting with the Prime Minister was attended by Aleksander Hribovšek, the president of the association, and Anže Hobič, a member of the association's executive board. They discussed the association's work, the role it has in Slovenian society and the proposal for the national symbols act that was drafted by the association to regulate this field in a more systematic and transparent manner.

On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a memorial wreath was laid on behalf of Prime Minister Janez Janša at the Jewish cemetery in Ljubljana, which is located at the Ljubljana Žale Cemetery. The wreath-laying ceremony took place in the presence of the Guard of Honour of the Slovenian Armed Forces.

Today, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia visited the Posavje region, which consists of the municipalities of Bistrica ob Sotli, Brežice, Kostanjevica na Krki, Krško, Radeče and Sevnica.

Today, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia paid a working visit to the Posavska region, which consists of the municipalities of Bistrica ob Sotli, Brežice, Kostanjevica na Krki, Krško, Radeče and Sevnica. At the end of the visit, members of the Government attended a public forum and answered questions from mayors, businesspeople and other actors of development in the region.

As part of the government visit to the Posavje region, Prime Minister Janez Janša in a statement to the media, following a consultation and a meeting at the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Maribor, stressed that Posavje is a region of many distinguishing characteristics, which has managed to catch up with the Slovenian average in terms of development.

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.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs attended an online business breakfast where the participants discussed grants for businesses in 2022.

Prime Minister Janša today hosted the traditional New Year's reception for diplomatic corps at Brdo pri Kranju together with the President of the Republic, Borut Pahor. Prime Minister Janša also delivered an address for the diplomats that attended the reception. The diplomatic corps at the reception were also addressed by the President of the Republic, Borut Pahor, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Archbishop Msgr Jean-Marie Speich.

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.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the deputy head of the Communicable Disease Centre at the National Institute of Public Health, Nuška Čakš Jager, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Franc Vindišar.

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”.

Mateja Logar, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, and Janez Tomažič from the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana took part in a press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended a two-day conference on border management in Vilnius. Participants addressed the issue of the instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes and discussed common measures to strengthen surveillance at the EU's external borders in the face of increased migration flows. On the margins of the event organised by the Interior Ministers of Austria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland, the participants visited a border surveillance centre and were updated on the situation at the external border.

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.

As part of the Slovenian delegation visiting the Expo 2020 in Dubai, State Secretary Anton Harej attended the presentation of the Slovenian wood industry.

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.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the representatives of automotive companies united in the GREMO consortium.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy (GODC) and the company ZaVIta held an audio-video conference with those giving opinions regarding the strategic environmental impact assessment (SEIA) in drafting the national European Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 Programme.

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.

The press conference on the current COVID 19 situation was attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Health Franc Vindišar and the Director of the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Tjaša Žohar Čretnik.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with Bogdan Gabrovec, President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia. At the meeting, the two interlocutors reviewed the state of play in the field of systemic state support to Slovenian sports.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the management representatives of the Firefighting Association of Slovenia. The Firefighting Association of Slovenia was entrusted by the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF) with the implementation of the Firefighting Olympics (International Fire Brigade Competitions), which will take place in Celje this year.

Minister Jože Podgoršek attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels. It was the first Council meeting under the French Presidency. The meeting focused on the presentation of the French Presidency's programme in agriculture, food safety, fisheries and forestry, the presentation of the Commission's Communication on sustainable carbon cycles, the situation on agricultural markets and trade-related issues.

Prime Minister Janez Janša had an interview for the Indian national television Doordarshan.

Prime Minister Janez Janša has given an interview for the India's newspaper The Economic Times. In the interview, conducted by journalist Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, topics such as cooperation between Slovenia - India and bilateral relations were discussed.

The Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša was tonight's guest in the Odmevi TV programme broadcast on TV Slovenija 1, where he talked about various current topics, including the coalition meeting held at Brdo pri Kranju today.

A meeting of coalition deputies and certain ministers was held today in Brdo pri Kranju. The meeting was also attended by the President of the Slovenian National Party, Zmago Jelinčič, and deputy of the Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia, Robert Polnar.

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.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended the 6th regular session of the Commission of Inquiry to determine the potential political responsibility of holders of public office for financially inappropriate measures and the allegedly unjustified restriction of rights in the implementation of measures related to the COVID-19 epidemic.

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.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs today met with the representatives of Slovenian Business Club (SBC) to discuss EU funding opportunities, especially the calls targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The media have reported that President of the European Parliament David Sassoli died last night in a hospital in Aviano at the age of 65.

On Tuesday, 11 January 2022, the European Commission published draft guidelines and regulations to govern state aid in agriculture, forestry and fisheries for 2023–2027. It also invited all interested parties to submit to it, as part of a public consultation, their comments on these proposals by 13 March 2022.

At the press conference on COVID-19, the Slovenian Minister of Health Janez Poklukar and scholar Professor Dr Franc Strle presented the latest findings regarding the spread of the new Omicron variant and the field activities in terms of vaccination.

At an online press conference, the Slovenian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Jože Podgoršek, presented the main activities in agriculture, forestry and fisheries during Slovenia's EU Council Presidency. As the key achievements he highlighted the adoption of legislative acts of the common agricultural policy, the adoption of the Council conclusions on the new forest strategy and negotiations on fishing quotas for the year 2022.

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.

Today's press conference following the working consultation on the situation and measures to contain the COVID 19 epidemic and preserve the country's economic potential was attended by the Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek and Minister of Health Janez Poklukar..

At the invitation of the President of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) and Academy Member, Peter Štih, Prime Minister Janez Janša visited the institution and met with its leadership.

The Strategy for the digital transformation of the economy, which has been adopted today, is part of the reform measures under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, under the digital transformation of enterprises component. The strategy is also an important milestone for achieving the objectives set out in the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The Republic of Slovenia, rated A3 (Stable – Moody’s) / AA- (Stable – S&P) / A (Stable – Fitch), successfully issued today a new EUR1.25bn 4-year Slovenian Government bond due 13th February 2026 and EUR500mn 40-year Slovenian Government bond due 13th February 2062. The transaction marks Slovenia’s first benchmark transaction in 2022.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, and by the Head of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology and the Head of the Laboratory for the Diagnosis of Viral Infections, Professor Dr Miroslav Petrovec.

The Republic of Slovenia, rated A3 / AA- / A (all stable), has mandated Barclays, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE and J.P. Morgan to lead manage a EUR dual-tranche transaction consisting of a new 4-year benchmark due 2026 and 40-year benchmark due 2062. The transaction will be Regulation S in dematerialized registered form. The deal is expected to be launched in the near future, subject to market conditions.

The working group of State Secretaries discussed and approved draft document of the renewed and renamed Smart Specialisation Strategy (S5) on 23 December 2021.

Below is the address of Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša at the end of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.

The Government has declared 2022 the year of the architect Jože Plečnik and the composer Giuseppe Tartini.

Below is the New Year message by Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša to his fellow citizens.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife, Urška Bačovnik Janša, appeared as guests on the Jutro programme on Planet TV. They talked about their memories of childhood and student life, about the beginnings of their love, and also about a lost engagement ring and their wedding.

Prime Minister Janez Janša was a guest on the programme A Talk with the Prime Minister, broadcast on TV Slovenija 1. The interview was conducted by Jože Možina. Below is a transcript of the entire talk, which focused mainly on the coronavirus epidemic, economic indicators, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the internal political dynamics.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding under the European Regional Development Fund for the project Designing project documents for the connecting road of the Third Development Axis – Ravne Eastern Bypass. This is another in a series of investments, supported by EU funding, that aims to connect Slovenia.

Today, the Prime Minister Janez Janša met with the Rector of the University of Ljubljana, Professor Dr Gregor Majdič, and the President of the Governing Board of the University of Ljubljana, Professor Dr Emil Erjavec.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a special ceremony at which the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor awarded state decorations to Cardinal Franc Rode, Bishop Geza Filo and Mufti Nedžad Grabus.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals for investment in quality and sustainable transformation of Slovenian tourism sector to strengthen its resilience. The call will be published and managed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and supported by the European Regional Development Fund under the React-EU initiative.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project COVID-19 – Arrangement of the building of the Institute of Occupational Safety of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana. The project, implemented by the Ministry of Health, will result in adequate equipment of the existing building of the former Institute of Occupational Safety of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana and will receive European Regional Development Fund support under the React-EU instrument.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the commemorative session of the National Assembly and the main state ceremony marking Independence and Unity Day, which is celebrated on 26 December. He attended the main state ceremony at Cankarjev Dom as the keynote speaker, together with his wife Urška Bačovnik Janša.
Below is a transcript of the address delivered by Prime Minister Janez Janša at the main state ceremony marking Independence and Unity Day. Check against delivery.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša hosted a reception for relatives of the members of the Slovenian Territorial Defence, of the Ministry of the Interior and of civilian war victims killed or injured in the Slovenian War of Slovenia. The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by his wife Urška Bačovnik Janša, delivered a speech. The reception was also attended by the Slovenian President, Borut Pahor.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment in the Drava River basin – Municipality Hoče-Slivnica. The project will receive Cohesion Fund support and will result in established wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in the area of Radizela and Spodnje Hoče.

The Archives of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed from December 27th to December 31st, 2021.

The Council has approved an agreement between the EU and the UK on fishing opportunities for 2022, paving the way for EU fishermen and women to exercise their fishing rights in the Atlantic and the North Sea. The decision determines fishing rights for around 100 shared fish stocks in EU and UK waters, including the total allowable catch (TAC) limit for each species.

On 23 December, which marks Constitution Day, the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet will perform a holiday classic, the ballet The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol by choreographer Youri Vámos with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The honorary patron of the performance, dedicated to the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, is the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša.

The last meeting of the EU Military Committee (EUMC) in 2021 marked the end of the Presidency of the EU Military Council. On this occasion, Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Major General Robert Glavaš, addressed the EUMC in a video message.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended the ceremony at the Club 90 to mark the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence, where he delivered a speech. Before the ceremony, a moment of silence was observed for deceased deputies.

Patricija Furlan Fon, Chief Inspector of the Infrastructure Inspectorate (IRSI), and Tomaž Pečjak, Senior Police Advisor of the General Police Administration, took part in a press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

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.