Today, State Secretary Tone Kajzer held a video call with Polish Undersecretary of State Paweł Jabłoński to discuss economic cooperation, the current activities in both countries in the framework of the Three Seas Initiative and some other topical issues.

For the ninth year in a row, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised the Africa Day International Conference as part of the Bled Strategic Forum. As always, the event was organised in cooperation with Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and the European Commission. Marking a first for the Conference, this year the event was held virtually, focusing on the central issue – Africa and the EU: Cooperation for a Sustainable Future.

At the invitation of Michael Roth, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office, a video conference meeting of state secretaries for EU affairs of the Trio presidency Germany-Portugal-Slovenia was held tonight. The state secretaries exchanged views on the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and called for further coordinated action at Union level, particularly with regard to the vaccine and testing. The latter will also be the topic of a video conference meeting of Heads of State and Governments to be held on 19 November.

A new book entitled International Humanitarian Law has been added to the International Law Series, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Faculty of Social Science of the University of Ljubljana. The newest addition to the series features a collection of papers by 21 authors discussing war and the related ethical, moral and legal issues, and international humanitarian law and related issues, as well as Slovenia's views and positions on this topic. The publication also includes references to older Slovenian literature on the law of war, including Professor Ivan Tomšič’s book on the law of war, the first Slovenian book on the subject.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a virtual meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia, which form the unofficial regional group Central5. The ministers focused on COVID-19 coordination, especially the cross-border movement of persons, goods, and services.

Today, the Director-General for EU Affairs, Barbara Sušnik, held bilateral consultations with the Director-General for EU Affairs at the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, Rui Vinhas. Due to the current situation related to the pandemic, consultations were held via videoconferencing. The topics of discussion covered bilateral relations, current European issues and preparations for the EU Council presidency. The two countries are participating in the current trio of presidencies together with Germany.

Today, State Secretary Tone Kajzer took part in the 130th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which on this occasion was held in a virtual format, under the auspices of the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

As part of the ongoing preparations for Slovenia’s Presidency of the EU Council, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today held a virtual meeting with full and alternate members of the Slovenian delegation to the Committee.

The International Law Week has traditionally been the highlight of the UN General Assembly Sixth Committee in New York, the primary focus of which is to encourage the progressive development of international law and its codification.

State Secretary Tone Kajzer today took part in the OECD’s virtual annual Ministerial Council Meeting.

Today, the WHO Regional Office for Europe published the results of the vote by secret ballot of the new members of the WHO Executive Board for the period 2021–2024. In view of the current epidemiological situation, the elections took place in the form of a postal ballot. Slovenia was nominated with its candidate, Ms Vesna Kerstin Petrič.

Slovenia and Ukraine held virtual consultations on cybersecurity. The Slovenian delegation was led by State Secretary Tone Kajzer, and the Ukrainian side was headed by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vasyl Bodnar.

What is the future that we want? Are we on the right track to reach it? What must be done to overcome the differences?

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar concluded his three-day visit to the Baltic countries in the Republic of Lithuania, where he met with his host, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius. The foreign ministers discussed opportunities for further strengthening cooperation between the two countries, both on the European and multilateral level. They also found time to touch on the challenges the EU is facing in coordinating measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Also high on the agenda were the latest developments in Belarus and in this context, Minister Logar met Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Vilnius.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), which was held as a virtual event based in Zagreb. He stressed the importance of good governance of macro-regional strategies and a more visible role of the European Commission.

In October 2020, during Germany’s Chairmanship, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) – on the basis of prolonged discussions and proposals put forth by experts on Roma issues – adopted a non-legally binding working definition of antigypsyism. The definition was prepared with the participation of Slovenian experts, members of the Slovenian delegation to IHRA, and the Roma community in Slovenia. The text of the working definition is provided below.

Today, Foreign Minister Anže Logar held meetings in Trieste and Gorizia with representatives of the Slovenian minority in Italy. This was his first official visit to the Slovenian minority in Italy, after he briefly met with Slovenians in Italy at the ceremony on the return of the National Hall into Slovenian hands on 13 July.

On 15 October, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and Ambassador of Mongolia Gankhuurai Battungalag signed the Visa Waiver Agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports, the first agreement signed between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Yesterday, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Ambassador Zef Mazi, chief Albanian negotiator for accession to the EU, State Minister and member of the Albanian Government. State Secretary Dovžan expressed support for Albania's rapprochement with the European Union and welcomed the EU's decision to open accession negotiations with Albania.

On his working visit to Slovakia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar met with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ivan Korčok today. The ministers principally focused on the measures being taken by Slovenia and Slovakia to limit the spread of COVID-19, agreeing that it was paramount to coordinate these measures to successfully curb the epidemic and relaunch the European economy.