News

Dear Ms Mijatović, May I begin by thanking you for your concern and the attention you have been devoting to the current situation regarding the Slovenian Press Agency (SPA). Just as you, I also want the current difficulties regarding the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency to be resolved as soon as possible to the benefit of the employees as well as the Agency itself.

In scope of the HIA project, funded by the European Comission and coordinated by TECOS with the help of SRIP FoF and Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, we are launching the second call for expression of interest, where we invite interested companies with relevant Industry 4.0 references to apply. This is the second of the overall three open calls within this project.

Today’s press conference on the current situation of the Covid-19 epidemic was attended by Anica Hribar, director of the Brežice general hospital, and psychologist Žarko Trušnovec.

Prime Minister Janez Janša will be participating at the European Council meeting in Brussels today. The EU leaders will discuss further harmonisation on Covid-19, climate change, the fight against terrorism, and EU relations with the USA, Turkey, and the southern neighbourhood.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed, via video message, the attendees of the Global Slovenian Business: Cooperation and Development event, uniting Slovenian businessmen around the world, which has been organised by the Slovenian Global Business Network.

On the margins of his visit to Rome, Foreign Minister Anže Logar met David M. Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). Minister Logar congratulated him on receiving the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to WFP for its efforts to combat hunger, its contribution to improving the conditions for peace in conflict zones, and for efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

The press conference on the current Covid-19 situation was attended by the state secretary at the Ministry of Health, Marija Magajne, the state secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mateja Ribič, and the government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

Below is the interview with Prime Minister Janez Janša for the Hungarian weekly Mandiner. The interview focused on the Slovenian domestic policies, Covid-19 epidemic, Slovenia’s presidency of the EU Council, on cultural Marxism, and on Hungary.

Today, we mark International Human Rights Day. It is very different from previous years. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives without precedent. In fact, it goes far beyond a public health emergency. It is an economic and social crisis, as well as a human rights crisis.

The press conference on the current situation with the COVID-19 disease was attended by Borut Štrukelj, full professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Dušan Deisinger, medical director of the Izola General Hospital, Eva Grilc, epidemiologist from the NIPH, and the government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a virtual ministerial roundtable on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, which was held on the margins of the World Press Freedom Conference 2020 co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and UNESCO. The meeting focused on the strengthening of support for countries to increase the safety of journalists and media workers, particularly in fighting impunity for crimes committed against them. At the close of the meeting, a ministerial commitment was adopted.

As part of his two-day official visit to Israel, Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with his host, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In their joint statement to the press, the two prime ministers highlighted the good, friendly relations between the countries since Slovenia gained independence thirty years ago and the importance of innovation for the future competitive advantage of both Slovenia and Israel.

Speakers at today’s afternoon press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 were Mojca Matičič from the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, who is also a professional mentor to students at the government call centre, and Robert Masten from the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana.

During his visit to the US, Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with US Congressman Paul Gosar and Senator Amy Klobuchar today. Due to measures adopted by the Congress to control the COVID-19 pandemic, both meetings took place via video-conference.

The press conference on the current situation relating to COVID-19 was attended by Boštjan Koritnik, Minister of Public Administration, Dr Matjaž Vogrin, Medical Director of Maribor University Medical Centre, and Government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

Speakers at the afternoon press conference on the current epidemiological situation included Nataša Slejko, head of healthcare at the Nova Gorica Home for the Elderly and a member of the regional team of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia, psychologist Eva Kovač, and government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the EU General Affairs Council video conference. At today’s meeting, the European Affairs ministers and state secretaries focused on examining draft conclusions for the European Council meeting to be held on 10 and 11 December 2020. In this context, they discussed the coordination effort that has been delivered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including work on vaccines, climate change, the fight against terrorism, EU-UK relations, Turkey, and the Southern Neighbourhood.

Today’s press conference on the current Covid-19 situation was hosted by Mateja Logar from the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Ljubljana University Medical Centre and Jelko Kacin, the government spokesperson.

Following the agreement between Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on launching the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries, the inaugural session of the Dialogue was held today at the Department of State.

Prime Minister Janez Janša has given an interview to Sieci, a Polish weekly magazine. The interview covers the prime minister’s letter to European leaders about the rule of law, Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU, the American elections, the media in post-communist countries and his political career.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar is visiting Washington D.C. at the invitation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The main purpose of the visit is further strengthening of relations between Slovenia and the US, historical friends, strategic partners and NATO allies.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar spoke in the general debate during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the COVID-19 pandemic. In his address, he stressed that the current health, economic and social crisis calls for a well-coordinated regional and global response.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with the representatives of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. The discussion focused on the Covid-19 epidemic in the context of trade and the possibilities of easing measures imposed on trade activities. They agreed that restrictions imposed on trade activities can only be relaxed, if the number of Covid-19 cases decreases. For this to happen, all citizens must act responsibly and respect measures for the prevention and containment of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar is today attending the international video-conference Rome MED 2020 – Mediterranean Dialogues, held this year under the title Heal and Rebuild: A Positive Agenda for the EU in the Enlarged Mediterranean. The Minister took part in a panel session with the foreign ministers of Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece. In his address, he stressed the importance of partnership between the European Union and neighbouring countries in the field of migration as well as green and digital transition, transport, and energy.

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mr Cveto Uršič, representative of the Health Inspectorate, Ms Deana Potza, Deputy Director-General of the Police, Mr Tomaž Pečjak, and the Government spokesman Mr Jelko Kacin participated at the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs participated in a videoconference of like-minded Member States on some elements of the Migration and Asylum Pact, convened by Polish minister Mariusz Kamiński.

Marko Rakovec, Acting Director-General of the Directorate for International Law and Protection of Interests at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and current chair of the Slovenian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) participated in an online plenary meeting of the organisation. In his address, he underscored the attention Slovenia pays to raising awareness about the unacceptability of antisemitism and about the tragic events of the past, such as the Holocaust and the Porajmos.

Speakers at the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 included the Minister of Health, Tomaž Gantar, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Aleš Mihelič, the Secretary from the Healthcare Directorate at the Ministry of Health, Doroteja Novak Gosarič, and the Government Spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stanislav Raščan, took part in the opening session of the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council held via video teleconferencing. The event is hosted by the Albanian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, and will conclude on 4 December 2020.

Janez Janša, Prime Minister, Borut Pahor, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, and Igor Zorčič, the President of the National Assembly, commemorated the International Day of Disabled Persons with a special ceremony.

The Director-General for EU Affairs, Barbara Sušnik, held bilateral consultations with David Cvach, Director-General for European Affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

At its 134th session by correspondence on 30 November 2020, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia was informed by the Government Communication Office (GCO) of the inability to perform Contract No. 81/2019 on the Performance of Public Service in 2020, concluded with Slovenska tiskovna agencija d.o.o. (Slovenian Press Agency), Ljubljana, and the inability to conclude a contract on the performance of public service in 2021.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Construction of a new building of the Centre for Treatment of Children’s Diseases”. The project worth over EUR 5.8 million will be managed by the Ministry of Health and will receive a little over EUR 4.4 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

Today, the final event of the development cooperation project “School and Peer Mediation in Bosnia and Herzegovina” took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carried out in 2019–2020, the project involved primary schools from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Brčko District, and the Republika Srpska.

Ahead of the December Home Affairs Ministers Council, today the Ministers of Trio Presidency, German minister Horst Seehofer, Portuguese minister Eduardo Cabrito and their Slovenian counterpart, minister Aleš Hojs, exchanged views on the new Migration and Asylum Pact.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar took part in the second day of the regular meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which was held via teleconference. Today’s meeting was mostly focused on exchanging views with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the foreign ministers of Finland, Sweden, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, in particular, on the impact of China’s rise in the global community.

The press conference on the current situation with the COVID-19 disease was attended by the Deputy Head of the Communicable Disease Centre of the National Institute of Public Health Nuška Čakš Jager, DEOS manager Irena Vincek, the representative of the Ministry of the Interior Borut Jakopin, and the government spokesman Jelko Kacin.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar took part in the regular two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance, organised via video-conference. The meeting primarily focused on the reflection process for strengthening the political dimension of the Alliance and on the NATO 2030 Expert Group’s Report.

At the invitation of the German Presidency, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today attended a virtual informal meeting of ministers for European affairs. The members of the EU General Affairs Council discussed issues relating to the future of Europe and exchanged views on the possibilities of stepping up coordinated action against the COVID-19 pandemic. Ministers of the Western Balkans countries also joined the discussion.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease was attended by Janez Tomažič from the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Ljubljana University Medical Centre (UKC), Polonca Mali from the Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, and the government spokesman Jelko Kacin.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by Vesna Vodišek Razboršek, director of the Šentjur retirement home (DSO), and psychologist, Andreja Poljanec.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia took note of the Report of the Permanent Coordination Group for Restrictive Measures on Hezbollah’s Activities and Mode of Operation, reaching the decision to treat Hezbollah as a criminal and terrorist organisation that poses a threat to peace and security.

Today, Slovenia's leading conference on innovation “Innovation Day” took place in a virtual format under the title “Symptoms of Creativity”. This year’s event was organised for the first time in partnership with the Creativeforum.si platform launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It brought together over a thousand participants from more than 50 countries, for a lively discussion on the pivotal role of creativity as an international societal driving force and the potential of cooperation between traditional industries and creative sectors. “Supporting creativity and innovation is one of the pillars of Slovenia’s foreign policy, and creativity will be one of Slovenia’s cross-sectoral priorities during its presidency of the Council of the EU”, stated State Secretary Stanislav Raščan in his opening speech.

The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Icelandic foreign ministry, conducted a study entitled “Empowered diplomacy: bridging the gender gap” on equal opportunities of women and men in diplomacy. Its findings suggest that since 2009, the situation regarding the gender gap in higher positions in Slovenian diplomacy has largely improved. The aim of the project was to obtain up-to-date and transparent insights into gender equality and equal opportunities in diplomacy, and to subsequently identify and design the necessary measures for further improvement.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the Head of the intensive care unit at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at UKC Ljubljana, Matjaž Jereb, and the government spokesman, Jelko Kacin.

Today, Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the first ever Schengen Forum meeting through a videoconference link. The meeting, at which the European Commission gathered EU home affairs ministers and MEPs, marked the launch of regular discussions on the future of the Schengen area.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Wastewater collection and treatment in the Meža River basin – Municipality Mežica”. The project worth EUR 529,000 will be implemented by the Municipality Mežica and will receive EUR 272,000 of Cohesion Fund support.

Today’s epidemiological situation: a relatively large number of tests were carried out yesterday (as many as 6,587). One thousand six-hundred and nine cases were confirmed, which means that the proportion of positive tests was 24.4%. Hospital care required 22 more COVID-19 patients (namely 1,324) in comparison to Wednesday. Two-hundred-six patients needed intensive care, which is nine less than the day before. Ninety-eight patients were discharged from hospitals in total. Yesterday we also had a lot of deaths in Slovenia: 48 people died in hospitals, nursing homes and care homes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today held a video conference with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson. Minister Logar stressed the positive and friendly bilateral relations and expressed Slovenia’s interest in further deepening economic cooperation with Iceland.

This year, following the decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and in agreement with the Holy See, a Slovenian Christmas tree, a spruce from the Kočevje forests, will be erected in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City. It will be decorated with handmade Slovenian ethnographic ornaments. A Slovenian Christmas tree being put up in the Vatican, as well as the accompanying promotional events that will take place, is an excellent way to promote Slovenia, especially in the light of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021. The project is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. The opening ceremony will take place in the Vatican City on 11 December 2020.