News

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of Economic Development and Technology Matjaž Han discussed with key internationalisation players the support for the Slovenian economy abroad at the Economic Internationalisation Council.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very pleased that EU leaders at the European Council on 15 December took the important political decision to grant EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Common Application Centre at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia – CAC will be closed due to the Holidays Season from 16th December 2022 until 10th January 2023.

On Monday, December 12, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo participated in the charity event Ikebana International Fair. The honorary patron of the event is Japanese Imperial Princess Takamado. She traditionally addresses the participants and officially opens the fair. Before opening ceremony, she pays a courtesy visit to the exhibitors and symbolically participates to the event proceeds by purchasing different products.

Today's agreement by the leaders of the EU member states on granting the EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most important geostrategic and political decisions made by the EU in the recent period.

Today, on 15 December 2022, Prime Minister Robert Golob is attending the European Council meeting in Brussels. In the discussion, EU leaders are focusing on further assistance to Ukraine, energy, the EU's global competitiveness and its enlargement policy.

At today’s session, the Government adopted a proposal for an amendment to the Roads Act, issued a Decree granting the concession for the dental sector, and adopted the Digital Public Services Strategy 2030. In the Development Programmes 2022-2025, the Government included 15 projects totalling EUR 72.8 million granted under the Act Governing Aid to Businesses Hit by High Increases in Electricity and Natural Gas Prices.

The December issue of SINFO Magazine brings interesting stories and interviews, and highlights upcoming sporting events.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the 45th Commemorative Summit of the ASEAN-EU in Brussels. The event was the first to bring together the highest representatives of all of the member states of the two organisations. She also held numerous bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit.

Public Administration Minister Sanja Ajanović Hovnik is temporarily taking over the role of the Minister of the Interior after the stepping down of the former Minister of the Interior, Tatjana Bobnar.

The Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Matjaž Han, accompanied by Slovenian business representatives, is on a working visit to North Macedonia today and tomorrow. The minister, who met the Macedonian Minister of Economy, Kreshnik Bekteshi, called for the further strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries.

On 13 December, the Nuclear Safety Administration hosted the annual meeting with a delegation from the Croatian Directorate for Civil Protection as part of the implementation of the bilateral agreement on the Early Exchange of Information in the Event of Radiological Danger.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of relations between Slovenia and Japan on December 15 2022 Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo organised a poetry recital for Slovenians and friends of Slovenia in memory of the life and work of Father Dr Vladimir Kos.

At the session of the Government Committee on the Economy, the Government reallocated the funds from the state budget and increased the dedicated assets and capital of the Eco Fund.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels on the preparations for the European Council meeting and the conclusions on enlargement and stabilisation and association process.

The "Standing with the Ukrainian People" conference in Paris, bringing together high and senior representatives of 70 states and international organisations, was held on 13 December. At the conference organised by France, Slovenia was represented by Ambassador Metka Ipavic.

Today, Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, addressed the Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Within the framework of the "This is Europe" debate, the Prime Minister participated at the plenary session of the Parliament and focused on three key fields in his speech, i.e. the energy crisis and green transition, the importance of the rule of law and the geostrategic action of the EU.

On Tuesday, 13 December 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo organised a working honey breakfast entitled "Bee x Education". The main topic was the importance of educating beekeepers, educating the general public about bees and apitourism.

The European Commission yesterday approved Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 that Slovenia officially submitted to Brussels at the end of October.

The Minister of Economic Development Matjaž Han and the Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon signed an agreement with representatives of Slovenian organisations in neighbouring countries concerning the foundation of an Economic Coordinating Body of Slovenians in neighbouring countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, chaired by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The meeting focused on the Russian aggression against Ukraine and on the situation in Iran. A meeting of the EU-Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers was held in the morning in advance of the Council meeting.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted the second high-level event of the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean in Brussels. In her opening address, the Minister underlined the need to strengthen partnership and cooperation on AI.

On 5 December 2022, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob hosted for the first time the President of the European Council Charles Michel. The Government Communication Office took care of the media logistics.

Granny’s Sexual Life has taken the title for best short at the European Film Awards held in Reykjavik, Iceland. “The European Film Award is proof that Slovenia has the very best creative talent in film. It shows that Slovenian cinema belongs to the elite of European cinema,” said Dr Asta Vrečko, the culture minister, in her congratulations to the makers of the film.

The increasing social hardship and uncertain economic conditions caused by high energy prices have made it necessary to pass a new law whose stipulations include emergency measures to reduce import dependency in energy supplies, price controls, and windfall taxes on electricity producers.

On International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2022, Slovenia launched the Our Rights project in Japan. Ambassador Blanka Jamnišek, responsible for the project, participated in the Youth Forum organised by Soka Gakkai International, shared her experience about the project and conducted training for 40 teachers on the use of tools to teach children about their rights. Prior to the Forum, she was interviewed by the pupils and students from SGI schools for the newspaper Seikyo Shimbun.

Rating agencies S&P and DBRS Morningstar confirmed Slovenia’s credit rating yesterday. S&P confirmed the AA- rating with a stable outlook, while DBRS Morningstar confirmed the A (high) rating, again with a stable outlook. Considering that in recent months rating agencies have downgraded the outlooks for some European countries, the confirmation of the outlook and ratings for Slovenia is proof that it is a solid and trustworthy country.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob attended the ninth summit of national leaders of the EU-MED9 grouping, held in Alicante, Spain, on Friday, 9 December.

Minister Fajon took part in the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), themed: "Three Continents, Three Oceans, a Common Destiny: Let's Build a Resilient and Sustainable OACPS". On the margins of the Summit, she held numerous bilateral meetings.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held bilateral consultations in Stockholm with Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Jessika Roswall. They discussed the priorities of the Swedish EU Council Presidency, current European and international topics and EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, the day that saw the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which is regarded as the foundation for all future international human rights instruments. This year's slogan is: "Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All".

On this day 74 years ago, in recognition of the grave suffering and tragedies of WW II, the 50 Member States of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, one of the UN's fundamental documents.

Starting from December 9, 2022 the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Beijing has worked in collaboration with the Inside-Out Art Museum to organize the “Beijing Conversations” series.

Slovenia has formally filed a declaration of intervention before the International Court of Justice in The Hague relating to the Ukraine vs Russian Federation proceedings for violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Minister of the Interior Tatjana Bobnar has attended the EU Home Affairs Council in Brussels, where the key item on the agenda was the extension of the Schengen area.

In today’s session, the Government was briefed on Slovenia’s successful participation in the cross-border, transnational and inter-regional Interreg programmes. The European Commission is presenting Slovenia as a success story.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Cairo is selling a passenger car model VOLVO S80 T5 Momentum Geartronic, year 2014, current mileage 74.000 km. The offer is intended for the general public/buyers on the local Egyptian market, who do not enjoy diplomatic privileges.

In Helsinki, State Secretary Štucin held bilateral consultations with Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen, Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara and Director of Foreign and Security Policy in the Cabinet of the President Petri Hakkarainen.

Slovenia ranked ninth out of 180 countries on the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index, which is compiled by the Swiss-Korean think-tank Solability. It ranked first amongst all countries studied in terms of economic sustainability.

At today’s second meeting of the Strategic Economic Council, which was held in Lipica, members exchanged views for the first time regarding opportunities for the so-called ‘scale-up’ of innovative development companies, incentives for development jobs, the retention of highly-skilled domestic workers and the faster employment of such talent from abroad, and employee participation in profits.

The head of the government negotiating team, the Minister of Health Danijel Bešič Loredan, and the head of the trade union’s negotiating team, Irena Ilešič Čujovič, initialled an agreement on the resolution of strike demands, and on the implementation of the agreement on urgent measures in connection with wages in the health and social care sector, and on the continuation of negotiations.

During a bilateral visit, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Minister of State for Europe Laurence Boone. They discussed strengthening strategic relations between Slovenia and France and went on to exchange views on current European and international topics.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana. The aforementioned summit of EU and Western Balkans leaders, which was held in one of the Western Balkan countries for the first time, focused on strengthening cooperation between the EU and Western Balkans in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and on migration management.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the 21st session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and participated in the general discussion. Alongside the Assembly session, he engaged in numerous bilateral dialogues.

The government has adopted the Act Governing Aid to Businesses today to mitigate the consequences of the energy crisis. Aid to businesses includes subsidies due to high prices of electricity, natural gas and technological steam, subsidising two job preserving measures and measures aimed at ensuring the liquidity of companies. The estimated total aid amount of all measures is 1.2 billion euros.

At the proposal of the Minister of Health, the Government appointed Nataša Vidnar as the Acting Director-General of the Nursing Directorate at the Ministry of Health at the meeting by correspondence.

The Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, met with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at Strmol Castle. They discussed the topics to be addressed by the European Council on 15 December 2022, in particular energy, migration, Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the EU's enlargement policy, with a focus on the Western Balkans.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has earmarked an additional 100,000 euros for humanitarian aid to Ukraine to help people survive the approaching harsh winter, as the devastating effects of the war continue.

During a visit to the Hague, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Director-General for European Cooperation Anita van den Ende. They discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations and current European topics, including the situation in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the rule of law, EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, migration and Schengen.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed more than 100 local staff members from almost all diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Slovenia, who are attending their first ever consultation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.