A working level meeting for senior officials of the Slovenian, Croatian, and Italian foreign ministries took place today. It focused on cooperation on economic development, connectivity, and comprehensive protection of the northern Adriatic region prior to the declaration of the exclusive economic zones by both Croatia and Italy.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar was on a working visit to Croatia and made his first stop in the town of Petrinja, which was hit by a devastating earthquake on 29 December last year. Together with his host, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Goran Grlić Radman, he went to see for himself the current situation on the ground and took note of the activities to help those affected by the earthquake. Minister Logar also paid a visit to one of the families living in mobile homes donated by the Republic of Slovenia.

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 shook the wider area of Zagreb at around 12.20 today, the epicentre of which was near the Croatian town of Petrinja, which is reported to have suffered significant material damage. Based on the known information, the earthquake killed at least one person, and at least 20 are injured, report the Croatian media. The earthquake was also felt in the whole of Slovenia.

At the invitation of Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the first meeting of foreign ministers of the three countries was held today in Trieste, and focused on the joint management of the Adriatic Sea. Bordering the same sea, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia share a vision of the Adriatic Sea as a bridge uniting the people of the region and as a source of prosperity for all.

Prime Minister Janez Janša participated in the opening ceremony marking the start of the construction of the 2 x 400 kV Cirkovce–Pince transmission line. The ceremony was held in a marquee on the lawn next to Sternthal Mansion in Kidričevo, where the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia addressed the participants.

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.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Anže Logar attended a video conference of Foreign Ministers and State Secretaries from the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) participating states, where he outlined Slovenia’s views on the further development of institutional ties within the 3SI and closer cooperation process in the wider region of Central and Eastern Europe.

Today, Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar met with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Dr Gordan Grlić Radman at the Dragonja border crossing.

At the invitation of Ambassador Boris Grigić of Croatia, which is currently holding the Council presidency, Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar was a guest at a meeting of Heads of Mission of EU Member States accredited to the Republic of Slovenia.

State Secretary Dobran Božič attended a meeting of the Slavkov format composed of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in Bratislava today. For the first time, the Slovenian and Croatian state secretaries joined their counterparts in the Slavkov trilateral format for a meeting.

The fifth meeting of the Standing Joint Committee of senior representatives of successor States to the former SFRY was convened in Zagreb today, four years – almost to the day – after their last meeting, held in Sarajevo on 11 and 12 November 2015. Headed by Senior Representative of the Republic of Slovenia for Succession Issues Mateja Vraničar Erman, the Slovenian delegation urged for consistent and effective implementation of the Agreement on Succession Issues, for the fulfilment of its obligations in good faith and for continuous dialogue among senior representatives to be continued.

An oral hearing was scheduled this afternoon at the EU Court of Justice on the admissibility of an action that Slovenia filed against Croatia for breaches of EU law resulting from its repudiation of the Arbitral Award. Two years after the Final Award was rendered, Slovenia stands firmly on its position. In accordance with Article 7 of the Arbitration Agreement, the Final Award of the Arbitral Tribunal of 29 June 2017 is binding on both parties and constitutes a definitive settlement of the border dispute.

Two years after the entry into force of the arbitral award, the Slovenian government’s position remains unchanged. Pursuant to Article 7 of the Arbitration Agreement, the award of the Arbitral Tribunal (29 June 2017) is binding on both countries and constitutes a definitive settlement of the border dispute.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECHR) today convened an oral hearing on the admissibility of the inter-state application filed by Slovenia against Croatia relating to the Ljubljanska Banka (LB) claims towards Croatian companies. This was the first opportunity for Slovenia to present its arguments and evidence concerning violations committed to the detriment of LB in 48 proceedings before Croatian courts.

The first day of the Three Seas Initiative Business Forum, held under the aegis of the Prime Minister at Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, focused on connectivity along four key dimensions of the initiative: energy, transport, digitisation, and innovation. At the presidential panel, chaired by Slovenian President Borut Pahor, presidents of participating countries discussed geopolitical and transition challenges in the area of the EU spanning the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.