In New York, the High-level week has begun with leaders from all over the world gathering at the United Nations (UN) headquarters. One day before the official opening of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on 24 September 2024, world leaders participated in the Summit for the Future and adopted the Compact for the Future, which includes commitments to promote international peace and security and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, appeared today as a keynote speaker at the Save the Children event. The attendees were also addressed by the Queen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Rania al Abdullah, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Simon Harris, and the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa.

Prime Minister Robert Golob concluded his first day at the 79th UN General Assembly with an address at the Summit of the Future.

Prime Minister Robert Golob begins his participation in the 79th session of the UN General Assembly by attending the Summit for the Future. As part of the summit, the action-oriented Pact for the Future was adopted with two annexes – the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact.

On the margins of the Women Foreign Ministers' Meeting hosted by Canada and Jamaica in Toronto, Minister Tanja Fajon took part in a panel discussion on women's participation and role in leadership, governance and decision-making. Also attending are the foreign ministers of Andorra, Congo, Ghana, Eswatini, Indonesia, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Nepal, Romania and Slovenia.

“In a world marked by many complex crises, protracted conflicts and aggressive wars, we need more active efforts for peace, more promotion of dialogue and more action for mutual respect, understanding and cooperation,” said Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, on the occasion of today's International Day of Peace, which is celebrated under the theme “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”.

Slovenia has the lowest rate of severe material and social deprivation among EU member states, show data published by Eurostat.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon chairs today’s UN Security Council briefing on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The debate on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334 focuses primarily on the issue of laying the groundwork for a future two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for the Act Regulating the Supplement to Pensions for Outstanding Achievements in Arts, included two new projects in the Development Programme Plan 2024-2027, the Cybersecurity Situational Centre and the National Emergency Medical Centre, and decided to nominate as a member of the European Commission Marta Kos.

Minister Tanja Fajon chaired the Security Council debate in New York on the United Nations Special Political Mission in Afghanistan, focusing on the deteriorating situation of women and girls. This is the first in a series of debates the Minister will chair during the month of September, when Slovenia holds the presidency of the Security Council and world leaders traditionally gather for the United Nations General Assembly.

The ninth Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week under the theme ‘’Stronger cooperation for a better future’’ was officially opened in Izola today. The traditional event that gathers hundreds of stakeholders on Slovenian coast every year aims to raise awareness of the sea and the coast and the need to balance their economic potential and environmental sustainability.

State Secretary Marko Štucin delivered an opening address at the 9th Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies in Izola, which is taking place under the slogan “Stronger cooperation for a better future”. Slovenia currently holds the presidency of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region and is the only country that participates with its entire territory in three of the four macro-regional strategies (Alpine, Adriatic-Ionian and Danube).

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič participated in the fifth edition of the Ministerial Conference of the Moldova Partnership Platform in Chisinau, aimed at securing and coordinating international assistance to help Moldova tackle key political and social challenges. On the sidelines of the Conference, State Secretary Gabrič met with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov and addressed participants at an event co-organised by the Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF).

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has taken a decision to provide relief to the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe affected by floods in September this year following their request for assistance through the EU civil protection mechanism by dispatching up to five different post-flood emergency aid units or by providing material aid totalling up to 600,000 euros.

In a press statement today, Prime Minister Golob spoke about the new line-up of the European Commission and the role entrusted to Slovenia. "It is a high-responsibility duty. By getting the Enlargement portfolio, Slovenia has been entrusted with the key to ensuring stability and peace not only in the Western Balkans, but also in Eastern Europe," he said and added that the portfolio also included the reconstruction of Ukraine.

At the meetings of government committees, the Government, among other things, decided to provide assistance to the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe that were affected by floods in September 2024. Based on their requests for assistance through the Union's civil protection mechanism, the Government will provide aid with up to five different flood intervention units or appropriate material assistance with a total value of up to 600,000 euros.

The European Commission today gave a preliminary positive assessment to the third request for payment of funds under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. Slovenia expects payment of EUR 257.7 million later this year.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the celebration in Vipava marking the national holiday of the Return of Primorska to the Motherland, where he was the keynote speaker.

At the invitation of Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, Minister Fajon took part in a meeting of European and Arab foreign ministers. The discussion focused on strengthening joint efforts and initiatives aimed at realising the two-state solution and achieving peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. They agreed that more diplomacy and international cooperation are needed to resolve this conflict.

The rules for visa-free travel to most European countries will change. ETIAS travel authorisation is a new entry requirement for the nationals of around 60 visa-exempt countries travelling to 30 European countries. Similar travel authorisations for visa-exempt nationals are currently implemented by the US, Canada and Australia as well as other countries.