News

In its capacity as Chair of the Council of the European Union, Slovenia hosted an informal consultation of the non-proliferation and disarmament directors. This is an annual traditional meeting for EU member states to exchange views on current strategic issues and challenges of the global arms of mass destruction control regime. The meeting was chaired by the Slovenian Ambassador for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Andrej Benedejčič.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today paid a working visit to Klagenfurt to co-chair the 6th session of the Slovenia-Carinthia Joint Committee, together with Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser. The meeting set out the course for future cooperation between Slovenia and the Austrian state of Carinthia in a number of areas of common interest. Minister Logar also held a separate meeting with Governor Kaiser.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar met with representatives of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia prior to the Slovenia-Carinthia Committee session. The Minister assured Slovenia's ongoing support for the minority's efforts towards long-term and systemic solutions regarding the implementation of their rights.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held talks with Sergei Cheryomin, Moscow Government Minister and Head of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations. The officials confirmed good relations between the two countries and wide-ranging cooperation in the economic, cultural, scientific, educational and other sectors.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with a delegation of the European Parliament Former Members Association (FMA), headed by its Chairman Hans-Gert Pöttering.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the annual CEPA Forum organised by the Washington-based think-tank Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) as one of the keynote speakers. The event, entitled “Renewing the Transatlantic Alliance in a Contested World”, is being held in a virtual form.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan met with the Chair of the 10th NPT Review Conference, Ambassador Gustavo Rodolfo Zlauvinen. They discussed preparations for the high-level conference scheduled to be held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York at the beginning of next year.

At the invitation of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE), State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the opening of the 17th Europe Summit held in Salzburg this year under the title ‘Europe and Peace’. He appeared at the opening panel titled ‘Democracy and Freedom in Europe after Corona’.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar addressed the participants of the Western Balkans Speakers' Meeting at Brdo pri Kranju as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. “The enlargement policy has a transforming power and is a prerequisite for a stable, secure and democratic Europe,” declared Minister Logar in his introductory speech.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar accompanied Slovenian President Borut Pahor as he addressed the General Assembly on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia at the general discussion. He also attended President Pahor’s meeting with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

A delegation of the Republic of Slovenia headed by Marko Rakovec, Chief Legal Adviser and Director-General for International Law and Protection of Interests, took part at the 61st meeting of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public international Law (CAHDI) in Strasbourg on 23 and 24 September.

“Democracy, values, rights, responsibilities, and the rule of law are the foundations of the European Union, the base on which it stands,” said Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary and Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe, ahead of the beginning of the second European Citizens' Panel in Strasbourg today.

Barbara Sušnik, Director-General for European Union Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, welcomed Patric Franzen, Deputy State Secretary at the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the opening of the Balkan Forum, organised by Greece as part of the one-year Presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) via video conference. The debate focused on the sustainable development of the countries of the region in the post-COVID period.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar participated in the ministerial breakfast of the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court, attended the Conference on Article XIV of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and held bilateral talks with the Foreign Ministers of Algeria and Jordan on the margins of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Strengthening cybersecurity in the EU and its Member States is one the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Activities, collectively designated ‘Ghostwriter’, threaten our security and democratic principles of the EU, and run counter the norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace endorsed by all UN member states.

State Secretary Dr Raščan took part in the celebrations and a press conference marking the launch of a new flight connection of the flydubai airline between Dubai International Airport and Ljubljana Airport.

On the fringes of the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the hybrid ministerial meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism entitled “Shaping our Common Agenda”.

On the margins of the General Debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Moldova and Pakistan and the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States. He also participated in a round table on the situation in Afghanistan and lessons learned over two decades of international intervention in the country.

Jernej Müller, Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended this year’s meeting of the informal Global Governance Group (3G) that is taking place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan participated in a high-level humanitarian crisis response event in Yemen, organised by the EU, Sweden and Switzerland on the margins of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The 48th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is taking place in Geneva between 13 September and 8 October 2021. At the meeting, Slovenia has been advocating a global proclamation of the right to a healthy environment. In its first substantive resolution on the subject of the elderly, Slovenia addresses the challenges of oldism and age discrimination. Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec will also attend the event and draw attention to the importance of young people and education for human rights.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.