News

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended a regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The main topics on the agenda were the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its impact on food security, Egypt and the Horn of Africa. Prior to the EU Council meeting, at the invitation of Italy and Finland, ministers held an informal meeting with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Acting Director-General Ksenija Škrilec took part in an informal meeting of directors-general for EU Affairs in Paris hosted by France as the current Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Today, diplomats and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to the late Boris Pahor. Many had the honour to meet and work with Mr Pahor in Slovenia, abroad and in European capitals. He presented and shared his testimonies in cooperation with the entire diplomatic network and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is why, as of today, one of the conference rooms at the Ministry will bear his name.

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon hosted the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Minister of Immigration and Asylum of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn. Their talks focused on enhancing the excellent and friendly relations between the two countries, strengthening cooperation between the core countries of the EU, enlargement to the Western Balkan countries and the European perspective of Ukraine.

The 50th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHR), which will run from 13 June to 8 July 2022, is getting under way in Geneva. Among the topics in the focus of the session, Slovenia will pay particular attention to issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, human rights, and the environment, and will also react to the worrying human rights situation in individual countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the Ministerial Meeting of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Thessaloniki and held several bilateral meetings on the margins of the event.

For the first time ever, the UN General Assembly elected Slovenia to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Ministry is proud of the successful vote with 176 votes and commends the endeavours of all who played a part in this project.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Eva Tomič took part in the first Mediterranean Ministerial Dialogue on the Food Security Crisis via audio-video link. The event was organised by Italy within the scope of G7 to enhance regional activities in the area of safe food supply.

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon received Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk, who is paying a visit to Slovenia as a special envoy of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Their discussions focused on the current situation in Ukraine and its European perspective.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria Alexander Schallenberg. This was the first bilateral meeting she has hosted since assuming her duties.

Political Director and Director-General for common foreign and security policy Jernej Müller attended the 14th session of the Jordan-EU Association Council in Jordan. The session was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Ayman Safadi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and saw the participation of European Commission Olivér Varhelyi and representatives of EU Member States, including ministers of foreign affairs of Cyprus, Luxembourg, Ireland and Greece.

Today, former Minister Dr Anže Logar handed over the official business to newly appointed Minister Tanja Fajon. Upon taking up her duties, Minister Fajon thanked her predecessor for his work and outlined her vision at the helm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

The campaign “30 Years of Slovenia’s UN Membership” concluded with a virtual round table organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Slovenian UN Association to discuss the past and the future of the Organization.

Director-General of the Directorate for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič took part in the second dialogue of the Global Governance Group (3G) and the chairing G20 Troika. The hybrid event was hosted by Foreign Minister of Singapore Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan took part in the celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of Slovenia’s membership of the United Nations (UN) and World Bee Day in Vienna.

The 11th Africa Day International Conference, organised under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor and in the framework of the Bled Strategic Forum, focused on the opportunities for cooperation between Africa and Europe in promoting responsible innovation and responsible governance of new technologies, as well as the role technology can play in shaping creative and cultural sectors.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan is paying a working visit to Bratislava to talk about strengthening economic cooperation between Slovenia and Slovakia. He met with Lucia Kišš, Director General for Economic and Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Mexican recognition of Slovenia on 22 May 1992, State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held an audio-video conference with the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Carmen Moreno Toscano.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the regular General Affairs Council session in Brussels. The state secretaries and ministers focused on the preparations for the special meeting of the European Council scheduled for 30 and 31 May 2022. They also exchanged views on how to follow up on the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe and continued the Article 7(1) TEU procedure relating to the hearing held by the Council on the values of the Union in Hungary.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked Slovenian Diplomacy Day, which is celebrated every year on 22 May, the anniversary of Slovenia’s admission to the United Nations.