News

Today was the first day of the international conference Building Bridges across Languages: Human-Centred AI, organised by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in cooperation with the Anna Lindh Foundation. The conference brings together experts from the cultural sphere and other stakeholders who share a common vision to promote intercultural dialogue through advances in AI and translation.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposal to increase the earmarked assets of the Slovenian Housing Fund, the starting points for drafting an act regulating the financing of the building of public rental housing and the amendments to the Decree on the compulsory health insurance service programme. It also decided that helicopter transports for emergency medical services are to be carried out as a state activity using police aircraft.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Lastovka outdoor air quality monitoring system providing air quality information and issuing air quality alerts. The Cohesion Fund will support the project with EUR 2.5 million.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, attended a ceremony marking the laying of the foundation stone for the repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILRW), which is intended for the permanent disposal of waste of this type generated in the Republic of Slovenia.

At the SCCT’24 event, Slobodan Šešum, Director-General for Economic and Public Diplomacy, presented the levers of economic diplomacy to help businesses enter or operate in foreign markets to the members of the Centre of Excellence for Modern Control Technologies, representatives of the SRIP ToP and members of other SRIPs participating in the Centre of Excellence.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon handed over a note to the Palestinian ambassador, Salah Abdel-Shafi, on the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state and the simultaneous establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Slovenia and the State of Palestine.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob today visited the construction of 87 new non-profit housing units in Ljubljana, financed by the Public Housing Fund of the Municipality of Ljubljana. On this occasion, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a financing system that will provide one billion euros over the next 10 years to finance the construction of public rental housing.

Between June 3 and 4, 2024, the Commission for Relations with Slovenians Abroad and Around the World visited Washington D.C. This visit marked the final leg of a tour through Canada and the USA, which began in Ottawa and included stops in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

On the first day of the consultations, economic advisers from diplomatic missions and consular posts visited Maribor to participate in the Slovenian Global Forum: 6th Conference on the Internationalisation of the Slovenian Economy. In the afternoon, B2B meetings were held between the advisers and representatives of companies attending the conference who had previously expressed an interest.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Support for businesses for extending working lives (ASI+). The European Social Fund Plus will support the project with nearly EUR 13 million.

On June 3rd the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington and The Wilson Center co-hosted a round table "75 years of NATO and the power of Alliance: NATO's Evolution after the 2004 enlargement, Enlargement, Resilience, Peace". The event was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of NATO and 20th anniversary of membership of Slovenia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the management of Dravske elektrarne Maribor. They discussed the energy sector, the new Open Science Data Centre and the investment in a supercomputer.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was the keynote speaker at today’s launch of the modernised Paloma factory. The event marked the completion of investments in state-of-the-art technologies totalling more than EUR 130 million, making Paloma a hub for sustainable production, high-quality products and services.

20 May 2024 is World Metrology Day, a celebration marking 149 years since the signing of the Metre Convention in Paris, France in 1875. This year's theme is 'We measure today for a sustainable tomorrow'.
UNESCO officially recognises 20 May each year as UNESCO International Day. This designation opens new avenues to promote metrology, aligning with UNESCO’s mission to construct a better world through science and education.

On the initiative of the Commission for the management of the public call for proposals for the implementation of development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects (2024–2026) and for a strategic partnership for international humanitarian aid in partner countries for the 2024–2028 term, the Ministry adopted, on 27 May, the decisions to co-finance three projects and to conclude a strategic partnership for international humanitarian aid.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has issued an award decision for the call for proposals Development and piloting of a nursing assistant traineeship programme 2024-2026. The European Social Fund Plus will provide just under EUR 358,000 for the implementation of the call for proposals.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the 1st Green Healthcare Path conference, organised by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy. The Prime Minister also addressed the audience.

The 6th Conference on the internationalisation of the Slovenian economy, organised by the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport together with its partners, took place today in Maribor under a new name: the Slovenian Global Forum. Representatives of three ministries, the academia and entrepreneurs discussed the future development of the Slovenian economy in front of a packed auditorium.

It has been 20 years since the entry into force of the Agreement on Succession Issues, the first binding international legal instrument confirming the break-up of the former SFRY and the emergence of five sovereign and equal successor states on its territory. On this occasion, Minister Tanja Fajon reiterated her call to the successor states "to find the political will and wisdom to resolve the outstanding issues for the benefit of all our citizens."

May, when Mozambique held the presidency of the UN Security Council, was another month dominated by the situation in Gaza. The war in Sudan and the catastrophic humanitarian situation there, especially in Darfur, also came increasingly to the fore.

In Ulaanbaatar, State Secretary Sanja Štiglic held political consultations with the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Ankhbayar Nyamdorj. They agreed that the bilateral dialogue was dynamic and could be further strengthened through high-level political visits.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Prague to prepare for the Washington Summit in July. In her intervention, Minister Fajon stressed that "Slovenia's actions are underpinned by the values of democracy, international law and solidarity. As a responsible member of the Security Council, Slovenia is doing its utmost to contribute to peace and security in the world."

On May 22, 2024, the President of the Republic of Slovenia dr. Nataša Pirc Musar and the President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, inaugurated the new premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana on Rruga ˝Skënderbej˝.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and the Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, Asta Vrečko and Matjaž Han, presented the achievements of the first half of the current Government's term of office. All three welcomed the Government's decision today to recognise Palestine.

At today’s session, the Government adopted the proposal on the recognition of independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine, approved the starting points for drafting amendments to the Health Services Act, the starting points for amending tax legislation and the strategy for eliminating precarious work. It also adopted the intervention act on personnel in social care.

According to media reports, ministers from the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Council of Ministers, meeting in Sarajevo on Tuesday, rejected requests from Slovenia and several other EU member states to hold polls for the European elections in their embassies. So far, Slovenia has not received any official notification of a refusal to allow elections to be held at the Slovenian diplomatic and consular representation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today met the Slovenian men's national football team, watched their training and wished them success at the upcoming European Football Championship.

From 28 May to 1 June 2024, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is hosting a group of ten young American opinion leaders and prominent voices from politics, business, think tanks and NGOs as part of the EU-US Emerging Leaders Visitors Programme, a pilot exchange programme under the auspices of the European Commission.

"After a series of consultations over the past few days, I have decided to place on the agenda of Thursday's Government meeting a decision to forward recognition of Palestine to the National Assembly."

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob and his delegation are paying an official visit to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. The purpose of the visit is to further the intensive and friendly relations between the two countries. This is the first bilateral visit since the entry into force of the agreement on economic cooperation on 20 March 2024, which aims to promote regular dialogue to enhance trade and investments.

At the regular monthly meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, ministers, including Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon, stressed the need to comply with the decisions of the relevant international courts and agreed that the EU should play a more active role in the process of strengthening the Palestinian Authority. Fajon said that the Slovenian government was working to recognise Palestine as soon as possible.

On the margins of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended an international conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region. She welcomed UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen's efforts to make progress on the resolution of the conflict in Syria and announced new humanitarian aid from Slovenia.

On the basis of the reverse inquiry, on May 21, 2024, a bond exchange transaction of the Republic of Slovenia was concluded. The RS66 bonds maturing in 2024 and 2025 were exchanged for RS74 bonds maturing in 2035.

Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob was today the main guest at the 19th Craft and Entrepreneurship Forum, where he took part in a discussion.

Slobodan Šešum, Director-General for Economic and Public Diplomacy, explained to business representatives from the Ljubljana, Brezovica, Dobrova - Polhov Gradec, Horjul, Ig, Škofljica and Velike Lašče municipalities how economic diplomacy can help businesses penetrate foreign markets.

At its two last sessions, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted two flood recovery programmes to repair the damage caused by the August 2023 floods, with the development incentives measures programme also being drafted. After successfully preparing and submitting the application for financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund, Slovenia received the maximum possible advance payment from the EU Solidarity Fund of EUR 100 million already in December 2023.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Together for Knowledge: implementing activities in multi-purpose Roma centres.

Rok Tomšič, Head of the Department for Bilateral Economic Cooperation II at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, attended the 18th Meeting of National Coordinators of Central and Eastern European Countries and China (the so-called 14+1 Initiative), hosted by China in Ningbo on 23-25 May.

To mark the launch of the Stop Disinformation - reREAD, reTHINK, RECHECK campaign, we're taking a closer look at this topic in a new episode of the GOVSI Podcast.

The annual meeting of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) took place in Ireland, and was also attended by the Director of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office Karin Žvokelj. The first draft of the European Union Intellectual Property Office's Strategic Plan 2030 and the framework for cooperation were discussed.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Slovenia co-sponsored the resolution based on the international principles of recognition, remembrance and respect for the victims and survivors of genocide.

From 8 to 10 April 2024 the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, met in Greece with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The official visit was an opportunity to further strengthen the already excellent cooperation between the two countries and to exchange views on current foreign policy issues. Slovenian President was a keynote speaker at the 9th Delphi Economic Forum opening ceremony.

At today's session, the Government adopted a draft Act on the classification of judicial and prosecutorial functions in salary grades on the basis of the Constitutional Court's decision and took note of the report on the utilisation of European Cohesion Policy funds in the 2014–2020 programming period, which had been fully absorbed.

At a ceremony held in Ljubljana on the occasion of the closure of the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014-2020, Minister Jevšek underlined that Slovenia has been successful in using all the available EU funding for introducing improvements in infrastructure, promoting innovation and job creation in numerous regions across Slovenia.

Today, Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob attended a gala reception marking the 130th anniversary of the Novo Mesto General Hospital, where he was the keynote speaker.

When the catastrophic storm that struck much of Slovenia in August 2023 caused a widespread disaster, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) immediately provided a rapid, coordinated and efficient flow of information between field teams, the government and the population through official communication channels and close cooperation with the media. Its professionalism in this regard was recognised by the Slovenian Public Relations Association with the Prizma Award.

In mid-May, two prominent Slovenian writers visited Greece. Drago Jančar presented the Greek translation of his novel And Love Itself in Athens and at the 20th Thessaloniki International Book Fair. Dušan Šarotar presented his novel Panorama to the Greek audience in Thessaloniki.

Have you heard about the invasion of bedbugs in one of Europe’s countries? And seen a photo of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket? Even if the news sounds credible and the photo on the screen in front of you looks completely real, these two cases are among the more well-known examples of disinformation that has been exposed.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon opened the 13th Africa Day International Conference dedicated to celebrating the international Africa Day and fostering the friendship between Slovenia and African countries, as well as between Europe and Africa. This year's event is focused on a fair green transition and on effectively tackling one of the greatest challenges of our time – the triple planetary crisis.

Today, the Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, signed a Letter of Intent with the Rector of the University of Primorska, Dr Klavdija Kutnar, for the development and implementation of a single master’s degree programme in medicine at the University of Primorska.