Today, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša, hosted a working visit by the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, in Ljubljana. The main subjects of talks related to the COVID situation; the interlocutors also discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and current European issues. The relations between Slovenia and Austria are considered to be excellent.

International Literacy Day has been celebrated on 8 September since 1966, when it was proclaimed as such by UNESCO.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the programme “Mobility of students from socially-disadvantaged areas for 2019, University of Primorska”. The said programme is one of the several initiatives through which the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport each academic year supports the mobility of students of Slovene universities.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife, Urška Bačovnik Janša, attended a ceremony today at Pristava nad Stično in honour of the 30th anniversary of an event at which the key players in the formation of the defence and security system adopted and formalised the strategic documents that served as the basis for the final phase of the organisation of a joint military and police organisation (the National Defence Manoeuvring Structures, or MSNZ), on which the barely independent Slovenia based its effective and successful armed resistance against the aggression of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JLA). In those documents, the JLA was for the first time clearly defined as a potential aggressor, or a clear and present danger to Slovenian independence.

At the press conference, Government spokesperson Jelko Kacin presented the current data on the epidemiological situation in Slovenia and neighbouring countries.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended the 24th Slovenian Diplomatic Consultation, which took place at Brdo pri Kranju, and addressed the assembled diplomats. In his speech he set out views on current topics in the international community, marked principally by Brexit and the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In scope of the HIA project, funded by the European Comission and coordinated by TECOS with the help of SRIP FoF, SRIP FoF is launching an open call for the international expert group, where they invite Industry 4.0 experts to apply. This is the first of the overall three open calls within this project.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the “Call for proposals for the financing of incentives for the start-up of businesses in disadvantaged border areas – COVID 1”. The total amount available under the call for proposals, which was published today by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, is EUR 5 million of which European Regional Development Fund contribution amounts to EUR 3.7 million.

Slovenian designers and companies will present themselves at the Danish annual design event 3daysofdesign held in Copenhagen, Denmark that opened today and will conclude on 5 September 2020, with the exhibition The Circle.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic Jean-Yves Le Drian in Brdo pri Kranju at the margins of the meeting of Slovenian diplomats.

On the second day of the Consultations at Brdo, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is paying an official visit to Slovenia, took part in the event at the invitation of the Slovenian Foreign Minister, Dr Anže Logar. In his opening address, Minister Logar stressed that his French counterpart’s participation in the EU panel confirms the two countries’ shared commitment to a strategic partnership and to the EU core. The French Foreign Minister immediately responded to the invitation to visit Ljubljana and take part in the Consultations of Slovenian Diplomats.

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian is paying an official two-day visit to Slovenia at the invitation of Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar.

At today’s Government session, the Government adopted an ordinance temporarily imposing mandatory use of protective masks in enclosed public spaces, which includes public transport. The Government also adopted the Act Amending the Environmental Protection Act.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, met today with representatives of the leadership of the Association of Paraplegics of Slovenia, namely President of the Association Dane Kastelic, Vice-President Damjan Hovnik and Head of Professional Services Špela Šušteršič.

The two-day 24th Consultation of Slovenian Diplomats began at the Brdo Congress Centre today. For the first time since he has taken office, Minister Dr Anže Logar presented to heads of diplomatic missions and consular posts the direction and vision of Slovenian foreign policy. He outlined Slovenia's aspiration to be a responsible member of the EU, NATO, and the international community, not merely a silent observer, and to return to the diplomatic map.

Due to cooperation with the US Embassy and NASA, the rock brought to Earth as part of the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon in 1972 can be seen in the Noordung Centre in Vitanje as of this Wednesday. As highlighted by Dominik Kobold, the director of the space centre, this is one of the most precious museum heritage exhibits ever to be put on display in Slovenia.

After several postponements, the Vega rocket carrying the first Slovenian satellites, Nemo HD and Trisat, was launched today in French Guiana. This is also a historic moment for European science since no European rocket has so far been equipped with so many satellites.

The 24th consultation of Slovenian diplomacy, a two-day event, began at the Congress Centre at Brdo pri Kranju on Thursday.

The renewed strategy will represent one of the numerous strategic bases for the 2021-2027 European Cohesion Policy implementation. The workshop organised by the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy (GODC) as the coordinator of Slovenia’s Smart Specialisation Strategy was attended also by the representatives of ministries and 9 strategic research and innovation partnerships (SRIP).

In an extended interview for the Hungarian weekly Figyelo published last Thursday, the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša talked about the country’s struggle against the coronavirus crisis, the economic recovery measures adopted by the government, and further government plans. He also reflected on the cooperation between Hungary and Slovenia, and the European future.