“Empowered young people are the key to strong democracy, responsible politics, the protection of human rights and building resilience,” stressed Minister Logar in his opening address of the 5th Eastern Partnership Youth Forum. The Forum entitled “Youth participation in democratic processes” took place from 23 to 24 November 2021.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs was invited by the Director of the Bank Association of Slovenia to attend an online event Slovenian Bankers’ Day to discuss the role of banks in the post-pandemic economic recovery. She outlined priority intervention areas identified in the national Recovery and Resilience Plan and for the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027.

Accompanied by the representatives of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Minister Mark Boris Andrijanič visited the Pomurje region. As part of his visit, the Minister met with secondary school students of computer science and the management of the Murska Sobota Secondary Vocational and Technical School. He became acquainted with the activities of the Pomurje Technology Park and examined the production of the high-tech VIRS company.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia today visited the region of Pomurje, which consists of the municipalities of Apače, Beltinci, Cankova, Črenšovci, Dobrovnik, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Hodoš, Kobilje, Križevci, Kuzma, Lendava, Ljutomer, Moravske Toplice, Murska Sobota, Odranci, Puconci, Radenci, Razkrižje, Rogašovci, Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici, Šalovci, Tišina, Turnišče, Velika Polana and Veržej.

On completion of today's visit to the Pomurje region, the government members attended a public forum and answered questions posed by mayors, businessmen and other development actors in the region.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan chaired today’s regular session of the General Affairs Council in Brussels. The discussion focused on the preparations for the December European Council meeting, the rule of law in five member states, with the cases considered in alphabetical order, and EU enlargement. Ministers and state secretaries for European affairs also took note of the state of EU-UK relations and the European Commission’s work programme for the next year.

In the framework of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, water and marine directors met online for their regular twice-yearly informal meeting. The meeting was attended by around 115 participants, including European Commission representatives, EU water and marine directors and their colleagues, as well as representatives of other European countries, the European Environment Agency and several other organisations. The meeting opened with a welcome address by Dr Metka Gorišek, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning.

In the frame of the Government visit to Southeast Slovenia Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač met with the mayors of the municipality of Moravske Toplice and Turnišče. In Lendava the Minister tried out the electric bike renting system by taking a bicycle ride to visit the transnational cooperation project IronCurtainCycling and the location where new housing units will be built in Lendava.

The Management Board of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) held its seventh virtual meeting today.

As part of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the meeting of the Atlas Commanders Forum was held in Ljubljana today and was attended by representatives of the special police units from all EU member states.

The ministers responsible for urban matters will meet online on Friday, 26 November. The main topic of the meeting will be the Urban Agenda for the EU and the adoption of the Ljubljana Agreement. The informal meeting, which will also be attended by the European Commissioner for cohesion and reforms, Elisa Ferreira, will be chaired by the Slovenian Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Andrej Vizjak.

Slovenian delegation, led by State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs, today participated in the first South East Europe (SEE) 2030 Strategy Monitoring Committee meeting which was held online. The Monitoring Committee consists of delegations from the countries covered by the SEE 2030 Strategy, i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Republic of North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey and a representative of the Regional Cooperation Council secretariat.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today had a meeting at Otočec with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković.

The Medical Director of the University Medical Centre Maribor (UKC), izr. prof. dr. Matjaž Vogrin and School Chief Inspector dr. Simon Slokan took part in the press conference on the current situation regarding the Covid-19 epidemic, while the current epidemiological situation in the country was presented by Maja Bratuša.

Minister Dr Logar participated in the international conference on Belarus organised in an online format by Austrian Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Austrian Federal Foreign Minister Michael Linhart.

State Secretaries Gašper Dovžan and Stanislav Raščan held separate talks with Special Envoy for the European Union and Europe and Ambassador of Canada to Germany, Stéphane Dion, Ambassador of Canada to the EU Ailish Campbell and non-resident Ambassador of Canada to Slovenia Caroline Charette via video conference.

European Forest Week will be marked next week (22 – 28 November 2021). The week, which was first marked in 2008, offers a unique opportunity to raise the profile of the forestry sector and impact on Europe-wide and global debates on forests. The week is jointly organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The theme of this year's European Forest Week is The Future of Forests.

On 19 and 20 November 2021, the Foreign Minister, Anže Logar, attended the High-Level Forum on Resisting Authoritarianism – “The Future of Democracy” organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. High-level representatives ranging from political decision-makers and academics to human rights defenders and international organisations addressed the most current challenges in the debates related to the shrinking of the democratic space, the consolidation of authoritarianism and the path towards a democratic renaissance.

As part of a two-day meeting, the EU Nature Directors discussed the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the new EU Forest Strategy and wild pollinators. They began by emphasising that, in order to address the loss of biodiversity and climate change, it was imperative to intensify nature-related efforts at all levels.

In the format of ministers for development cooperation, the EU Foreign Affairs Council confirmed the conclusions on water in the EU’s external action, which is one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in development cooperation. The EU will strengthen its reputation as the largest development assistance donor and confirm its impact as the key global actor in this field, also in the light of the UN Conference on the Water Action Decade scheduled for March 2023.