News

The State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Dr Metka Gorišek, met with the Polish Ambassador to Slovenia, H.E. Dr Krzysztof Olendzki.

Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed a letter to President Borut Pahor proposing that a meeting with all leaders of parliamentary parties as well as with heads of deputy groups, Ministry of Health and advisory group is convened as soon as possible.

Slovenia's Chairmanship of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII), in cooperation with the Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce and AII Permanent Secretariat, organised a round table on “Equal opportunities in public administration, academia, and business”. The starting point for the organisation of the round table was the second study on equal opportunities in Slovenian diplomacy, which was recently concluded and conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Icelandic colleagues.

Slovenian government has adopted the Report on the Implementation of EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 for the Investment in Growth and Jobs Goal for the Period January 2014-End of December 2020 and submitted it to the National Assembly.

At today's session, the Government adopted the Ordinance amending the Ordinance on the temporary partial restriction of movement of people and on the prohibition of gathering of people to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which stipulates that the movement of people is again restricted to within the region in the Obalno-kraška region, the Goriška region and the Koroška region. Movement is now restricted at night from 22:00 to 5:00. By way of the amendment, a negative RAT test is no longer listed among the general exceptions for entry into Slovenia. The Government also supplemented the national COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with President of the European Council, Charles Michel, via videoconference. Their discussion mostly focused on the harmonisation of priorities and events of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU. Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, will also be among the guests of honor at the ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of Slovenia’s statehood.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a regular two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels this week. On the opening day, foreign ministers discussed the respective situations in Afghanistan and the Southern Neighbourhood, along with the NATO 2030 process. On the following day, the officials exchanged views on Russia, regional security and arms control with High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde.

Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned His Excellency Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Wang Shunqing for talks.

Eva Grilc, an epidemiologist from the NIPH, and Jože Ramovš, an anthropologist, social worker, scientific advisor and associate professor, the initiator of the establishment of the Anton Trstenjak Institute, participated in a press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

The 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which concluded today in Geneva, saw the adoption of resolutions on the human rights situation in Belarus, Syria, Iran, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Within a group of countries, Slovenia also presented a resolution on human rights and the environment, which is a continuation of efforts to address the link between human rights and the environment. To this end, it continues to support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on this topic. The resolution, which places particular emphasis on the biodiversity conservation, was adopted unanimously by the Council.

Following the opening address by Prime Minister Janez Janša and the parliamentary debate, the National Assembly has confirmed at its plenary session the Government's proposal for the Declaration on the Activities of the Republic of Slovenia in the Institutions of the European Union for the Period 2021–2024.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša contacted Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš for further harmonisation of views ahead of a meeting of European Council leaders who will, inter alia, discuss the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply of vaccines. Kurz, Babiš and Janša agreed that contracts for the supply of vaccines must be fulfilled and that corrective mechanisms should be put in place where the European Commission does not guarantee supplies in accordance with such contracts. Slovenia ordered 3.1 million doses of vaccines for the first half of 2021, which covers the needs of its population.

EU Ministers responsible for agriculture and fisheries met yesterday and today at the EU Council meeting held in Brussels. The main items on the agenda were agriculture and fisheries. Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek attended the meeting on behalf of Slovenia. The Minister also met with Italian and French agricultural ministers in the framework of the meeting.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended a video conference meeting of ministers and state secretaries for European affairs, focusing on the preparations for a video conference of the European Council members at the end of the week. The officials exchanged views on a joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding vaccine supply, the efforts to jointly and gradually remove restrictions as soon as the situation allows, the digital green pass, and global vaccine supply.

On Tuesday, 23 March 2021, the Minister of Public Administration Boštjan Koritnik attended the World Summit on the Information Society 2021 (WSIS Forum), hosted by: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Software Developer (UNDP).

Maja Ravnikar, director of the National Institute of Biology (NIB), and Robert Carotta, coordinator for hospital beds at the Ministry of Health, took part in a press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease.

At today’s 67th extraordinary session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke about the proposal for a Declaration on the Orientations for the Republic of Slovenia’s functioning in the European Union institutions for the period 2021–2024.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project “DRR Cycling routes in the municipality Ivančna Gorica”. The project, implemented in the framework of the Agreement for the Development of the Osrednjeslovenska Development Region, is worth a little over EUR 2 million and will receive over EUR 1 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

At today’s 67th extraordinary session of the National Assembly replied to oral questions put to him by Franc Jurša (DeSUS), Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti (SNS), Tina Heferle (LMŠ) and Janja Sluga (SMC) on long-term care, harmonisation of pensions, vaccines, prosecutors and future government work.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar today attended a regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. In an informal video conference with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the ministers addressed issues related to the protection and promotion of human rights and focused on the Southern Neighbourhood and EU-Turkey relations.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project “Jesenice Business Zone expansion – reconstructing transport infrastructure”. The project worth approximately EUR 1,1 million will be implemented by the Municipality Jesenice and will receive over EUR 610,000 of European Regional Development Fund support.

Dr Borut Štrukelj from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Ljubljana and President of Headmasters' Association Gregor Pečan participated at today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the Covid-19 disease.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs marks this year’s World Water Day with the theme “Valuing Water” by launching a series of videos from different stakeholders about what water means to them. State Secretary Stanislav Raščan contributed an article on water for “EurActiv”. The Members of the Green Group, established on Slovenia’s initiative, have issued a joint statement. On 18 March, a high-level meeting on the “Implementation of the water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda” was convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, which was also attended by President Borut Pahor.

This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination focuses on young people in the fight against racism. Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, intolerance, and hate speech are unfortunately still present all around the world. In the last year, in particular, young people have demonstrated that they play an important role in combatting these harmful practices, for example by showing support for the “Black Lives Matter” movement, within which they have been actively pointing out the injustices based on race or colour.

Today, before the European Council meeting, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a videoconference with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša met with Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, President of the Advisory Group at the Ministry of Health, Mateja Logar and Director of the NIPH, Milan Krek, to discuss the worrying trends of COVID-19, which move Slovenia’s regions closer to the red tier from day to day.

At its session on 18 March 2021, the Government appointed Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a member of the Conference on the Future of Europe Executive Board.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today received the the mufti of the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia, Nedžad Grabus.

Mateja Logar, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, and Simona Repar Bornšek from the Ljubljana Medical Centre participated at today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the Covid-19 disease.

The day after the European Medicines Agency declared the AstraZeneca vaccine safe and effective, vaccination with that vaccine was resumed in Slovenia.

On Friday, 19 March 2021, the Minister of Public Administration Boštjan Koritnik participated in the traditional meeting entitled Digital Day, which is attended annually by EU ministers responsible for digitisation.

Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Dr Rado Genorio, together with Jan De Haes, Chairman of the Arboretum Committee, and Abraham Rammeloo, Director of the Arboretum, today 19th of March 2021 ceremoniously planted Tetradium daniellii, bee tree.

As part of preparations for Slovenia's Presidency in the second half of 2021, the Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs and his delegation paid a two-day working visit to Brussels and The Hague. In Brussels, he met with the Director-General for Justice and Home Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Council Christine Roger.

The Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, presented the decision of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today met by video-conference with Italian senator and Northern League party leader Matteo Salvini and his colleagues.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today continued the discussion about fundamental challenges and key issues of the future of Europe that had begun on 5 March. The Conference on the Future of Europe, whose content is already being addressed by the Portuguese Presidency, will be one of the responsibilities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU as well.

Today's press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by Milan Krek, Director of the National Institute of Public Health, Tjaša Žohar Čretnik, Director of the National Laboratory for Health, the Environment and Food, Deana Potza from the health inspectorate and Tomaž Pečjak, Deputy Director General of the Police.

Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Andrej Vizjak attended an on-line informal conference of EU environmental ministers, which held an exchange of views on the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, which was published by the European Commission in February. Ministers also debated the role of the Recovery and Resilience Plans for a Green Transition in conjunction with the European Semester and held a political debate on the Commission's proposal for a regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, following the goals of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan. The afternoon part of the session was attended by State Secretary Metka Gorišek, PhD.

Prime Minister Janez Janša: Today, even those who are not part of the governing coalition got a sense of the dilemmas the government is facing during the epidemic

Marta Grgič Vitek, the national coordinator of the vaccination programme at the NIPH, presented the results of vaccination in the country.

After yesterday's meeting of Prime Minister Janez Janša at the Bundeskanzleramt in Vienna with Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Bulgarian Prime Minister Bojko Borisov, Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, where the discussion focused on the distribution of vaccines among EU Member States, the six leaders held a videoconference today with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

Out of 19 applicants from nine countries, the European Landowners' Organization (ELO) awards Mr Zvone Černelič from Slovenia for his outstanding contribution to the development of agricultural practice protecting the soil and the environment. This is the first time in 15 years that a Slovenian project has won this prestigious award.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended a working meeting in Vienna with Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to discuss the distribution of vaccines among EU member states. In addition to the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, the working meeting was attended by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Bulgarian Prime Minister Bojko Borisov, Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krišjanis Karinš (by video-link) and the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (by video-link).

Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek participated in an informal videoconference of EU ministers responsible for consumer protection. The first part of the meeting was devoted to political debate on consumer policy and an exchange of views and experiences. In the second part of the meeting, Minister Počivalšek, at the request of the Portuguese Presidency, presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the area of consumer protection.

The press conference was attended by Bojana Beović, member of the advisory group for vaccinations at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), and Ada Hočevar Grom from NIJZ.

Today, Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs met with Michael O'Flaherty, the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

Today, Minister Andrej Šircelj participated at an informal video conference of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN). Economic recovery in the European Union remains the most important subject of the discussions at the European level.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a funding decision for the project Cycling connection Krško – Sotelsko - Brestanica. Total cost of the project that will be implemented in the scope of the Agreement on the development of the Posavje region amounts to EUR 375,000; the project will receive over EUR 110,000 from the European Regional Development Fund.

Today, at the invitation of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar is on a working visit in Kiev. In addition to his meeting with his host, Minister Kuleba, and in light of the preparations for Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency and the Eastern Partnership Summit, Minister Logar also met with Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov, and Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Yaşar Halit Çevik. During all these talks, the Minister expressed his full support for Ukraine’s reform endeavours on its path towards the European Union and NATO.

The Slovenian project, aiming to restore forests damaged by natural disasters and involving forest owners and Slovenia Forest Service as the main beneficiaries of the funds, was named as one of the 20 finalists out of 125 projects submitted for the European competition Rural Inspiration Awards 2021.