On 2 and 3 September, Bled will again host high-level politicians, business people and representatives of international organisations and academia from Slovenia and beyond. Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Centre for European Perspective for the fourteenth consecutive year, the Bled Strategic Forum seeks to provide appropriate solutions to key issues for guaranteeing peace and security, sustainable development, and economic progress. The two-day conference, held under the title (Re)sources of (In)stability, will be divided into thirty panels with the participation of fifteen ministers, two presidents, and many senior representatives of international organisations.

On 19 August, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Blažka Kepic as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Portuguese Republic resident in Ljubljana.

On 12 August, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Tanja Strniša as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Czech Republic.

Minister Miro Cerar today hosted his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono. This is the first official visit of a Japanese Foreign Minister in the history of independent Slovenia. Minister Kono also met with President Pahor.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Alenka Suhadolnik as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the People’s Republic of China.

Today, State Secretary Dobran Božič received Marta Grande, the Chair of the Committee on Foreign and EU Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, accompanied by Paolo Trichilo, the Italian ambassador to Slovenia, Filippo Giuseppe Perconti, a member of the Committee, and Francesca Piazza, the secretary of the Committee.

Andrej Logar, ambassador-at-large for key and strategic affairs, attended the informal meeting of foreign and internal ministers in Paris, which discussed migration in the Mediterranean. The meeting of the EU and Schengen ministers and heads of several international organisations was convened by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner in the face of the growing challenges of migration management in the Mediterranean, particularly its central part, which is considered the deadliest migration route for migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean Sea.

State Secretary Dobran Božič received Loránt Vincze, the president of FUEN (the Federal Union of European Nationalities), today to present the initiative Minority Safepack. The initiative’s goal is to establish an EU framework of ethnic and linguistic minority members’ rights.

On 19 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Lea Stančič as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to Romania.

On 19 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Peter Japelj as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of Albania.

To mark the 101st anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, celebrated today, Political Director/ Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy Matej Marn attended the opening of the African Cultural Centre in Ljubljana. The African Cultural Centre was established in the framework of the African Village Institute. In addition to holding cultural events, the centre’s purpose is informal awareness raising of the importance of a multicultural society and respectful intercultural communication.

State Secretary Božič attended the General Affairs Council today, which took note of the foreseen course of negotiations on the new EU budget until the end of the year and of the Finnish Presidency’s priorities. Implementation of the new strategic agenda and the situation regarding the rule of law in the European Union were also discussed.

The Foreign Ministry participates in this year’s MetalDays festival taking place between 21 and 27 July in Tolmin, where it displays in an interactive way key sustainable development messages included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030).

On 16 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Gregor Presker as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to Montenegro.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Alain Brian Bergant as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Argentine Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Andrej Slapničar as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia – Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Metka Ipavic as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the French Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Dr Erik Kopač as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia – Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to NATO in Brussels.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Matjaž Longar as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Hellenic Republic.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Barbara Žvokelj as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary – Head of Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations, OSCE and other International Organisations in Vienna.