News

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain strongly condemn the most recent Israeli offensive launched in the Strip and the announcement to establish a permanent presence in Gaza City.

Minister Tanja Fajon hosted the Palestinian Authority's State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin during her first official visit since Slovenia recognised Palestine. The two ministers used this opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of relations between the two countries, which enables the establishment of a formal framework for a systematic dialogue and regular political and practical cooperation.

Under the honorary patronage of Minister Tanja Fajon, a youth dialogue was held in Brdo pri Kranju within the framework of the international project SIT DOWN – Peace Child in Concert. More than 170 young artists, representatives of 19 nationalities, including those from crisis areas such as Palestine and Ukraine, held a discussion with Minister Fajon and other participants on global challenges, also featured in the musical Peace Child.

World Humanitarian Day on 19 August draws attention to the noble work carried out by humanitarian workers around the world. Every day, they help people affected by armed conflicts, natural disasters and other humanitarian crises, often in extremely dangerous and unpredictable situations.

These days, Brdo pri Kranju is playing host to 200 artists from 19 countries, all united by a love of music, creativity and a desire for peace. Among them are young people from crisis areas whose visit has been made possible by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, including 11 female singers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 14 Ukrainian musicians and 20 members of a Palestinian choir.

The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels. Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation. Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicised.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia is proud to support the international project ‘SIT DOWN – Peace Child in Concert’, which marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the end of World War II this year. The project is being carried out under the honorary patronage of Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič participated in an extraordinary informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, which took place via video link. The agenda of the meeting, which was convened by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas in light of the announced meeting between the US and Russian presidents and the alarming developments in the Middle East, included Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain strongly condemn the recent announcement by the Government of Israel of the intensification of the occupation and the military offensive, including in Gaza city. This decision will only deepen the humanitarian crisis and further endanger the remaining hostages’ lives. This operation will lead to an unacceptable high toll of deaths and the forced displacement of nearly one million Palestinian civilians.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has selected eleven development and humanitarian projects in the Western Balkans, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as two strategic partnerships aimed at raising public awareness of development cooperation and humanitarian aid and at promoting global learning. These activities will be implemented by Slovenian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during the 2025–2028 period.

Following the signature of the Joint Communiqué by H.E. Samuel Žbogar, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations and H.E. Mouctar Abakar, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Chad to the United Nations on 1st August 2025 in New York, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of the Republic of Chad have decided to establish Diplomatic Relations between the two countries with effect from the date of signature of the aforementioned Joint Communiqué.

In July, the UN Security Council presidency was held by Pakistan. The Council's work this month was dominated by the situation in the Middle East, particularly the further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and inter-ethnic clashes in Syria, in which Israel also intervened militarily.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in a conference in Helsinki to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act entitled Helsinki +50; Respecting the Legacy, Preparing for the Future. She participated in a panel discussion on the topic of “How can states and civil society jointly address threats to peace, human rights and democracy?”

Speaking at the UN high-level conference on the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-state solution at the UN headquarters in New York, Tanja Fajon, Slovenia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, emphasised the need for immediate action. “The only way to achieve peace in the Middle East is to implement the two-state solution: Israel and Palestine.”

We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

The 13th Slovenian Development Days will take place on 14–17 October under the title “Business in Support of Global Solidarity”. Today’s global challenges, including the consequences of armed conflicts, climate change and the energy crisis, call for innovative and comprehensive approaches. In this context, cooperation between the public sector, the business community and NGOs is vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On 17 July 1998, the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), was adopted. The ICC became operational on 1 July 2002 and now plays a central role in the global fight against impunity for the most serious crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon paid a working visit to Berlin today, where she was hosted by German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul. The visit was aimed at further strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two countries and exchanging views on topical European and foreign policy issues.

Deputy Director-General for European Affairs Jure Vršnak hosted the Director-General for European Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Heleen Bakker, for EU consultations in Ljubljana. During her visit, Director-General Bakker also paid a courtesy call on State Secretary Marko Štucin.

Wrapping up the second year of the Diplomatic Bulletin, the July issue addresses topical matters, including the behind-the-scenes preparations for the 20th Bled Strategic Forum international conference. It also provides information on the successful 2025 Africa Day international conference, the Fourth national conference on artificial intelligence and this year's Economic Diplomacy Consultation.