Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the nine EU Mediterranean countries in Madrid, Spain, the first MED-9 meeting at the level of foreign ministers. The ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and enhanced cooperation with the Southern Neighbourhood countries.

The Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy has set targets, put in place measures and allocated resources for reducing energy poverty in Slovenia in the Action Plan to Alleviate Energy Poverty. To this end, it will allocate almost EUR 34 million over the next three years.

At today's session, the Government continued its consideration of the proposed Act on Reconstruction, Development and the Provision of Financial Resources. It approved the proposed amendment to the Public Use of the Slovenian Language Act, the proposed amendment to the Building Act and the proposed Minimum Tax Act.

Representatives of the 21 Mediterranean countries – signatories to the Barcelona Convention, which commits them to the maintenance of healthy, safe, clean and biodiverse Mediterranean sea and coasts – will meet in Portorož early in December. This meeting highlights the importance of education and young people as key agents in the efforts for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean. At the meeting, Slovenia will take over the presidency of the group of countries from Türkiye, passing it on to Egypt in 2025.

At today’s sessions of the Committee on the Economy, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia included two new investment projects of the GREMO Consortium into the current Development Programmes Plan, namely e-MOTION – Experimental Development and i-MOTION – Industrial Research.

"We worked with a single goal in mind: to develop the best possible digital services for users," said Kristina Valenčič, Acting Director-General of the Directorate for Digital Solutions Development and Data Economy, at the presentation of the projects launched under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy in the period 2014-2020 and financed from the EU funds.

At today’s gala event at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, SPIRIT Slovenia and the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport presented awards to the best foreign investors who have achieved outstanding results and made a significant contribution to the development of Slovenian economy in the past year.

Ministers of the Central European Initiative (CEI) member states met to discuss the prospects for and the acceleration of the EU integration process, including in the light of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the broader implications of the war, the impact of which is being felt in all CEI countries.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon announced that with great efforts and excellent cooperation between several parties, three Slovenian citizens have been evacuated from Gaza. She thanked her colleagues for their tireless efforts to help Slovenian citizens and announced a visit to the Middle East.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Žalec-Rogatec Cycle Route.

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in an informal video conference of EU foreign ministers on the situation in Israel and the wider region.

At today's correspondence meeting, the Government adopted a Report on the implementation of the state budget in the first half of this year, adopted positions on the opinions of the National Council on budget documents, and took a position on the amendments to the draft budget amendments for 2024 and the amendments to the supplemented draft state budget for 2025.

Children's rights are human rights - and they are being seriously violated for millions of children around the world: in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and elsewhere. On World Children's Day, we echo UNICEF's call for peace for every child. Every child has the right to live in peace, in a clean and safe environment. They also have the right to be heard and to participate in the decisions that affect them.

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW), which started on 18 November with the European Antibiotic Awareness Day, takes place this week. Growing antimicrobial resistance is a threat to people, animals, plants and the environment.

The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU organised the 4th European AI Alliance Assembly, which aims to improve EU policy and cooperation in the development and use of AI. The event was attended by Ambassador Tadej Rupel, National Coordinator for External Aspects of Digitalisation, AI and Cyber Security.

On 18 November 2023, we celebrate the European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. Slovenia, together with the initiating countries Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco and San Marino, has for the 9th year in a row prepared a declaration to mark this day. This year, 37 other European countries and the European Union have endorsed the joint declaration.

The traditional Slovenian breakfast is the central event of Slovenian Food Day, which is celebrated every third Friday in November. This year, on 17 November, it takes place under the slogan »Bread for breakfast – a great day!«

Temporary reintroduction of internal border controls is extended by 20 days, until 9 December 2023 (under Article 28 of the Schengen Borders Code). On 22 December, six-month internal border controls, as provided for in Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code, will be introduced.

The Government agreed to the proposed amendments to the proposal for the Implementation of the Republic of Slovenia’s Budget for 2024 and 2025 Act and issued a Decree amending the Decree on the method of determining and calculating the contribution for ensuring support for the production of electricity from high-efficiency cogeneration and renewable energy sources.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Slovenian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance strongly condemn the hate message that appeared this morning on the door of the Jewish Cultural Centre and Synagogue in Ljubljana on Križevniška Street. It is unacceptable that individuals should attempt to violate the dignity of Jews or any other minority group.