State Secretary Marko Štucin reaffirmed the good neighbourly relations during bilateral consultations with Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, held in Bled. He expressed hope that Austria would continue to adopt measures to improve the situation of the Slovenian minority through close cooperation with the minority community.

From 20 to 22 November 2024, on-line information days will be held in several languages for international students interested in studying in Slovenia. Full details and a registration link are available in the attachment.

The European Commission adopted a decision to increase short stay Schengen visa (visa type C) fees worldwide by 12 per cent. The increase will apply worldwide as of 11 June 2024.

On the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs would like to emphasise that the Austrian State Treaty is of lasting importance for the Republic of Slovenia, as Article 7 of the Treaty provides an international legal basis for guaranteeing the rights of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia and Styria. The Republic of Slovenia is the legal successor to the Treaty and the state protector of the Slovenian minority.

Representatives of Slovenia and Carinthia met at Brdo pri Kranju for the 7th session of the Joint Committee Slovenia – Carinthia, co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, and the Governor of Carinthia, Dr Peter Kaiser. The chairs reaffirmed the excellent relations and committed to continuing their successful cooperation.

Today marks the fifth World Bee Day, declared by the UN General Assembly on Slovenia’s initiative on 20 December 2017. In this European Year of Youth, World Bee Day is dedicated to the future of beekeeping and the role of young people in raising awareness of its importance.

Today, ten years have passed since the conclusion of the Memorandum on bilingual topographical signs, the official language and measures for cooperation with the Slovenian-speaking national community, which was signed on 26 April 2011 by representatives of the Austrian Federal Government, the Provincial Government of Carinthia and three organisations of Carinthian Slovenians in Klagenfurt.

Third-country nationals should exercise the utmost caution in all dealings with companies that claim to offer assistance in obtaining Slovenian citizenship or Slovenian passports. Many websites and e-mail scams attempt to mislead individuals into believing the companies are offering to expedite citizenship or passport applications or are acting on behalf of the Slovenian authorities.