Today, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia paid a working visit to the Posavska region, which consists of the municipalities of Bistrica ob Sotli, Brežice, Kostanjevica na Krki, Krško, Radeče and Sevnica. At the end of the visit, members of the Government attended a public forum and answered questions from mayors, businesspeople and other actors of development in the region.

As part of the government visit to the Posavje region, Prime Minister Janez Janša in a statement to the media, following a consultation and a meeting at the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Maribor, stressed that Posavje is a region of many distinguishing characteristics, which has managed to catch up with the Slovenian average in terms of development.

For many years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the Slovenian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) have supported, and actively contributed to, remembrance, research, and education on the Holocaust.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs attended an online business breakfast where the participants discussed grants for businesses in 2022.

Prime Minister Janša today hosted the traditional New Year's reception for diplomatic corps at Brdo pri Kranju together with the President of the Republic, Borut Pahor. Prime Minister Janša also delivered an address for the diplomats that attended the reception. The diplomatic corps at the reception were also addressed by the President of the Republic, Borut Pahor, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Archbishop Msgr Jean-Marie Speich.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Brazil’s recognition of the Republic of Slovenia, State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held an audio-video conference with Ambassador Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Secretary of Bilateral Negotiations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first session of the General Affairs Council after the conclusion of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in Brussels. At the beginning of the session, he expressed support to the French Presidency for the guidelines for the work of the General Affairs Council in the first half of 2022 and advocated for the ambitious continuation of work of the Conference on the Future of Europe. He also called for further coordinated action of EU member states in facing the COVID-19 pandemic and welcomed the commitment of the EU to the enlargement process and strengthened cooperation with the Western Balkans.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the deputy head of the Communicable Disease Centre at the National Institute of Public Health, Nuška Čakš Jager, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Franc Vindišar.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today attended the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, led by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The meeting focused on the situation in Syria, Libya and Eastern Europe. The ministers exchanged views with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the situation at the Ukrainian-Russian border via video link.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held an audio-video discussion with Deputy Foreign Minister of Argentina Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Argentina’s recognition of the Republic of Slovenia on 16 January 1992.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the third Plenary of the Conference on the Future of Europe in Strasbourg. The discussion centred on the recommendations put forward by European Citizens’ Panels on European democracy, values and rights, the rule of law, security, climate change, environment and health, and on the related recommendations adopted by the national European Citizens’ Panels. On the eve of the session, the working groups met and held preparatory discussions. State Secretary Dovžan participated in the Working Group on “European democracy”.

Mateja Logar, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, and Janez Tomažič from the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana took part in a press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

On Friday, the German Crediterform Rating agency confirmed its credit rating for Slovenia's national debt. The Slovenia's credit rating thus remains at AA- and the prospects are stable. The rating has already been confirmed by Fitch and S&P Global and DBRS Morningstar.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended a two-day conference on border management in Vilnius. Participants addressed the issue of the instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes and discussed common measures to strengthen surveillance at the EU's external borders in the face of increased migration flows. On the margins of the event organised by the Interior Ministers of Austria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland, the participants visited a border surveillance centre and were updated on the situation at the external border.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held a video conference call with Uruguay Deputy Foreign Minister Carolina Ache Battle. The discussion was aimed at assessing relations between the two countries on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Uruguay’s recognition of Slovenia’s independence.

As part of the Slovenian delegation visiting the Expo 2020 in Dubai, State Secretary Anton Harej attended the presentation of the Slovenian wood industry.

State Secretary Dr. Stanislav Raščan held a video conference call with Acting Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Chile Carolina Valdivia, stressing that Slovenia will be forever grateful to Chile for recognising Slovenia's independence on 16 January 1992 – only a day after a number of European countries recognised it as well.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met today with the representatives of automotive companies united in the GREMO consortium.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy (GODC) and the company ZaVIta held an audio-video conference with those giving opinions regarding the strategic environmental impact assessment (SEIA) in drafting the national European Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 Programme.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held bilateral consultations in Bratislava with Martin Klus, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and took part in a discussion on the future of Europe with student from a bilingual high school.