Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved funding for the project “DRR: Establishing cycling connections in municipality Kočevje”. The project implemented by the municipality Kočevje under the Agreement on the Development of the Jugovzhodna Slovenija Region is worth EUR 4 million with the European Regional Development Fund contribution standing at a good EUR 2.5 million.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved funding for the project “Establishing cycling connections and pavements along the reconstruction of the Ptujska cesta road in Miklavž na Dravskem polju”. The project implemented by the municipality Miklavž na Dravskem polju under the Agreement on the Development of the Podravje Region is worth EUR 1.5 million with European Regional Development Fund contribution standing at EUR 492 thousand.

Prime Minister Janez Janša is today on a working visit to Poland. The purpose of the visit is to enhance political and economic cooperation between the countries and exchange views and positions on topical European affairs and foreign policy issues, whereby the discussions will focus on bilateral cooperation and the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project “Hydraulic improvements in the municipality Sevnica - DRR”. The project worth EUR 4.2 million will be implemented in the framework of the Agreement on the Development of the Posavje Region and will receive EUR 2.2 million of Cohesion Fund support.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved funding for the project “DRR – cycling connection between Železniki and Selca”. The project implemented by municipality Železniki under the Agreement on the Development of the Gorenjska Region is worth EUR 1.6 million with the European Regional Development Fund contribution standing at a little over EUR 1 million.

Reading room of the Archives is again opened for visitors. Prior to visit you are kindly asked to contact the reading room service to book an appointment. Admittance without an appointment is currently not possible.

The Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, in Ljubljana earlier today. The meeting focused on Slovenia’s preparations for the Council Presidency in the second semester of 2021.The Minister outlined to the Commissioner the priorities in the area of home affairs. These are integrated migration management, the strengthening of the Schengen area leading to improved security in the EU and Slovenia, and the Western Balkans being a regional priority.

Today's press conference on the current situation regarding the Covid-19 epidemic featured Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs, Economic Development and Technology State Secretary Simon Zajc, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health Mateja Logar and director of the National Institute for Public Health Milan Krek.

Mr Jernej Vrtovec, Minister of Infrastructure, attended today’s virtual meeting of EU energy ministers, in the course of which, among other things, a political discussion was held on the "Renovation Wave for Europe" strategy, focusing mainly on the opportunities offered by renovating buildings in the period of recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic.

In today's Official Journal, the European Commission published the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/656 of 21 April 2021 entering a name in the register of Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (Slovenska potica), thereby protecting Slovenska potica as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG). The protection under the traditional speciality guaranteed does not limit the production of Slovenska potica to a specific area. It can be produced anywhere, provided that the producer holds a certificate of compliance of the production with the specification of Slovenska potica.

The publication entitled “75 Years of United Nations” is a short and interesting read providing an overview of the wide and profound range of activities undertaken by the United Nations (UN) through time.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project “Improving the level of species and habitat types preservation in the Nature Park Pivka Intermittent Lakes PIVKA.KRAS.PRESIHA”. The project worth over EUR 3 million will receive almost EUR 2.4 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar addressed the members of the Board of Advisors of the ITF Enhancing Human Security organisation, giving an assurance that the Republic of Slovenia will continue providing financial and diplomatic support to the organisation.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša met with Dr Peter Gregorčič and Mr Miha Skubic from the civil initiative Enriching Education and Mr Marko Balažic from the civil initiative United Parents.

At today’s session, the Government permitted the implementation of hospitality activities such as preparing food and beverages and serving same on terraces and in the summer gardens of hospitality establishments and the provision of accommodation services at accommodation facilities of up to 30 rooms in nine statistical regions, as envisaged for the orange phase of easing of measures.

The press conference on the current situation regarding Covid-19 was attended by the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Dr Simona Kustec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Franc Vindišar, and Director of the National Examinations Centre, Darko Zupanc.

According to the vice-rector of the University of Maribor, Zoran Ren, the Vega supercomputer, which was officially launched at the Institute of Information Sciences in Maribor on Tuesday, places Slovenia in stride with the world's superpowers in terms of computing power, thus enabling Slovenian and European scientists to make extraordinary discoveries.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved funding for the project “Footbridge Lent-Tabor”. The project worth a little under EUR 4.5 million will be implemented by the Urban Municipality of Maribor and will receive EUR 2.6 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

This week, the well-known American television network CNN published on its website an article entitled The Mini Venices around Europe, describing two Slovenian cities, Piran and Koper, as being among the most atmospheric towns that were once part of the Venetian Republic.

At the invitation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland, Mr Grzegorz Puda, Minister Jože Podgoršek (in the first part) and State Secretary Aleš Irgolič (in the second part) have attended the meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the Visegrad Group extended to Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania (V4+4), which was held by videoconference. The Ministers have discussed the challenges and opportunities for agricultural holdings in light of the Farm to Fork Strategy and exchanged experience in the preparation of strategic plans for the Common Agricultural Policy.