At the outset, Minister Logar expressed solidarity and sympathy over the Covid-19 victims in the US.

The Slovenian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State called for further strengthening of friendly ties between the two allies and stressed the importance of close transatlantic partnership in dealing with the current pandemic. They addressed a number of topical international issues.

Foreign Minister Logar held a videoconference call with Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva, discussing the preparations for the 2021 presidency of the EU Council by Slovenia and Portugal. The counterparts expressed satisfaction with the excellent collaboration between the two countries during the preparations for the 18-month trio presidency.

The international community today marks the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. Efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the importance of transparent and effective multilateral cooperation in seeking joint responses to the crisis.

Today, on 22 April, as we mark Earth Day for the 50th year, the world focuses on climate and environmental challenges.

Today, Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar received the Apostolic Nuncio and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Republic of Slovenia, Archbishop Jean-Marie Antoine Joseph Speich.

The emergence of a novel coronavirus, its rapid spread and subsequent declaration of a pandemic have posed a common challenge to the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs both in internal and foreign service: Covid-19.

At the outbreak of the pandemic, the Slovenian authorities advised against all travel and repeatedly called on Slovenian citizens to postpone their travel plans. This also applies to the coming Easter season.

State Secretary Tone Kajzer attended an informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in the format of development cooperation ministers via an audio/video conference. The ministers discussed the EU’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and upheld a joint approach to assist partner countries termed ‘Team Europe’. The main goal is to ensure emergency assistance to partner countries, particularly the most vulnerable countries in Africa, the European neighbourhood and the Western Balkans, and at the same time to strengthen the EU’s role and increase the visibility of its development and humanitarian aid.

During the last days, Foreign Minister Logar led a coordinated diplomatic action aimed at reopening the Holmec border crossing. As part of the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Republic of Austria has decided to close down the border crossing.

At today’s informal videoconference, EU ministers of foreign affairs called for continued intensive efforts to repatriate EU citizens from third countries, and for consular cooperation between Member States. They underlined the importance of the free movement of goods and the possibility of transit within the EU for EU citizens returning via airports outside their home countries. The ministers agreed that the EU must strengthen its assisting role in third countries as part of its response to the pandemic, particularly in Africa, the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries. They also called for more proactive provision of information to EU citizens on the EU’s role and activities undertaken to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Anže Logar attended the regular meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers today. Due to the changed circumstances following the spread of the COVID-19 disease, NATO Foreign Ministers met via a secure video conference, for the first time in the history of NATO, with the COVID-19 crisis at the top of the agenda. They assessed further measures NATO and the allies can take to enhance the collective fight against the virus.

As a member of the Core Group of the MLA Initiative, which also includes Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands and Senegal, we regret to inform that after careful consideration and in response to the continuing developments surrounding COVID-19 pandemic, the Diplomatic Conference for the negotiation of the Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, which was scheduled for 8–19 June 2020 in Ljubljana, is postponed until further notice.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar spoke on the phone with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjárto, today. The ministers agreed to support the initiatives put forward by both national communities and ease the crossings of border residents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently undertaking one of the biggest repatriation efforts in the history of both the Ministry and the state. Since the evacuation of Slovenian citizens from the cruise ship quarantined at Yokohama in the beginning of February, the Ministry is constantly and intensively seeking for new ways and solutions to bring home Slovenian citizens.

In 2020, Slovenia commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Slovenian-Paraguayan anthropologist, Dr Branislava Sušnik, whose life and achievements made an indelible mark on science and established links between Slovenia and the South American cultural area.

The Government has issued the Ordinance on the conditions of entry into the Republic of Slovenia from the Republic of Austria to contain and manage communicable diseases, which will be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

Today, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan participated in a videoconference of the EU General Affairs Council where ministers voiced their unanimous support for starting the EU accession negotiation process with North Macedonia and Albania.

Croatia has widened the list of countries whose nationals must remain in 14-day self-isolation upon entering the country.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemics, as of 21 March 2020 at 17.00, Turkey has introduced the entry ban on all foreign travellers who are nationals of any of the 46 countries on the list or have visited those countries in the last 14 days.

Pursuant to a decree of 22 March 2020, entry into Austria by land from Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Slovenia and Hungary is allowed without restriction for transit passengers, that is for those returning home to Slovenia without stopping.