News

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held consultations with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, ahead of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Wendy Morton, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who is on a two-day visit to Slovenia.

Before the launch of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Director-General Barbara Sušnik held bilateral consultations with the Secretary General for European Union Affairs at the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, Philippa Karsera, via an audio-video link.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in an online meeting with Polish Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymański. The State Secretary briefed his counterpart on the priorities of Slovenia's EU Council Presidency, which will take place in the second half of this year. He highlighted the importance of the Union's quick economic recovery, resilience to future crises and ensuring strategic autonomy. He also mentioned the Conference on the Future of Europe, where Slovenia will play an important role as the EU presiding country.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan participated in a videoconference with Märt Volmer, Undersecretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals Appeal Chamber unanimously rejected all grounds of appeal by Ratko Mladić, former Bosnian Serb army chief, thereby confirming the first-instance judgement. In 2017, Ratko Mladić was found guilty of genocide in Srebrenica, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the siege of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with State Secretary for the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain Juan González-Barba Pera to discuss the incoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency and current European topics.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held consultations with the Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Vincenzo Amendola.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar concluded a two-day working visit to Korea today. He met with his host, Chung Eui-yong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea. They advocated strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries, including the opening of the Slovenian Embassy in Seoul. Minister Logar also took the opportunity to present the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year and to exchange views on current international issues.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today held a videoconference with Secretary General at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, focusing on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2021.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a videoconference with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs of Turkey Faruk Kaymakçi. They assessed bilateral relations and exchanged views on EU-Turkey relations in the light of the incoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Today, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a meeting via videoconference with Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen. The meeting focused on the presentation of the priorities of the upcoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a video conference with the Minister for EU Affairs of Sweden, Hans Dahlgren. State Secretary Dovžan briefed Minister Dahlgren on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and Secretary General Jožef Drofenik hosted a regular informal meeting of secretaries-general of the EU Member States and the Secretary General of the European External Action Service.

Director-General of the Directorate for European Union Affairs Barbara Sušnik held bilateral consultations with Jean-Louis Thill, Director-General for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg via videoconference.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar had a telephone conversation today with Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport Dominique Hasler.

On the second day of the 25th Consultation of Slovenian Diplomats, which was launched yesterday at Brdo pri Kranju, the core topics revolved around the future of the European Union and Europe, building the Union’s resilience following the pandemic, and its role in the changed global geopolitical situation. Heads of Slovenian diplomatic missions and consular posts, along with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were addressed by Prime Minister Janez Janša. He referred to the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international relations, and the future of the Union: “In my view, genuine debate on what Europe should look like is the greatest added value of the Conference on the Future of Europe.”

Minister Anže Logar participated in the NATO foreign affairs ministers' session via video-conference, which was carried out ahead of the NATO Summit on 14 June.

On Monday, 31 May 2021, and Tuesday, 1 June 2021, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan participated in the virtual ministerial session of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Council titled “Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future”. The session was opened by the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, on behalf of the country holding the Presidency.

Today marks the launch of the 25th Consultation of Slovenian Diplomats at the Brdo Congress Centre, which is taking place one month before Slovenia takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In his introductory address, Foreign Minister Anže Logar, who is heading the two-day Consultation, assured the participating diplomats that Slovenia is well prepared for the Presidency. “The following months will be very challenging for all of us. The Presidency will be another test due to the limitations and uncertainties brought about by the pandemic. However, we have the knowledge, experience and confidence to accomplish this task as successfully as we did in 2008,” explained Minister Logar.