News

Foreign Minister Anže Logar today attended the opening of the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly and the reception for the Slovenian community in New York. He also held a series of bilateral meetings.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first regular session of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (GAC) as chair.

The State Secretary attended the annual Business and Construction Industry Trends Conference. This year's edition of the event revolved around the issue of ‘’Ways to make best use of the rising investment for sustainable growth’’. At the panel ‘’Investments in green and sustainable building – European Commission guidelines and good practices’’, the State Secretary talked about the investment areas under the Cohesion Policy and Recovery and Resilience Facility.

On the margins of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 20 September 2021, Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers. He also held a series of bilateral meetings.

At today’s 25th session of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister Janez Janša answered parliamentary questions raised by Robert Pavšič (LMŠ), Marko Koprivc (SD), Luka Mesec (The Left) and Jožef Horvat (NSi). He explained to deputies the circumstances of his contacts with lobbyists and suppliers of medical equipment, and also answered questions about the consequences of bank rehabilitation and the lack of public rental housing.

State Secretary Kirbiš Rojs took part in the roundtable on European Union in the 21st century which was held in the scope of the Autumn School at the European Faculty of Law of New University. She underlined the importance of EU funds for the achievement of strategic objectives of the European Union.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan was invited to speak at the regular ministerial meeting on the Responsibility to Protect principle (R2P) that was held in virtual form on the margins of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Janez Cigler Kralj, and the Commander of the Civil Protection Service of the Notranjska Region, Sandi Curk.

As part of Slovenia's Presidency of the Council of the EU, a meeting of senior EU-US officials from the field of justice and home affairs took place today in Ljubljana. The meeting was chaired by Jože Senica, Assistant Director General of the Police and Chair of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation in the Field of Internal Security (COSI), and Dr Katja Rejec Longar, Director of the Office for International Cooperation and International Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice and Chair of the Coordinating Committee in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (CATS), representing the field of justice. The meeting served as a preparation for the ministerial meeting to be held later during the Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.

An exhibition on Slovenian author Vladimir Bartol and his novel Alamut was held at the Slovenian Embassy in Tehran; the original manuscript and opera were also presented. On this occasion, the embassy also officially opened a library for Alamut in Slovene and translations to 17 languages (French, Spanish, Croatian, Arabic, Korean, Portuguese, Turkish, Finnish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Slovak, German, Czech, Hungarian, English, Italian and Farsi).

For the tenth year in a row, events are held under the auspices of the European Commission across Europe to mark the European Cooperation Day. The events aim to highlight the achievements and benefits of cross-border cooperation between EU regions and member states. On Saturday, visitors at the ‘’Picnic of Projects’’ event had the opportunity to see first-hand the results of five cross-border projects that were implemented under the Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary 2014-2020.

Director-General for EU Affairs Barbara Sušnik engaged in consultations with Director-General for European Affairs Rui Vinhas at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon. The consultations were held in the context of excellent cooperation in the Trio Presidency of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, with a special focus on reviewing bilateral relations and exchanging views on the current European and international issues.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the 8th MED7 Summit of the Mediterranean States in Athens, into which the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia were admitted.

A webinar on negotiating techniques and women’s empowerment for representatives of Venezuelan democratic forces, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held between 14 and 17 September 2021 by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). The seminar participants were first addressed by Bogdan Batič, Deputy-Director for Common Foreign and Security Policy.

On Wednesday, 15 September 2021, over fifty senior representatives of EU ministries of defence, general staffs and education institutions attended the high-level Sectoral Qualification Framework for Military Officer Profession (SQF-MILOF). The conference was conducted as a hybrid event at the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU following the covid-19-related protocol. Some participants attended the conference vie teleconferencing.

Under the financing agreement for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Slovenia has today received an advance payment of 13% of the grants allocated under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, amounting to €231 million. The first funding under the RRP will be provided for the areas of sustainable mobility, digital transformation and healthcare.

The press conference on COVID 19 updates was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, the Minister of Public Administration, Boštjan Koritnik, and the Director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Milan Krek.

Minister of the Interior and President of the Home Affairs Council, Aleš Hojs, delivered a welcome address and opened a two-day meeting of the Management Board of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in Portorož, which Slovenia is hosting as part of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the European Parliament Plenary Session from 13 to 16 September 2021 as the high representative of the Council of the EU in relations with the Parliament during the Slovenian Presidency. On behalf of the Council of the European Union, he assured commitment to protecting European democracies, respecting the rule of law in the EU, and making progress in the legislative process for the Fit for 55 package.

Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Egmont Institute organized an expert seminar entitled "A Strategic Compass for Military Interventions" in Brussels as part of the Strategic Compass drafting process, which is intensively taking place during the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The opening speech was delivered by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Uroš Lampret.

An informal meeting of EU hunting directors-general took place in Postojna on 14 and 15 September. Director-General of the Forestry and Hunting Directorate Robert Režonja attended the meeting on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, while the European Commission was represented by Žilvinas Ilevičius from the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety. State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Anton Harej attended the opening of the meeting.

Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač gave opening remarks at the 9th Conference on the Evaluation of EU Cohesion Policy which was organised in Porto, Portugal. Minister Černač joined the conference via an online platform at the invitation of the European Commission in his capacity as current chair of the council consisting of EU ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy.

As part of the European Cooperation Day, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy presented the impacts of projects implemented in the framework of the Interreg Slovenia-Croatia Cooperation Programme 2014-2020.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Anže Logar met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić in Strasbourg. He presented priorities of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU – topics that are also at the heart of Council of Europe's activities. During the meeting, they discussed accession of EU to the European Convention of Human Rights that was envisaged in the Lisbon treaty. They also reviewed other current political and strategic directions of the Council of Europe, the oldest pan-European international organization especially in the light of Covid-19. At the same time, the meeting was excellent opportunity to assess cooperation between Council of Europe and Slovenia.

Accompanied by a delegation, Ambassador Jožef Drofenik, Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the authorised representative of the Republic of Slovenia for succession issues, attended the 20th meeting of the Joint Committee for the Distribution of Diplomatic and Consular Properties of the Former SFRY, in compliance with Annex B to the Agreement on Succession Issues, convened in Sarajevo on 13 and 14 September. At the meeting, the immovable property of the former SFRY in Rome was allocated to Slovenia.

At a press conference following a joint meeting of the governments of Slovenia and Hungary and the signing of intergovernmental agreements, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Počivalšek, and the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjárto, presented specific cooperation projects and the positions of Slovenia and Hungary.

Prime Minister Janša and his ministerial delegation met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ministerial team in Celje today.

Before the joint meeting of the Governments of the Republic of Slovenia and Hungary, the Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended a ceremony marking the opening of the 53rd International Trade Fair in Celje and addressed the participants.

Yesterday, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia visited the Savinjska region to learn about the projects and challenges of the region, and to discuss challenges and opportunities with the main actors of development in the region.

At today’s session in Abuja, Nigeria, the International Co-ordinating Council of the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (UNESCO MAB-ICC) designated the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TBR MDD) as the world’s first 5-country biosphere reserve. Stretching across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, the reserve covers a total area of 930,000 hectares extending along 700km of the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers, which makes it the largest riverine biosphere reserve in Europe.

An informal meeting of directors-general and attachés for fisheries of EU member states was held yesterday in Portorož. Director-General of the Food and Fisheries Directorate Ana Le Marechal Kolar attended the meeting on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Director-General of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Charlina Vitcheva participated in the informal meeting on behalf of the European Commission.

Published below is the address of Prime Minister Janša to mark the occasion of the Day of Restoration of the Primorska Region to the Motherland, celebrated today.

As part of the Government visit to the Savinjska region, Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač visited the municipalities Podčetrtek, Nazarje and Žalec. State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs also attended the visit to the Savinjska region and visited the municipalities Rogaška Slatina and Zreče.

The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič, was part of the Government delegation that visited the Savinjska region today.

Under the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Ministry of Public Administration and the European Commission are organising a high-level conference on artificial intelligence as a hybrid event on 14 and 15 September 2021 at Brdo pri Kranju. Via an online platform, all interested stakeholders worldwide striving to better understand how to live with AI and how to manage it in the future can participate in the conference.

Today, the Republic of Slovenia received notification that the European Commission has signed a financing agreement for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The signing of the agreement is the basis for the beginning of the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which was prepared and adopted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and endorsed by the European Commission. We can therefore expect the first funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility by the end of the month.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan represented Foreign Minister Anže Logar on the Government's visit to the Savinja Region. He visited the Development Agency of the Savinja Region, Grand Hotel Sava Rogaška as well as the companies Roboteh, Pišek & HSF Logistics, and Nivo Eko, noting that the companies in the region have great potential for development.

A Slovenian Government delegation today visited the Savinjska region. In terms of area, the Savinjska statistical region is the fourth largest in Slovenia, and the third largest in terms of population. It comprises 31 municipalities.

On September 14, 2021, Virtual Archival Reading Room entered production environment and is now available to anyone who wishes to gain access to archival records.

Members of the Government first met for a working consultation in Podčetrtek, followed by separate programmes for the Prime Minister and ministers. During the visit, the Prime Minister and ministers met representatives of businesses, institutions, municipalities and other stakeholders in the region, which was followed by a public debate.

The Prime Minister, Janez Janša, today visited VIAL Automation d.o.o., as part of a tour of the Savinjska region. He met with the management of the company and was shown its production line.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Ambassador Badr Abdel Atty, Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt.

Between July and mid-September 2021 alone, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy approved EU funding for the development of nearly 230 kilometers of new cycling connections across the country. The new cycling infrastructure will promote sustainable mobility and allow cyclists to enjoy in safe and comfortable rides to and between local and regional centers.

The COVID-19 update press conference was today attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Franc Vindišar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Simon Zajc, and Maja Bratuša, who opened the press conference by presenting the latest epidemiological data.

Today, State Secretary Peter Geršak attended the International Investor's Conference in Bled, organised by the PanSlovenian Shareholder's Association in cooperation with Better Finance. The State Secretary gave an opening address, and then took part in a round table discussion entitled Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity in Business.

In a video address, Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed participants at the 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, taking place virtually from 13 to 15 September , as one of the keynote speakers. The main topic of the session, which will be attended by the representatives of the 53 member states of WHO's European region, is tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and setting the course for further action.

For the tenth time in a row, European Cooperation Day events are taking place across Europe under the auspices of the European Commission. On Friday, 10 September 2021, we presented the achievements and the significance of cross-border cooperation projects in the border area of Gorenjska by hiking to Zelenica.

"Culture and cultural heritage should become the humanist agenda of Europe united by European values," was the main message of the two-day international conference entitled The Right to Heritage as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development, which concluded on 12 September 2021.

On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that hit the United States of America, Minister Anže Logar and Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy Susan Falatko honoured the memory of nearly 3,000 innocent victims who lost their lives in a series of criminal acts orchestrated by Al-Qaeda extremists in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič attended the extraordinary meeting of EU directors-general for humanitarian aid on the situation in Afghanistan in preparation for the high-level ministerial meeting to be held in Geneva on 13 September 2021.

Ambassador Lea Stančič, met with the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu, and with the Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița on 8 September 2021.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs met today with the representatives of the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia. They discussed the implementation of municipal and regional projects in the framework of the Agreements on the Development of Regions, and the allocation of the 2014-2020 EU funding for the already-approved projects. The mayors hope that the mechanism would also be designed for the financial perspective 2021-2027. They also exchanged views regarding the ITI mechanism (Integrated Territorial Investments) and the CLLD mechanism (Community-led Local Development) as well as the future of European Cohesion Policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar hosted the Gold Ribbon Slovenia team, a group of children and adolescents who have survived cancer or are still battling it, raising awareness about the disease and offering support to their peers. The group’s representatives handed gold ribbons to the Minister as a symbol of childhood cancer awareness. “I will convey your message to the European house of democracy in Strasbourg next week,” said Minister Logar.

We wish to inform our visitors that following the provisions of the Decree on the Method of Meeting the Condition of Recovery, Vaccination and Testing to Cure the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus, only those who submit proof of meeting Recovered – Vaccinated – Tested (RVT) rule will be allowed entry to the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia.

The RVT rule is not mandatory for persons under the age of 12.

On 8 September 2021, Slovenia, the country holding the EU Council Presidency, organised a virtual event “Publication of the Fourth Report on the EU Guidelines on Promoting Compliance with IHL” in tandem with Portugal. The Report was presented in public for the first time, as recommended by the EU Political and Security Committee, with a view to raising awareness of a number of IHL activities undertaken by the EU and its member states.

The Prime Minister, Janez Janša, attended the 30th Economic Forum in Poland, entitled 'Europe in Search of Leadership'. The Economic Forum in Karpacz is the largest conference in Central and Eastern Europe. The Forum, which is traditionally held in Poland in early September, annually attracts more than 4000 guests (political, economic and social leaders) from over 60 countries in Europe, Asia and America. The purpose of the Forum is to create a favourable environment for the development of political and economic cooperation between EU Member States and their neighbours.

At tonight's closing ceremony of the 30th Economic Forum in Poland, Prime Minister Janez Janša received the Man of the Year 2020 of Central and Eastern Europe award.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan today contributed a video address to a high-level event organised by the United Nations entitled: Anticipatory Action: A Commitment to Act Ahead of Crises.

The renowned mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink and bass baritone Marcos Fink enchanted the audience in yesterday's Songs without Borders concert at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. They paid homage to the outstanding achievements of European, including Slovenian, and Argentine musical and poetic creativity.

An informal meeting of EU Forest Directors-General was held yesterday and today. State Secretary Aleš Irgolič attended the plenary session, which took place yesterday in Maribor. Pierre Bascou, Director at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Humberto Delgado-Rosa, Director at the Directorate-General for Environment, attended the session as representatives of the European Commission. Today, foreign delegations went on a field trip to Radlje pri Dravi and its surrounding area.

On the 8th September 2021, the Republic of Slovenia, rated A3 (stable)/A (stable)/AA- (stable) reopened its 10-year Benchmark (SLOREP 12 February 2031) by €250mn to bring the new outstanding issue to €2bn size.

As part of the government visit to the region, Minister for Development and European Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač today met with mayor of Brda Franc Muženič and mayor of Vipava Goran Kodelja to discuss the progress and benefits of local and regional projects supported by the EU in the current programming period and the projects coming down the line in the next period. State Secretary Kirbiš Rojs also took part in the government visit to the region to meet with the officials from the municipalities Idrija and Tolmin.

As part of the Government visit to the Goriška region, Prime Minister Janez Janša today visited Hidria and attended an event marking the 50th anniversary of the company. Together with dr. Iztok Seljak, the Executive Director of Hidria, he laid the foundation stone for a new high-tech centre for the development and manufacture of key components for electric motors for electric and hybrid vehicles of the future. The centre is expected to be up and running in mid-2023.

A Slovenian Government delegation visited the Goriška region today. The Goriška region is located in west Slovenia, along the Italian border. The Julian Alps, the Soča River and the fertile Vipava Valley are the most distinctive natural geographical features of the region. Since 1995, 13 municipalities have been established in the Goriška region, of which four have fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. In terms of area, the Goriška statistical region is the third largest in Slovenia, and in terms of population it is the sixth largest. The municipality with the largest population is Nova Gorica (31,845), followed by Ajdovščina (19,704) and Idrija (11,735). The smallest municipality is Bovec (3,245).

The Republic of Slovenia announces the cash tender results of the Euro denominated notes of the tender that expired on 7 September 2021. March 2022 Notes and March 2023 Notes were accepted in the amount of EUR 11,257,000 and EUR 86,848,000, respectively.

The Republic of Slovenia, rated A3 (stable) / AA-(stable) / A (stable), has mandated Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and J. P. Morgan to lead manage a reopening of the 10-year SLOREP benchmark due in February 2031 in line with Regulation S transactions in dematerialized registered form. The deal is expected to be launched today.

EU agriculture ministers discussed the role of rural areas in society and rural challenges. They characterised rural areas as spaces where different activities coexist and complement one another. They advocated a new definition of the role of rural areas, which have to be supported in all their diversity.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs has attended a high-level videoconference meeting on countering illicit firearms trafficking in South East (SE) Europe on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which focused on closer regional cooperation in prevention of illicit firearms trafficking.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held a videoconference with Cabo Verdean Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Miryan Djamila Sena Vieira and Portuguese Secretary of State Francisco André. As to the COVID-19 pandemic, the officials devoted great attention to the efforts for fair distribution of vaccines and Slovenia’s recent donation of 150,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Cabo Verde.

On 8 September 2021 at 20:00, a gala concert entitled Songs without Borders will be held in Brussels, where the internationally renowned opera singers Bernarda Fink (mezzo-soprano) and Marcos Fink (bass baritone) will perform a repertoire of solo cantatas by European, including Slovenian, and Argentine composers.

As part of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Government Information Security Office, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised a cybersecurity conference in Bled on 3 September 2021, which was held in a hybrid form.

The Prime Minister, Janez Janša, met with the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell at a working dinner.

The Prime Minister, Janez Janša, was the keynote speaker at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the logistical action to seize the military storage facility in Podstrmec pri Borovnici. Guests were also addressed by the president of the MORiS Kočevska Reka association, Tone Krkovič. The action in Podstrmec pri Borovnici was the logistical action of the century, in which 23 members of the reconnaissance squad of the MORiS Brigade, took place on 28 June 1991, the second day of the armed conflicts in the war for Slovenia. The squad seized the Yugoslav People's Army storage facility in Podstrmec pri Borovnici with no casualties on the Slovenian side.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan received Alexandre Adam, Europe Adviser at the Private Office of the President of the French Republic, today. Their discussion focused on the continuation of enhanced strategic cooperation between Slovenia and France in the context of their successive presidencies of the Council of the EU.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič took part in an extraordinary meeting of EU Directors-General for development cooperation on the situation in Afghanistan.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan met with Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, on the margins of the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich). In the context of current developments, State Secretary Dr Raščan and European Commissioner Urpilainen focused on the situation in Afghanistan, the development aspects of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the equitable distribution of vaccines.

Director-General for EU Affairs Barbara Sušnik hosted a videoconference meeting of the Trio Presidency of Slovenia, Germany and Portugal on 3 September 2021, which reviewed the achievements of the Slovenian Presidency and outlined the plans for the Council’s dossier management until the end of the year.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan, along with Deputy Director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Nitin Natarajan, took part in the final part of the Cybersecurity Conference held from 2 to 3 September 2021 in Bled.

EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs are gathered at an informal meeting at Brdu pri Kranju (Gymnich). The two-day event hosted by Slovenian Foreign Ministers Dr Anže Logar and chaired by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell provided a platform for an open debate on the Union’s future efforts in Afghanistan and the EU-China relationship.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan and Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Teimuraz Janjalia held bilateral political consultations in Ljubljana. They agreed that the bilateral cooperation is characterised by positive dynamics, with many opportunities for further enhancement, especially in tourism. They exchanged views on current foreign policy and security regional issues and discussed Georgia’s cooperation with the EU and NATO.

State Secretary dr. Stanislav Raščan had a courtesy call with General Claudio Graziano, Chairman of the Military Committee of the European Union (EUMC).

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on a working visit.

This was the main topic discussed by the participants at the Cybersecurity Conference today in Bled, which was organised by the Government Information Security Office in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration as part of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Minister of Public Administration Boštjan Koritnik and Acting Director of the Government Information Security Office Uroš Svete opened the conference by addressing the participants.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar participated in three panels at the Bled Strategic Forum today. The first panel focused on the possibilities of enhanced cooperation in the North Adriatic and the second discussed the geostrategic role of the Mediterranean, while the third emphasised the possibilities of cooperation between the European Union and India in the Indo-Pacific region.

Minister Anže Logar today hosted Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India. This is the first visit to Slovenia at the level of foreign ministers in 30 years. The Indian Minister is also a guest of this year’s Bled Strategic Forum and will be attending a working lunch on the margins of the informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers (Gymnich) at Brdo pri Kranju.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs presented the Slovenian Presidency's priorities to members of the LIBE Committee. The priorities include the current migration situation.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană on the fringes of the Bled Strategic Forum today. In the light of current developments, the two high officials focused on the situation in Afghanistan and condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan today received Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and Chief Administrative Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ababu Namwamba.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, on the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum. The talks focused on the current situation in Afghanistan and the future mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended the 16th Bled Strategic Forum, which is being held under the title "The Future of Europe".

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended the 16th Bled Strategic Forum, which is being held under the title "The Future of Europe".

An international conference on one of the thematic priorities of the Slovenian presidency – missing persons, in particular missing children – is taking place in Ljubljana today and tomorrow. The conference is held under the auspices of the Police Expert Network on Missing Persons, which was officially recognised by the Council’s Law Enforcement Working Party, and in cooperation with AMBER Alert Europe.

One of the flagship events of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the 16th Bled Strategic Forum, started with the opening addresses by its host, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Anže Logar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša and President of the European Council Charles Michel. “It is imperative we identify strategic responses to the challenges facing both our citizens' everyday lives, and those Europe as a continent might yet see. We must identify those policies where the EU is a global example and incorporate the lessons learned from the crises of the past decade,” urged Minister Dr Logar in his opening speech in the Bled Festival Hall.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attends the Bled Strategic Forum, which he opened with an opening address. The unauthorised Prime Minister's speech is published below.

Prime Minister Janez Janša is attending the 16th Bled Strategic Forum, which is being held under the theme "The Future of Europe".

At today's extraordinary meeting in Brussels, EU home affairs ministers adopted a joint statement on the EU's response to the situation in Afghanistan and the potential implications for migration and security in the EU.

The Republic of Slovenia (the Issuer), rated A3 (stable) / AA- (stable) / A (stable), has mandated Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and J.P. Morgan as Joint Dealer Managers for a Tender Offer for the Issuer’s outstanding March 2022 and March 2023 EUR securities. Additionally, the Republic will consider an ultra-long Euro-denominated Reg S transaction in dematerialised registered form, subject to market conditions and the results of the concurrent Tender Offer. Relevant stabilisation (including FCA/ICMA) applies. Target Market: Manufacturer target market (MIFID II product governance) are eligible counterparties and professional investors (all distribution channels) and also retail investors (all distribution channels).

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan received Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis Aloysius John. They agreed that the pandemic had brought new challenges and exacerbated the hardships of individuals. Therefore, mutual solidarity and concerted efforts to stem it and alleviate its consequences are essential.

At the invitation of the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares Bueno, Foreign Minister Anže Logar is visiting Spain today. He met with the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs of the Spanish Congress of Deputies. Slovenia and Spain have been deepening bilateral relations, coordinating and maintaining a regular dialogue, aiming at a stronger, more resilient European Union, acting in a coordinated manner and speaking with one voice.

The main topic of today's press conference was the situation in hospitals, as the number of people who need medical help due to COVID-19 infection is increasing again. Dr Tatjana Lejko Zupanc presented the situation in hospitals and Maja Bratuša presented an overview of the current epidemiological data.