News

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Tashkent with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Muzaffarbek Anvarbekovich. The two officials reviewed bilateral cooperation and committed to strengthening economic cooperation, in line with the 2023 economic cooperation agreement.

To mark the Mediterranean Day, a round table discussion was organised in the atrium of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) under the title The Power of Journalism and Music as a Means of Intercultural Dialogue«. The event was enriched with the performance of the exceptional Syrian musician Rami Basisah, whose story was presented to the international audience by Slovenian journalist Boštjan Videmšek.

In Astana, State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko, focusing on the strengthening of bilateral relations and current foreign policy issues. He also met with Slovenians living and working in Kazakhstan.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič attended the 10th MED Mediterranean Dialogues Conference in Rome. The conference is one of the main platforms for high-level dialogue on topical issues in the Mediterranean, the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and beyond.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, is undertaking an official visit to Portugal today and tomorrow. Following her meeting with her host, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, the two ministers attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Slovenian and Portuguese investment promotion agencies, aimed at enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, the so-called Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which deals mainly with human rights issues, has concluded its session in New York. During its session, which began on 3 October, the Committee again addressed a wide range of thematic issues and human rights situations around the world.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Tanja Fajon visited London at the invitation of Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland David Lammy. Slovenia and the United Kingdom are allies and partners who share democratic values and enjoy excellent cooperation, including in the UN Security Council.

The 6th Latin America and the Caribbean Days international conference (LAC Days), organised by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs under the auspices of the Bled Strategic Forum since 2018, concluded with a panel discussion entitled The Role of Latin America and the Caribbean in the New Geopolitical Reality.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, in cooperation with the Bled Strategic Forum, is organising the 6th Latin American and Caribbean Days international conference (LAC Days) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 20-21 November 2024. This year's conference focuses on strengthening political, economic, scientific and cultural ties, and on addressing global challenges through more effective multilateralism.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič attended the Ministerial Meeting of the Central European Initiative (CEI), which brings together 16 Member States from Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. The meeting focused on preparations for the December European Council and the dialogue on the rule of law. At the informal working lunch, ministers exchanged views on the role of cohesion policy in enhancing the competitiveness of the EU.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič met with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. They focused on Slovenia’s continued support for Ukraine, cooperation in the framework of humanitarian and development assistance, economic cooperation and reconstruction of Ukraine.

Yesterday, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended high-level meetings on the situation in Gaza and Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council. On behalf of Slovenia, he called for more decisive action by the Security Council and respect for international and human rights law.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, chaired for the last time by High Representative Josep Borrell. Ministers discussed the war in Ukraine, Georgia, EU-US relations, the situation in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Minister Fajon also briefed ministers on her recent visit to Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

To mark the publication of the book by Dr Ana Polak Petrič, Slovenian Ambassador in Berlin, and Dr Grega Pajnkihar, entitled Succession in International Law: Dissolution and Succession after Yugoslavia, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs held a symposium on this topic.

Slobodan Šešum, Director-General of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy, took part in a panel discussion on the circular economy as part of the 9th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP).

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia organised an international expert event on the protection of nuclear facilities in armed conflicts to examine whether existing international legal norms and political commitments sufficiently address the issue of security and protection.

Slovenia concluded its second Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) with the 9th Annual Forum at Brdo pri Kranju. The priorities of Slovenia's Presidency of the Strategy, which provides a valuable platform for regional cooperation and the search for common solutions, were youth, water and the circular economy.

State Secretary Marko Štucin reaffirmed the good neighbourly relations during bilateral consultations with Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, held in Bled. He expressed hope that Austria would continue to adopt measures to improve the situation of the Slovenian minority through close cooperation with the minority community.

State Secretary Marko Štucin visited Ukraine, engaging in discussions with representatives of the Ukrainian Government and visiting sites affected by the recent aggression. In Borodyanka and Moshchun, he witnessed the severe consequences of the conflict, while in Bucha, he paid tribute to the victims of Russian aggression at the memorial wall.