The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Icelandic foreign ministry, conducted a study entitled “Empowered diplomacy: bridging the gender gap” on equal opportunities of women and men in diplomacy. Its findings suggest that since 2009, the situation regarding the gender gap in higher positions in Slovenian diplomacy has largely improved. The aim of the project was to obtain up-to-date and transparent insights into gender equality and equal opportunities in diplomacy, and to subsequently identify and design the necessary measures for further improvement.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the Head of the intensive care unit at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at UKC Ljubljana, Matjaž Jereb, and the government spokesman, Jelko Kacin.

Today, Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the first ever Schengen Forum meeting through a videoconference link. The meeting, at which the European Commission gathered EU home affairs ministers and MEPs, marked the launch of regular discussions on the future of the Schengen area.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Wastewater collection and treatment in the Meža River basin – Municipality Mežica”. The project worth EUR 529,000 will be implemented by the Municipality Mežica and will receive EUR 272,000 of Cohesion Fund support.

Today’s epidemiological situation: a relatively large number of tests were carried out yesterday (as many as 6,587). One thousand six-hundred and nine cases were confirmed, which means that the proportion of positive tests was 24.4%. Hospital care required 22 more COVID-19 patients (namely 1,324) in comparison to Wednesday. Two-hundred-six patients needed intensive care, which is nine less than the day before. Ninety-eight patients were discharged from hospitals in total. Yesterday we also had a lot of deaths in Slovenia: 48 people died in hospitals, nursing homes and care homes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today held a video conference with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson. Minister Logar stressed the positive and friendly bilateral relations and expressed Slovenia’s interest in further deepening economic cooperation with Iceland.

This year, following the decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and in agreement with the Holy See, a Slovenian Christmas tree, a spruce from the Kočevje forests, will be erected in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City. It will be decorated with handmade Slovenian ethnographic ornaments. A Slovenian Christmas tree being put up in the Vatican, as well as the accompanying promotional events that will take place, is an excellent way to promote Slovenia, especially in the light of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021. The project is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. The opening ceremony will take place in the Vatican City on 11 December 2020.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the virtual ministerial meeting of the Regional Forum within the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as the main platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation in the region. In his address, Minister Logar spoke in favour of further strengthening the relations and cooperation within the UfM to increase security and stability and promote overall development in the Mediterranean.

The press conference on the current Covid-19 situation was attended by the acting director of the Healthcare Directorate of the Ministry of Health, Marija Magajne, psychologist Peter Markič, and the government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

Today, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of EU Member States and Southern Neighbourhood partner countries. Against the backdrop of the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, the ministers exchanged views on the future of the EU-Southern Neighbourhood partnership.

The afternoon press conference on COVID-19 was attended by the General Manager of the Šmarje pri Jelšah Care Home Gordana Drimel and psychologist at France Bevk primary school in Tolmin Žarko Trušnovec.

On 20 November, Prime Minister Janez Janša ordered, based on the epidemic situation and counsel at EU level, the competent ministries to prepare everything necessary for mass voluntary coronavirus tests, and to establish a programme for registering candidates for voluntary vaccinations by 5 December at the latest.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease was attended by the head of the UKC Maribor emergency centre Dr Gregor Prosen, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Mateja Ribič, deputy head of the Communicable Disease Centre of the National Institute of Public Health Nuška Čakš Jager, and the government spokesman Jelko Kacin.

At today's 49th extraordinary session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša presented in detail the draft Act determining intervention measures to contain the consequences of the second wave of COVID-19, or the sixth anti-corona package for mitigating and eliminating the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic, and the legislative package aimed at maintaining the condition of society, the state, and the economy, after the epidemic.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Network of social services and intergenerational cooperation”. The project worth EUR 855,000 will be implemented by the Municipality Brežice and the Municipality Krško and will receive EUR 280,000 of European Regional Development Fund support.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs participated in the online expert conference on areas that will receive EU 2021-2027 funding. She presented the preparations for European Cohesion Policy implementation in the period 2021-2027 and the use of the funding available under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The event, which was attended by over 1,200 participants, was hosted by Tiko Pro Event company on the occasion of its tenth anniversary.

The Minister of Finance, Andrej Šircelj, presented the Government's measures relating to the economic, social and health area, which are covered by the sixth anti-corona package.

The press conference today on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the head of the regional civil protection service in Koper for the DSO area, Gabrijela Valenčič, the head of the RS civil protection service, Srečko Šestan, and the government spokesperson, ambassador, Jelko Kacin.

On 24 November 2020, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar took part in the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, which was organised by the Körber-Stiftung foundation in Berlin together with the German Foreign Ministry. The Forum was opened by the foreign ministers of the Trio Presidency of Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan addressed the participants of today’s webinar on circular economy and challenges emerging during the pandemic, and briefly outlined Slovenia’s experience and cooperation with Latin American countries in this area. The webinar titled Circular Economy in the COVID-19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities is one of the introductory activities of the Latin American and Caribbean Days (LAC Days), an international conference planned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for spring 2021.