The Minister of the Economy, Tourism, and Sports Matjaž Han, together with State Secretaries, mag. Dejan Židan and Vesna Humar from the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, visited the Slovenian national community in the Porabje region in Hungary. He was briefed on the state of the economy in the Porabje region and presented the substantive and financial support of the Ministry of the Economy for the economic and tourism activities of Slovenians in the Porabje region. Within a month, the Ministry will publish two calls for tenders with a total value of EUR 1.168 million.

At the meetings of the government committees, the Government, among other things, took a position on the tabled amendments to the draft revised budget for 2023, adopted positions on the opinions of the National Council on this year’s draft revised budget and on the proposal of the amendment to the Implementation of the Republic of Slovenia Budget for 2023 and 2024 Act, and included three new bilateral development cooperation projects in the current 2023–2026 Development Programme Plan of the Slovenian budget in accordance with the amendment to the financing plan.

Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob attended the signing of a contract in Maribor on the co-financing of the investment “Construction of an Athletics Warm-up Track with the Reconstruction of the Existing Grandstand”, amounting to EUR 3 million.

In the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, Minister Fajon met with her host, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Prime Minister Phan Minh Chinh and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. It was the first visit at the level of foreign minister and deputy prime minister in 17 years.

From 21 to 22 May the Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon payed a visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Fajon met with her host, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Prime Minister Phan Minh Chinh and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar took part in a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, with Ministers and State Secretaries discussing the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa. They also met with Western Balkans’ Foreign Ministers.

At the request of the Republic of Italy, a temporary civil protection unit was deployed to provide assistance in the affected area of Emilia Romagna.

Today, the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre and the International Telecommunication Union signed a joint declaration on cooperation in cyber capacity building and gender mainstreaming in cybersecurity in the Western Balkans.

At today’s correspondence meeting, the government adopted an opinion on the proposal of the amendment to the Animal Protection Act and appointed the Director of the Farmland and Forest Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and the Director-General of the Forestry and Hunting Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

Minister Fajon, accompanied by a Slovenian business delegation, visited Ho Chi Minh City, the economic centre of Vietnam, where she opened a business forum. The visit reflects the desire of Slovenian businesspeople to seek new opportunities and cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.

Four important days dedicated to nature conservation will be celebrated shortly, i.e. World Bee Day (20 May), European Natura 2000 Day (21 May), International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May) and European Day of Parks (24 May).

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023, the reading room of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

At the correspondence session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has decided to immediately provide rescue assistance to the Republic of Italy through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in response to their request, due to the floods that have affected several provinces in the central part of the country.

On Saturday, 20 May 2023, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo celebrated the 6th World Bee Day. In partnership with the Minato Municipality and the Minato International Association, the Embassy organised the "World Bee Day Festival 2023", a day-long festival in the local centre of the Takanawa district of Tokyo.

On 14 May 2023, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, together with the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Slovenia in Ulaan Baatar, Dr. Bolormaa Batbayar, set up a tent for Europe Day at the main Sukhbaatar square.

In the week ahead of the World Bee Day (20 May), the International Geneva celebrates this day aiming to boost collective pollinator protection through awareness raising and educational activities. This is the sixth celebration in Geneva after the day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2017 at Slovenia’s initiative with support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob was the guest of honour at the event celebrating 50 years of women’s volleyball in Nova Gorica. Addressing the crowd at Bevk Square in the centre of Nova Gorica, the Prime Minister highlighted the added value of sports and the importance of youth participation.

Today, Slovenia and the world celebrate World Bee Day. The main national celebration of World Bee Day was held in Celje as part of the 20th Beekeepers' Festival. Minister Irena Šinko addressed the numerous beekeepers and other guests, highlighting the situation in the world today and the need for food security where pollinators play a very important role.

This year, Slovenia is once again at the forefront of World Bee Day celebrations. President Pirc Musar was present at the main event at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, calling for responsible agriculture that respects and supports the vital role of pollinators in nature. Slovenia draws attention to their importance through more than 30 other projects and events around the world.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob today visited areas threatened by landslides in the municipality of Šentilj due to the recent heavy rainfall.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, PhD, attended the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe under the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers in Reykjavik from 16 to 17 May 2023. Discussions focused on accountability for Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the promotion and protection of the Council of Europe's core values.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob today attended the international conference titled From Doomsday to New Optimism, where international political and economic representatives addressed the most pressing global challenges in business, finance and politic and presented their views on how to tackle them.

For his significant contribution to the deepening of relations between Slovenia and Ukraine, and for Slovenia's support and assistance to Ukraine's successful defence against Russian aggression, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia, Andriy Taran, on behalf of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, presented the Badge of Honour to the Minister of Defence, Marjan Šarec, and the Medal for Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Dr. Damir Črnčec.

Tomorrow, the attention of all the World is going to be dedicated to honeybees and other pollinators, with an increasingly important role in seeking solutions for food security, global hunger elimination, and protection of the environment and biodiversity.

On 22 May, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs traditionally celebrates Slovenian Diplomacy Day. The event is dedicated to the diplomats who have shaped the diplomatic service with great commitment, an occasion to remember one of our colleagues who excelled in their work. This year, we remember Ida Močivnik. A valued ambassador, she stood out for her principled stance and the highest professional and ethical standards.

On Saturday, Slovenia and all the World will for the sixth time be celebrating the World Bee Day, proclaimed on 20 December 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly. The main purpose of the World Bee Day is to raise the awareness of global general public on the significance of bees and other pollinators for the entire human race, in the light of food security, global hunger elimination, and protection of the environment and biodiversity.

At today's session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the text of the proposal to initiate the procedure for amending Articles 160, 161 and 162 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and allocated an additional EUR 2.8 million for the organisation and hosting of the European Youth Olympic Festival 2023 in Maribor.

At the invitation of the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Marjan Šarec, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Albania, Niko Peleshi, paid an official visit to Slovenia. After being received with military honours in front of the Ministry of Defence, Minister Šarec and Minister Peleshi first had a private conversation, followed by official talks between the two delegations.

The annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) is held in Singapore and attended by the delegation of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office. The delegation also attended an event organised by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, where the Directors of the Slovenian and Singaporean IP Offices exchanged good practices in the field of intellectual property.

The Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob met with Dr Simona Gerenčer, Secretary General of the Deafblind Association of Slovenia DLAN.

State Secretary Marko Štucin opened the thematic conference "Towards Knowledge-Society and Professions of the Future" in Brdo pri Kranju, held within the scope of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) lasting until October 2023.

Minister Tanja Fajon received Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Staša Košarac during his working visit to Slovenia. Their talks focused on bilateral relations.

Members of the Animal Protection Working Group, which is organised under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office, met with representatives of the Psi in Mi Institute, a centre for modern dog parenting.

This year, Slovenian Bee diplomacy is entering a new phase with projects primarily supporting social and environmental resilience. In cooperation with local partners, Slovenian diplomatic missions and consular posts will again carry out more than 30 projects around the world. The two most important celebrations will take place in Rome and New York.

This year's theme for the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, "Together always: united in diversity", reminds us that all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, are born free and are equal in dignity and rights.

Minister Tanja Fajon was in Koper today for talks with the Mayor of Koper, Aleš Bržan, and the management of the Port of Koper. The visit took place just a few days ahead of her departure for Vietnam (21–23 May) in the company of a ten-strong business delegation that includes the Port of Koper, and for Indonesia. She will also visit the Republic of Korea in June.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar hosted Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti, Secretary of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic, for bilateral political consultations. Their talks focused on strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Under the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), the first meeting of the Strategy's National Coordinators took place today, bringing together for the first time delegations from all 14 EUSDR Member States and members of the Danube Youth Council (DYC).

Minister Irena Šinko participated in the presentation of the results of the targeted research programme entitled The Design of the Methodology for the monitoring of wild pollinators in Slovenia. The event came ahead of World Bee Day, which will be celebrated on Saturday, 20 May, bringing bees and other pollinators into the global spotlight at the initiative of Slovenia.

On behalf of the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, State Secretary mag. Dejan Židan participated for the first time in the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council meeting, of which the agenda for the first day includes content in the field of sports.

At the opening of the MLA diplomatic conference, Minister of Justice dr Dominika Švarc Pipan emphasised that states and the international community are responsible for establishing interstate mechanisms for the investigation and prosecution of international crimes, and drew attention to the protection of children in these proceedings. During the conference, representatives of the Ministry of Justice are to actively participate in the negotiation process.

In the spring forecast published today, the European Commission has enhanced the economic growth forecast for Slovenia. This year, it is expected to reach 1.2 per cent, and 2.2 per cent in 2024. The enhanced forecast is an encouraging signal; we are also pleased that currently there is no fear of a recession in Europe.

On 10 May 2023, Slovenia became a member of the Instruct-ERIC European Research Infrastructure Consortium by the Instruct-ERIC Council decision, and thus joined the fourteen existing members together with Greece. The membership enables researchers from Slovenia to participate in the entire portfolio of services, including the technology catalogue, internships, training programmes, and research and development funding.

After more than a decade of efforts by Slovenia, Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands and Senegal, an international diplomatic conference has opened in Ljubljana to adopt the text of a convention on international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes. The Conference will run until 26 May. Upon adoption, the convention will be called the Ljubljana-Hague Convention.

On 9 May, 2023, the EU Delegation to China celebrated Europe Day 2023 in its garden in Beijing.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar and his closest team hosted foreign ambassadors to Slovenia at the Ministry today.

Slovenia has made a significant contribution to the visibility of Slovenian beekeeping knowledge and to raising global awareness of the importance of bees by proclaiming World Bee Day.

The 9th session of the Small Countries Initiative, which has been operating under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2013, was held in Luxembourg on May 10-12. Slovenia has also participated in the Initiative since 2019. The subject of the meeting, which was attended by State Secretary Azra Herceg and a delegation from Slovenia, was the promotion of health and well-being.

On 10 and 11 May, State Secretary Samuel Žbogar visited Brasilia for political consultations with Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha, Secretary General of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held consultations with Secretary General of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jonatan Vseviov and Undersecretary for Political Affairs Kyllike Sillaste-Elling in Tallinn. In addition to bilateral relations, the talks focused on current issues at the EU and international levels, including the war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Robert Golob hosted the President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, at Vila Podrožnik.

The Government initiated activities to erect a monument to Slovenian independence, which will connect and unite, and with its symbolism convey the story of the future of a nation that has won its independence and freedom. It also confirmed an intervention bill with which the mining rights are extended for three years by means of an annex, and the wording of the amendments to the Higher Education Act.

Under the patronage of President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana has organised the 6th Biennial Academic Conference "Responsibility to Protect in Theory and Practice" in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to mark the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the first conference of this kind in Slovenia.

A four-day international conference on cyber defence, organised jointly by the Ministry of Defence and NATO, concludes today, 11 May, at Ljubljana's Grand Plaza Hotel. It brings together 150 representatives from NATO Member States, European Union institutions and partner countries.

At the 4th meeting of the Strategic Council for the Prevention of Hate Speech, the members discussed the area of prevention. They concluded that hate speech is a complex phenomenon, the prevention of which should extend to various areas of social activity. It has to be acknowledged that hate speech is both a cause and a consequence of violence, and the answer to it is the establishment of tolerant and supportive communities.

The 6th meeting of the Strategic Council for Nutrition was held today, 10 May 2023, to discuss the Nutritional Guidelines for Educational Institutions.

At today’s forum, where 125 demands were presented by representatives of crafts and entrepreneurship, the Prime Minister gave assurances that the Government will take all measures on the basis of an ongoing dialogue. “This dialogue must be continuous, because only through dialogue can we arrive at better solutions,” stressed dr. Golob.

At today’s event on the Recovery and Resilience Plan – Implementation, New Circumstances and Amendments, which was hosted by the Ministry of Finance and the Recovery and Resilience Office, representatives of ministries presented the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the proposed amendments to interested stakeholders and the public. The event was also attended by the Minister of Finance Mr Klemen Boštjančič.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon held a series of meetings with representatives of UN regional groups and senior UN officials in New York from 8 to 10 May.

In the context of regular dialogue and good mutual cooperation, Prime Minister Robert Golob and President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar met today.

At yesterday's event, experts from the Boards of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) presented to the Slovenian public novelties and practical examples of how to deal with trade mark and design appeals.

Prime Minister dr. Robert Golob and ministers attended the GREMO Mission strategic development conference, which the Prime Minister described as one of the key development projects for the Slovenian economy.

At the correspondence meeting, the government issued an amendment to the Decree on programmes of compulsory health insurance services, the capacities required for their implementation, and the amount of funds for 2023. The government supports the establishment of a register of damage caused by the Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine, and the adoption of a declaration to honour the memory of the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine.

On the occasion of today's municipality holiday of Ljubljana – Hero City, the Prime Minister, Robert Golob, attended a formal session of the Ljubljana Municipality Council, where the highest awards of the City of Ljubljana were presented, including the titles of Honorary Citizen of the City of Ljubljana.

It is now 73 years since French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman drafted the declaration establishing the European Coal and Steel Community. The basic aim of this idea, which was conceived only a few years after the end of the Second World War, was to establish closer cooperation between countries in such a way that war between them would no longer be not only unacceptable, but also unfeasible.

The Government has issued a Decree amending the Decree on the environmental tax on air pollution caused by carbon dioxide emissions.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a commemorative ceremony on the 78th anniversary of the final battles for the liberation of Ljubljana at Orle and the anniversary of the liberation of the Hero City and its holiday, 9 May.

The sixth World Bee Day will be celebrated on 20 May. The UN General Assembly proclaimed World Bee Day on 20 December 2017. Our aim is to raise awareness of the general public about the importance of bees and other pollinators for our survival on this planet.

On 5 May 2023, the Fitch agency affirmed Slovenia's A credit rating with a stable outlook.

At a correspondence meeting, the government formally decided that the artillery platoon of the Slovenian Armed Forces is to participate in Howitzer 2023 training held between 8 and 12 May at the Evgen Kvaternik training range in Slunj, Croatia.

At today's session, the government determined the text of the draft Act on specific matters relating to certain offences committed during the period of validity of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection. Moreover, it adopted the 2023 Development Report and approved the annual plan for the financing and co-financing of investments in sports infrastructure for 2023.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and Slovenian Government ministers support the public and free expression of opinions and the right to peaceful protest.

The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs hosted bilateral political consultations between Slovenia and Azerbaijan, chaired by State Secretary Samuel Žbogar and Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Khalaf Khalafov.

Dear residents of Slovenia, citizens and all others who are building the future together with us, Congratulations on the occasion of Labour Day. To all of us.

During the EU Macro-Regional Strategies Week (EU MRS Week), which took place in Brussels from 24 to 28 April 2023, the Slovenian Presidency of the EUSDR chaired the 7th Meeting of Trio Presidencies of Macro-Regional Strategies and the European Commission. The central topic for discussion was the common challenges of the MRS and their further cooperation in the framework of the Trio Presidencies.

Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Warsaw is organizing a thematic art workshop on bees.

The Embassy of Slovenia in Tirana will be closed on 1 and 2 May due to the May Day holiday.

Message by Prime Minister Robert Golob on the occasion of the Day of Uprising Against Occupation

At the opening panel of the 4th EU Macro-Regional Strategies Week in Brussels, State Secretary Marko Štucin presented Slovenia's perspective, as the country holding the Presidency of the Strategy for the Danube Region, on the role of macro-regional strategies in addressing current challenges in Europe. The panel was attended by representatives of the four countries holding presidencies of the strategies and Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform.

Today, the Government adopted the Stability Programme 2023 which must be submitted to the European Commission by the end of April each year as part of the European Semester process, as well as a number of other documents.

On 26 April, the member countries of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), including Slovenia, mark World Intellectual Property Day. On this day, a campaign is launched to raise public awareness about intellectual property and its role in fostering innovation and creativity.

Minister Irena Šinko has attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council to discuss agricultural topics together with her EU counterparts. An important discussion was held on the situation on agricultural markets, in particular in light of the war in Ukraine, and export limitations for Ukrainian grain imposed by some EU member states. Ministers also exchanged their experience in implementing the strategic plans for the common agricultural policy and discussed the regulative framework for the certification of carbon removals. Slovenia recalled, in the EU Council, the importance of labelling the origin of honey in light of the planned revision of the Honey Directive.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted Dr Anna Lührmann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the German Federal Foreign Office, for consultations. Their meeting was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in the context of the strategic partnership between the two countries and at enhancing their bilateral cooperation on European affairs.

Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Slovenia, Croatia and Austria in Rijeka. Together with the Croatian Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, who hosted the meeting, and the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, they discussed the possibilities to deepen cooperation between the countries and common challenges.

At a ceremony held in the Radovljica Manor Baroque Hall on Saturday, 22 April 2023, Minister of Culture Dr Asta Vrečko presented the President of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association Boštjan Noč with a certificate on the entry of beekeeping on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

As part of the new EU legislation to be adopted on the sustainable use of plant protection products, a European Commission delegation headed by Deputy Director-General for Health and Food Safety Claire Bury visited Slovenia at the invitation of Minister Irena Šinko.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted Daniela Gîtman, Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania. The talks were aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging views on current European, regional and international topics and EU enlargement.

The reading room and information room of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia at Zvezdarska 1 Street will be closed on Wednesday, April 26, due to an event. On Friday, April 28, the archive will be closed due to a collective leave day.

The 12th Africa Day International Conference, held under the theme "Africa and Europe: Climate Security for the Future – Global Challenges, Local Actions", brought to Slovenia the largest ever number of participants. At the Brdo pri Kranju Congress Centre, around 350 participants from 50 countries, of which 24 are on the African continent, discussed climate security and possible solutions.

Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA), in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), organized and participated in a National Training Course on Tools and Techniques for Computer Security Incident Response from April 11 to 14, 2023.

The Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob was the guest of honour at the Gala Celebration at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the publication of the Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the 70th anniversary of the Electrotechnical Association of Slovenia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob received the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, Mr Thierry Breton. The main topics discussed over a working lunch were the defence industry and the competitiveness of the European economy, with an emphasis on the automotive and energy industries.

Following the European Commission’s preliminary positive assessment of the first payment request for a grant from the Recovery and Resilience Facility in early March, Slovenia has today received a transfer of just under €50 million. “The relevant European institutions have positively assessed the fulfilment of all 12 milestones linked to the first instalment of the grant. The Ministry of Finance, together with the Recovery and Resilience Office, will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the plan and the achievement of the milestones and targets, which are a condition for the payment of the funds from Brussels,” emphasised Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič.

In a month's time, on 20 May, Slovenia and the world will celebrate World Bee Day for the sixth time. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed World Bee Day on 20 December 2017. The main purpose of World Bee Day is to raise awareness among the international public about the importance of bees and other pollinators for humanity in light of food security, the global elimination of hunger and care for the environment and biodiversity.

At today’s session, the Government confirmed the draft revised state budget for 2023, following the Government reorganisation and the reduction in expenditure by EUR 609 million. It also adopted the draft amendment to the Financial Operations, Insolvency Proceedings and Compulsory Dissolution Act, which is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of proceedings.

At Brdo pri Kranju, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon opened the 12th International Africa Day Conference themed “Africa and Europe: Climate Security for the Future – Global Challenges, Local Action”. More than 350 participants from Slovenia and Africa will attend the two-day conference, which will include a rich cultural programme in addition to the political and economic sessions.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today gave a statement of his response to the interpellation in the National Assembly.

At the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Prime Minister Robert Golob ceremoniously signed an agreement between business, science and politics entitled "For a smart, sustainable and competitive Slovenia".

Prime Minister Robert Golob, accompanied by the Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Han, visited Celje and officially opened the 17th International Industrial Fair and Fair Lestech, a wood-processing industry fair.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon, together with State Secretary Samuel Žbogar, welcomed the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India, Meenakshi Lekhi.