News

The human race against the climate crisis clock is the theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day, which is being marked today. To save our planet from the devastating and lasting effect of climate change, this year’s humanitarian day is dedicated to raising public awareness about humanitarian workers and their efforts aimed at alleviating the effects of climate change and about the victims who lost everything as a consequence.

Today, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised an extraordinary videoconference meeting of interior ministers within the framework of the Council's crisis response mechanism (IPCR), which was chaired by Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs. The ministers expressed solidarity with the affected states - Latvia, Lithuania and Poland - and supported additional assistance to the member states at this section of the external EU border.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today attended an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers on the latest developments in Afghanistan via video conference. The focus was placed on the EU’s coordination in evacuating European citizens and local Afghan staff who supported member states and the EU during their activities in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and Minister of Finance Andrej Šircelj today met with members of the Fiscal Council. On behalf of the Fiscal Council, the meeting was attended by the President of the Fiscal Council, Dr Davorin Kračun, two members of the Fiscal Council, Alenka Jerkič and Tomaž Perše, and the head of the Fiscal Council's Analysis Service, Aleš Delakorda. The discussion focused on the public finance situation and economic policy both in Slovenia and the European Union.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Arrangement of sustainable mobility in the city centre of Urban Municipality Slovenj Gradec. The project worth EUR 1.5 million will be implemented by the Urban Municipality Slovenj Gradec and will receive EU support with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund standing at EUR 633 thousand.

Prekmurje in the heart

"Again I hear the song amid the plains", says a line in the poem by Feri Lainšček, which we read in the middle of the wonderful Prekmurje landscape which is so special, dreamlike and beautiful. A landscape that makes the poet's soul sing and sets his heart to play. It is not only the poet who feels this way but also all the people of Prekmurje, who were cut off from the Slovenian homeland for nearly 900 years. Given this historical fact it is almost unbelievable that throughout those nine long centuries, and under the influence of other nations they preserved the Slovenian language, Slovenian culture and the ideas of a unified state and of Slovenian identity. That they have stood up and remained Slovenians.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife Urška Bačovnik Janša today attended the main ceremony to mark the Day of the Unification of Prekmurje Slovenes with the Mother Nation, which took place in the castle courtyard in Beltinci.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša visited the Žale Cemetery in Ljubljana and laid a wreath at the tomb of Dr Andrej Bajuk, former prime minister, minister, and the president of the Nova Slovenija political party, marking the 10th anniversary of his death.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković spoke on the phone about foreign policy issues. They discussed measures to protect the EU's external borders against the rising wave of illegal migrations, the need for rapid expansion of the Schengen zone, the situation in Afghanistan, and the preparations for the Bled Strategic Forum 2021.

Slovenia is introducing the Passenger Locator Form for passengers travelling by airplane and ship on 16 August to facilitate contact tracing. Every passenger will be asked to fill out his or her own form, including passengers travelling together as a family or in a group. Passengers in transit, who will remain in the airport's transit area (unless they should decide to leave the airport area for whatever reason) and airplane or ship crewmembers will not be asked to fill out the form.

The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič, today attended the opening of the travelling mobile classroom named Simbioza Mobiln@. It is the latest acquisition that will bring, through modern digital educational initiatives, the use of ICT tools closer to senior citizens who want to learn how to use computers and smartphones.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the introductory part of the first virtual European archival symposium entitled Digital Transformation in Archival Science. Dieter Schlenker, Director of the Historical Archives of the European Union, Peter Pavel Klasinc, Head of Archival Sciences Alma Mater Europea, and Bojan Cvelfar from the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia also took part in the introductory part of the meeting.

All passengers entering Slovenia by aircraft or cruise ship will have to fill out a Digital Passenger Locator Form (electronic PLF form - dPLF) from 16 August 2021 before entering the country.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Revitalising part of the coastal area between the outfall of the Badaševica and Žusterna. The project worth EUR 4.5 million will be implemented by Urban Municipality Koper under the Sustainable Urban Strategy of Koper and will receive EU support with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund standing at EUR 616 thousand.

Yesterday, in an audio-video conference, the Minister of Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič met with the Microsoft's regional representatives for services from Central and Eastern Europe. The topic of the conversation was the search for solutions in the field of improving digital skills in the Republic of Slovenia and the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. These will make it possible to simplify the user experience of citizens in the near future.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held a video conference with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Carmen Moreno.

The following is an interview with Prime Minister Janez Janša for the Polish news agency PAP. In the interview, the Prime Minister spoke about the situation in the judiciary, the fact that he was a political prisoner twice, the second time during democracy, the reform of judicial legislation, the need for self-reflection of the judiciary, respect for EU law and the future of the EU.

Japan-Slovenia Relations

Call for Designs Japan - Slovenia 30th Anniversary Logo

Acting as Minister for Development Cooperation, State Secretary Dr. Stanislav Raščan held a telephone conversation with Martin Jäger, the German State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

State Secretary Dr. Raščan addressed young people at the 94th International Session of the European Youth Parliament organised by the European Youth Parliament of Slovenia and taking place in Slovenia for the first time between 31 July and 8 August 2021.

On March 7, 1946, members of the Inter-Allied Boundary Commission arrived to Trieste to compile a report and to suggest the drawing of the state border between Yugoslavia and Italy. On March 11, 1946, the commission received the representatives of the Regional National Liberation Committee for the Slovenian Littoral and Trieste and was presented with their memorandum. The memorandum consisted of three parts, all aimed to justify the necessity for the entire Julian March and Trieste to be assigned to Yugoslavia.

The Government Information Security Office, which succeeded the Information Security Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, was established on 20 July 2021 and became operational on 31 July 2021. The Government Information Security Office is the competent national authority in the field of information and cyber security.

State Secretary Dr. Stanislav Raščan attended on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the 105th commemoration at the Russian Chapel below the Vršič Pass.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food has issued an open call to citizens, legal persons or other organisations for identification of the candidates for the 2021 Golden Bee Award.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today received Vice-President of the French National Assembly Laëtitia Saint-Paul, who is visiting Slovenia together with Sabine Thillaye, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly.

Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo as Slovenia's representative and the chair of the EU Sport Council.

Today in Brussels, EU finance ministers approved the second batch of national recovery and resilience plans, including Slovenia’s. Minister without portfolio responsible for development and EU cohesion policy Zvonko Černač remarked that there is not much time to realise the investments and reforms, so it will be essential that stakeholders cooperate well and make compromises.

Today The Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport dr. Kustec spoke to the Sankei Newspaper in Tokyo.

The Ministry of Finance, Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience Slovenia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan was today given the green light in an informal videoconference of economy and finance ministers.

At today's informal video conference, chaired by Minister of Finance Andrej Šircelj, EU finance and economy ministers confirmed the positive assessment for the second batch of national recovery and resilience plans.

Minister of Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič today had a meeting with President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor.

Upon the invitation of Alok Sharma, President of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Change Convention (COP26), Slovenia’s Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Andrej Vizjak is attending a two-day ministerial meeting which is to prepare and help align the positions of different regional groups and Parties to the Paris Agreement prior to the meeting of Parties in November in Glasgow.

On 25 July 2021 The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo hosted a reception in honour of three Slovenian cyclists, Tadej Pogačar, Jan Polanc and Jan Tratnik, who participated in the road cycling race at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in the presence of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Dr Kustec, the President of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, Mr Gabrovec, and the Head of the Slovenian National Team, Mr Cerar.

At its meeting by correspondence, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia issued the Ordinance temporarily restricting the offering and sale of goods and services to consumers in the Republic of Slovenia, which will be in force from 26 July to 1 August 2021 inclusive, and will publish it in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for an additional call for proposals for co-financing social activation projects. The call for proposals worth EUR 893 thousand will be implemented by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and will receive EU support with the contribution from the European Social Fund standing at a little under EUR 715 thousand.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan, President of the EU’s General Affairs Council, hosted an informal meeting of European Affairs ministers at Brdo pri Kranju today. At an informal discussion on strengthening the Union’s resilience, ministers supported the efforts of the Slovenian Presidency towards a more comprehensive response to crises.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment – Municipality Hajdina. The EUR 1.1 million wastewater infrastructure project that will be implemented by Municipality Hajdina under the Agreement on the development of the Podravje region will be supported by the EU, with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund amounting to EUR 446 thousand.

At its 87th regular session, the Slovenian Government issued the Ordinance on the establishment and competences of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Digital Transformation.

At today's meeting, the Government extended the validity of most ordinances related to COVID-19, requiring organisers of events, gatherings and sports competitions, providers of services and goods in the field of drivers and vehicles in Slovenia, and cableway operators and associated ski slopes to verify whether participants meet the recovered/vaccinated/tested rule. Cross-border migrant workers residing within 10 kilometres of the border with a neighbouring country were added to the exceptions for entering Slovenia without going into quarantine and without meeting the recovered/vaccinated/tested rule. The Government also founded the Government Office for Digital Transformation.

At the end of April 2021, Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy approved EU funding for the project Hydraulic improvements in the Municipality Sevnica – Agreement on the Development of Regions. Today, the Municipality signed the project contract with the selected contractor. At the invitation of the Mayor of Municipality Sevnica Srečko Ocvirk, State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs delivered an address online.

On the second day of the informal meeting of EU environment and climate change ministers in Slovenia, discussions addressed the new proposal of global targets for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The ministers also discussed the challenges of jointly strengthening pollinator protection and setting up an EU-wide pollinator monitoring framework.

Minister Dikaučič said that the existing rules cannot provide answers to all the challenges brought by artificial intelligence, which is why it is necessary to take further steps in the creation of a legal framework. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia hosted a virtual event focusing on the effective protection of fundamental rights regarding artificial intelligence in Europe and beyond.

Slovenia hosted an informal meeting of environment and climate change ministers. For the first time, they exchanged views on the vital legislative package "Fit for 55", which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. In the afternoon, the ministers exchanged views on the COP26 International Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow in November.

The European Commission today published its second annual Rule of Law Report within the European Rule of Law Mechanism set up in 2020. The report aims to elevate the understanding of the founding values and promote the rule of law culture, thereby strengthening this principle in the European Union as a whole.

The Ministry of Infrastructure issued an energy permit for the JEK2 project, based on the adoption of Slovenia's Long-Term Climate Strategy and the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NEPN), which clears the way for the implementation of administrative procedures and preparation of documentation for investment decision-making on JEK2 (the second nuclear reactor unit in Krško), providing a necessary basis for the final decision on the optimal energy scenario for the future supply of low-carbon Slovenia.

The Communication Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (UKOM) has sent the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) the final version of the public service contract.

Today's press conference on the current situation regarding COVID 19 was attended by the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar and the Director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a follow-up meeting of foreign affairs ministers of the Central 5 (C5) countries, i.e. Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Expansion of the Ormož business-economic zone. The EUR 2.22 million project will be implemented by Municipality Ormož under the Agreement on the development of the Podravje region and supported by the EU, with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund standing at EUR 1.48 million.

At the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, headed by Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, ministers discussed items on the agriculture agenda. They unanimously adopted the Council conclusions on the action plan for the development of organic agriculture, which stress the awareness of member states of the importance of organic farming in ensuring the sustainability of future European agriculture and food production. As regards the "End the Cage Age" European Citizens’ Initiative, the Council supported activities aimed at promoting animal welfare.