On Friday, 17 July 2020, Fitch Ratings affirmed Slovenia's credit rating at 'A' with a stable outlook.

The leaders of the EU Member States met yesterday at an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels, where they held a 14-hour discussion on the EU coronavirus recovery package in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. European Council President Charles Michel adjourned the meeting just before midnight and leaders resumed talks today.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a funding decision for the call for proposals Incentives for SMEs to develop and roll out new wood industry 4.0 products. Total funding from the European Regional Development Fund available under the call for proposals amounts to EUR 6.2 million. The call for proposals has been published by the Slovene Enterprise Fund.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a funding decision for the project Promotion of activities to prevent work related musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risks. The EUR 250 million project will receive a contribution from the European Social Fund totaling EUR 200,000 and will be implemented by the National Institute of Public Health.

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC) mandated to the prosecution of perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. Slovenia is committed to respecting the principles and values of the Rome Statute and to supporting the independence and impartiality of the ICC, and encourages other countries to do the same. Past atrocities have been preserved in the collective memory and give rise to the determination to prevent conflicts and genocide more effectively in the future.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a funding decision for the project COVID-19 – medical and protective equipment against epidemic. The project, worth a total of EUR 38.65 million, will be fully funded by the European Social Fund. The cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija will receive EUR 23.19 million from the project, whereas the remaining EUR 15.46 million will go to cohesion region Zahodna Slovenija.

Today and tomorrow, Prime Minister Janez Janša is participating at the extraordinary European Council meetings in Brussels, dedicated entirely to the negotiations on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021–2027, including the negotiations on the newly proposed recovery instrument.

At yesterday's meeting by correspondence, the Government issued the Ordinance on imposing and implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the external border crossings and at control points at the internal borders of the Republic of Slovenia. The Government dismissed the chief market inspector.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a funding decision for the programme COVID-19 – Short-time work subsidies. The programme with a budget of nearly EUR 93 million will be implemented by the Employment Service of Slovenia and fully funded by the European Social Fund. The cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija will receive EUR 38.64 million from the programme while the remaining EUR 54.35 million will be allocated to the cohesion region Zahodna Slovenija.

In the beginning of July, the 41st KFOR contingent of the Slovenian Armed Forces on the mission in Kosovo began to take over its tasks in the area of responsibility. As part of the preparations, members of the Sierra motorized company underwent training in the area of operations and met the conditions to attain full operational capability. Together with members of the deployed partner forces, company members trained helicopter medical evacuation procedures, airlift of the crowd and riot control unit, pyrophobia and ensuring freedom of movement.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the project “Drainage and treatment of wastewater in the Soča river basin - Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica”. The project worth more than EUR 657,000, which will be implemented by the Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica, will receive Cohesion Fund support in the amount of a little less than EUR 197,000.

Ljubljana, 15 July 2020 - Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the project “Drainage and treatment in the Krka River Basin - Municipality of Šentjernej”. The Cohesion Fund will contribute EUR 566,000 for the project which is worth more than EUR 1.2 million and will be implemented by the Municipality of Šentjernej.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša met Managing Director of Fraport Slovenia, Zmago Skobir.

The United Nations has published the latest global review of the development of e-government. It is a regular and established publication, which UNDESA has been preparing since 2001. According to the e-government development index, Slovenia is ranked 23rd among 193 countries.

The Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Andrej Vizjak, attended the informal videoconference of the EU environment ministers, the first under the German presidency, held yesterday and today. On the first day of the meeting the ministers continued the discussion on the green recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and held an interactive discussion on the role of digitalisation in environmental protection and climate change, in which Mr Vizjak chaired one of the panels.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša met Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, Dr Robert Šumi.

On Tuesday, 14 July 2020, the foreign ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia met in Budapest. It was the second time they have held a meeting in this configuration of five Central European countries, informally called, on Slovenia's proposal, “the Central 5”. The first such meeting was held on 16 June 2020 in Vienna.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes today’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the arson attack on the National Hall in Trieste, held in the presence of the highest state officials of Slovenia and Italy. On this solemn occasion, the National Hall was formally handed over to the Slovenian community in Italy. This concluded the long-lasting efforts of the Slovenian national community in Italy and Slovenian diplomacy, which pursued regular dialogue on the topic with representatives of the Italian Republic. The restitution of the National Hall in the presence of President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor and President of the Italian Republic Sergio Matarella has a strong symbolic charge both for Slovenians in Italy and for relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Today, Prime Minister Janša published his reply to the State Prosecutor’s Council on his Twitter account. Upon the publication of the letter, he emphasised that calling for death and inciting hatred was highlighted in the 2019 report of the state prosecution service as the prosecution policy’s great priority. With the appointment of the new government, the position and conduct changed abruptly, which is clearly a case of double standards.

The entire letter can be found in the attachment.

At today’s 19th regular session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša answered parliamentary questions raised by Luka Mesec (the Left), Marko Bandelli (SAB – Party of Alenka Bratušek), Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti (SNS – Slovenian National Party) and Jožef Horvat (NSI – New Slovenia, Christian People's Party).