During the regular part of the meeting, the Parties focused on general convention contents, such as the review of the implementation of the current three-year work program and the adoption of a new one, decisions on the directions of the Convention's activities and elections to the working bodies of the Convention. On behalf of Slovenia, the chairmanship of the Water Convention Bureau is taken over by Dr. Aleš Bizjak from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, who has been active in the work of the Convention for many years. Slovenia will formally take over the Presidency late in the evening, at the end of the session.

Dr. Aleš Bizjak: "Taking over the Chairmanship of the Water Convention Bureau is an extremely great recognition of Slovenia by the 55 States Parties for our work and successes in the field of transboundary water cooperation at all levels. At the same time, it also entails a great deal of political and professional responsibility. We are aware that this will often be a difficult task, but we believe that as an extremely watery and modern country that wants to contribute to a sustainable water future and stability and peace in the regions and the world, we will successfully carry out the Presidency and justify the trust we have shown so far."

During its three-year presidency of the Water Convention Bureau, Slovenia has set itself four priorities. In addition to expanding membership and implementing the Convention's program, the key tasks are:

• developing the climate resilience of transboundary river basins in States Parties and beyond, at all levels of water governance – national, bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international. This will be achieved by further strengthening and connecting international and national state authorities, institutions and river commissions, by developing partnerships between key stakeholders in the international arena, and by applying modern approaches and methods of integrated transboundary water management;
• deploying and disseminating modern satellite and other high-tech technologies for data capture and analysis in transboundary river basins of the States Parties and beyond, in relation to the impacts of climate change and climate resilience.

A number of bilateral and other meetings were held in the margins of the Meeting:

Slovenian minister Jože Novak met with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Tatiana Molcean. The Executive Secretary expressed her gratitude to the Minister and to Slovenia for the excellent organization of the meeting in Ljubljana and for all the efforts that Slovenia has been making in the field of water resources management. They also discussed the key priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Water Convention in the next three years, including strengthening cross-border cooperation, adaptation to climate change and sustainable use of water resources. At the same time, Ms. Molcean assured her full support for the Slovenian Presidency and expressed her readiness to continue close cooperation.

The topic of water management was also discussed at the bilateral meeting by State Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning Dr. Lidija Kegljevič Zagorc and State Secretary from the Office of the Prime Minister, Ms. Maša Kociper with the delegation of Poland. Polish Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Przemysław Koperski expressed interest in Slovenia's regulation of access to drinking water, which was included in the Slovenian Constitution eight years ago. On this occasion, the parties exchanged information on the systemic regulation of water management in both countries and highlighted the possibilities for further cooperation.

State Secretaries Ms. Maša Kociper and Ms. Ane Laškoska from the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning of North Macedonia discussed the possibilities of cooperation and assistance from the Slovenian side in the transposition of European directives in the field of water within the accession process of North Macedonia. Ms. Laškoska expressed particular interest in Slovenia's experience in regulating the field of wastewater discharge and treatment and regulating the status of bathing waters. State Secretary Ms. Kociper advocated further deepening of traditionally good relations between the two countries and confirmed Slovenia's support for helping North Macedonia on its path closer to the European Union.

Minister Jože Novak and Director General of the Water Directorate Dr. Lidija Globevnik with the Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River Ms. Birgit Vogel, the Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Sava River Basin Mr. Dragan Zeljko and the Croatian State Secretary Ms. Elizabeta Kos. The Minister welcomed the achievements and progress in cross-border cooperation in the most international river basin in the world (the Danube region) and along the wateriest tributary of the Danube, the Sava basin. He thanked the Executive Secretaries for their achievements and highlighted the development challenges for strengthening the resilience of river basins, which can only be achieved through enhanced cross-border cooperation through multifunctional arrangements based on the principle of "lead more space". He also thanked the Croatian representatives for their support to the Secretariat of the International Commission for the Sava Basin based in Zagreb and highlighted the challenges and cross-border projects to increase water and food security along the Drava, Mura, Sava and Kolpa rivers. The Minister highlighted the opportunity of regional, sub-regional and cross-border synergies to prepare high-quality, next-generation projects to increase resilience at the cross-border level.

Together with representatives of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, the Minister also visited a temporary exhibition dedicated to the project 2O years of the Danube Artist, in which young people from the entire Danube basin, including Slovenian schools and pupils, creatively participate, using exclusively river material. The Minister emphasized the utmost importance and continued support for the involvement of young people in active participation to increase the resilience of river basins at the local and cross-border level.

About the meeting of the MoP 10 in Ljubljana

The three-day, jubilee tenth session, which acts as an established intergovernmental platform under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) for the promotion of transboundary protection and sustainable use of surface and groundwater, attracted distinguished guests from all over the world to Slovenia.

In the opening part, where the participants were also addressed by the Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Jože Novak, nine new members who joined the convention during the current three-year period when Estonia chaired the convention were also ceremoniously accepted. Enlargement and accession of new Contracting Parties is also one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency, which begins today.

Under the slogan "Our Waters, Our Future: Transboundary Water Cooperation to Strengthen Climate Resilience", the discussions focused on pressing topics facing all countries: the triple planetary crisis (pollution of natural resources, loss of biodiversity and climate change) and the water crisis (too much water, too little water or poor quality of it). Transboundary water cooperation is also key to tackling these crises. At the end of the first day of the session, the conclusions of the high segment of the tenth session of the Water Convention were adopted.

In parallel with the meeting, as many as 14 side events were on the agenda, which are primarily an opportunity to exchange opinions and experiences, ideas and examples of good practice between countries.

Slovenia currently holds the Presidency of the Alpine Convention and the Barcelona Convention, and tomorrow it will take over the Presidency of the Water Convention and the Convention for the Protection of the Danube River at the end of the year. This combination of coincidences puts Slovenia at the heart of transboundary water cooperation for a certain period. The synergies that undoubtedly arise from such a situation will also be understood in the context of Slovenian national needs and interests.