Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec attended the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Stockholm, which was hosted by the Swedish capital yesterday and today in the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council.

During a visit to Dublin, State Secretary Marko Štucin held bilateral consultations with Peter Burke, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence in the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. The two officials discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations and engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on current European and international topics.

On 8 March, we celebrate one of the most important holidays, Women’s Day, which stands for courage, determination and the pursuit of solidarity and equality. It has been celebrated for over a hundred years, and marks the struggle for a world in which people can live with dignity and equality, whatever their circumstances.

At the meetings of the Government committees, the Government, among other things, agreed to the proposed amendments to the amended Scientific Research and Innovation Activities Act and to the expansion of the inscription of dry stone walling on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as to the modification of the baseline value of the AV Media Programmes 2022–2023 project, which is included in the current Development Programmes Plan.

Ms Irena Šinko, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF), is participating in the formal opening of the 48th FOODEX Japan 2023, the largest international food and beverages show, jointly with a delegation of Slovenian industrial and economic operators. At the show, regarded as the leading food and beverage show in Asia, 11 Slovenian companies are presenting themselves.

A ceremony was held today at the Intellectual Property Office to name a large meeting room after the outstanding Slovenian inventor and cosmopolitan Peter Florjančič. The event was attended by his daughter and grandson, and addressed by State Secretary Dejan Židan and the Director of the Office Karin Žvokelj.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met Leo Docherty, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Europe at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, during a visit to London. They talked about further strengthening bilateral relations and exchanged views on topical European and international affairs.

he Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, and the Minister of Public Administration, Ms Sanja Ajanović Hovnik, met with representatives of the international company Gallup.

At the UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the round table entitled ‘Leveraging the power of science, technology and innovation for the sustainable development of least developed countries’. She stressed the importance of cooperation, solidarity and development aid to eradicate poverty and inequality. On the sidelines of the Conference, Minister Fajon held a number of bilateral talks.

As of 1 March 2023, the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection (AFSVSPP) will no longer allow the entry of pet animals from Ukraine under the simplified procedure, based on Article 32 of Regulation (EU) 576/2013 on non-commercial movements of pets.

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in panels on solutions for an increasingly divided world and the future role of the United Nations (UN) at the Raisina Dialogue international conference in New Delhi. On the sidelines of the event, she met the Foreign Ministers of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the traditional meeting between Slovenia, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland at the level of deputy foreign ministers. Their discussions focused on the current challenges in the region, the fallout from the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Western Balkans.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Secretary General at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Dr Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, in Bled today. They discussed current bilateral and European topics. In particular, they underlined the importance of the enlargement process to the Western Balkans and agreed that the region should remain a geostrategic priority for the EU.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held talks with Vice-President of the European Commission Věra Jourová during her visit to Slovenia. They discussed the rule of law and other institutional matters within her remit. State Secretary Štucin also presented Slovenia's plans for hosting the international MLA diplomatic conference in Ljubljana in May 2023.

The Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko, hosted a working meeting with Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission. Their talks focused on the European Media Freedom Act, the situation at the Slovenian Press Agency and Radio-Television Slovenia, hate speech, and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).

At today’s meeting, the Government adopted the Strategy for the Development of the Capital Market in Slovenia by 2030 and the Spring Forecast, which projects economic growth to be moderate this year, though higher than predicted in the Autumn Forecast, and a gradual fall in inflation.

2 March 2023 Ambassador Suhadolnik participated at the Gorenje Brand promotion conference in Qingdao. Ambassador was accompanied by Mrs. Mira Lesjak, the head of the Slovenian consulate in Shanghai, and Mr. Jan Sitar, economic counsellor of the Slovenian Embassy in Beijing.

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is the most important global event on the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the development of society.

The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia and the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia are organising an event EU Economic governance framework reform – finding consensus to ensure sustainability and growth.

At the session of the government committee, the Government included the acquisition of new owned business premises for the needs of the operations of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Bucharest in the applicable Plan of Development Programmes and it also adopted a response in connection with the Action plan regarding the provision of special rights of the autochthonous Italian and Hungarian national communities.