The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Aleksandra Pivec, today attended the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels (AGRIFISH). On the margins of the meeting, the Ministers of Agriculture of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia made a joint declaration in which they presented the programme of work of the future Trio Presidency regarding agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Aleksandra Pivec, today attended the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels (AGRIFISH). At the meeting, the ministers were briefed on the report on progress in consideration of the CAP reform legislative package beyond 2020 and continued to discuss the CAP reform, focusing on green architecture, the farm to fork strategy and a new implementation model.

Today, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr. Anže Logar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed a Joint Declaration on 5G Security.

Today, on 13 August 2020, Prime Minister Janez Janša hosts the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. The purpose of the visit is to reaffirm and foster close relations of friendship, partnership and alliance between Slovenia and the United States, review cooperation between the countries in all key areas of common interest and identify opportunities for enhancing mutual cooperation. During the talks, some topical international issues were also discussed. In the margins of the talks, the Joint Declaration of Slovenia and the United States on 5G Security was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Anže Logar, and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

Mateja Logar from the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Ljubljana University Medical Centre, and Slovenian Government spokesman, Ambassador Jelko Kacin, took part in a press conference on the status of the COVID-19 disease. The two spoke about the various forms of support treatment, and encouraged those who have recovered from COVID-19 to give blood. Recovering patients may in the coming months be susceptible to various other health issues, even younger patients who recovered from COVID-19 relatively easily.

At today's correspondence session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia decided to earmark EUR 200,000 for emergency humanitarian aid to Lebanon and to send an expert to help coordinate international assistance in Lebanon within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The Slovenian Government has allocated, through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Caritas Internationalis, a contribution of EUR 200,000 for the people of Beirut. In addition, as part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Slovenia today deployed to Beirut a logistics expert, who is part of the EU Civil Protection Team.

On the basis of an expert assessment, the Slovenian Government decided that the restrictions under the Ordinance on the temporary general restriction or prohibition of the gathering of people in the Republic of Slovenia would continue to remain in force. The Czech Republic, Malta, Switzerland, and certain Spanish administrative units, i.e. the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, and Castile and León, were removed from the green list, whereas Belgium was added to the red list.

At today's correspondence meeting, the Government decided that the Ordinance on temporary measures in implementing compulsory health insurance to control and manage the COVID-19 epidemic would cease to be in force. It also adopted the consolidated balance sheet of the state and municipalities which in 2019 increased by 2.8% or EUR 1.36 billion.

US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will be visiting Slovenia next week. The purpose of the visit is to intensify the high-level relations, which have stalled during the past few years, and to deepen the close friendly relations between the two allies and partner states, Slovenia and the USA. Another aim of the visit is to enhance the high-level bilateral political dialogue and strengthen cooperation in business and other areas.

On 6 August 2020, some changes to the lists of countries were introduced. Among other, the Slovenian Government decided to take the Czech Republic, Malta, Switzerland and some administrative units of Spain off the green list (entry without a quarantine) and to add Belgium to the red list (14-day quarantine).

On behalf of the Slovenian government, Prime Minister Janez Janša sent a cable of condolences to the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Hassan Diab, expressing his shock at the loss of lives and offered support and help after the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut on Tuesday, 4 August 2020, in late afternoon hours.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issues a grant decision for the project “Construction of secondary circuit of wastewater discharge in the Vuzenica industrial zone”. The project worth EUR 319,000 will be realised by the municipality of Vuzenica and will receive European Regional Development Fund support in the amount of EUR 236,000.

One of the staff members of the Prime Minister’s Office was tested for COVID-19 yesterday as he was not feeling well. Since the test was positive, a testing for all employees who had been in contact with the staff member concerned was organised in accordance with the guidelines and epidemiological recommendations of the NIJZ (National Institute of Public Health).

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the project “Zasavje business incubator”. The project worth EUR over EUR 2 million will receive European Regional Development Fund support in the amount of EUR 1.2 million.

Based on the German version, the application has already been adapted to Slovenian conditions and is undergoing a testing phase. It was presented at a press conference by Peter Geršak, State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, Primož Cigoj, Director of the RSteam company, and Špela Horjak, Deputy Government Spokesperson.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a funding decision for the project Restoration of wetland habitats along the Mura river and Vision Pohorje 2030 – Improving the conservation status of grasslands, water habitats and forest habitats and setting up quiet zones in Pohorje. The two projects, whose total budget will amount to over EUR 6.7 million, will be supported by the European Regional Development Fund with the support totaling more than EUR 5.3 million.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the project “Taking an entrepreneurial approach to addressing the challenges in the Primorsko-notranjska development region” and “Taking an entrepreneurial approach to addressing the challenges in the Pomurje development region”. The projects worth over EUR 1.4 million will receive European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) support in the amount of over EUR 1 million. The projects represent two of the eight projects that make up the project “Taking an entrepreneurial approach to addressing challenges” that is to be implemented throughout Slovenia. The goal of the project is entrepreneurial training for people trying to realise their entrepreneurial idea.

The news report, which was published on a fraudulent website and is making the rounds on social media, is an online scam. There are statements on the website that were not made or written by Prime Minister Janez Janša and were falsely attributed to him, moreover, the photos were published without authorisation from the authors.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Anže Logar met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Dr Gordan Grlić Radman.