Prime Minister Robert Golob and deputies of the Italian and Hungarian national communities, Felice Žiža and Ferenc Horváth, today formalised their cooperation by signing an agreement.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia Bojan Maricikj. They discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries and Slovenia's continued support for North Macedonia's European integration path.

The government adopted a proposal for the amendment to the Pension and Disability Insurance Act and a resolution on pension indexation. It decided that the eligible costs of interventions during windstorms in north-eastern Slovenia are to be reimbursed to the municipalities.

The Slovenian Embassy in Addis Ababa is now open and is headed by the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Vesna Dolinšek. This is Slovenia’s second resident embassy in Africa, which will significantly strengthen Slovenia's political and economic relations with Ethiopia and countries in the wider region. It will also contribute to the accessibility of consular assistance to Slovenian citizens travelling in East African countries.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon paid the first official visit to Indonesia at the level of foreign minister since 2006. In Jakarta, she was received by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, with whom she discussed the strengthening of political and economic relations and EU-ASEAN relations. She also met with Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and Arsjad Rasjid, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Minister Irena Šinko attended the 2023 Golden Bee Award ceremony. Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia, presented the award to the winner. The third Golden Bee Award was awarded for research into bees and other pollinators. Among the 12 candidates, the Golden Bee Award Committee selected Dr Slobodan Davidović from Serbia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob addressed participants at today's opening of the Days of Intergenerational Coexistence. He said that the Government would adopt a package of measures to alleviate the hardships of pensioners.

The Minister of the Economy, Tourism, and Sports Matjaž Han, together with State Secretaries, mag. Dejan Židan and Vesna Humar from the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, visited the Slovenian national community in the Porabje region in Hungary. He was briefed on the state of the economy in the Porabje region and presented the substantive and financial support of the Ministry of the Economy for the economic and tourism activities of Slovenians in the Porabje region. Within a month, the Ministry will publish two calls for tenders with a total value of EUR 1.168 million.

At the meetings of the government committees, the Government, among other things, took a position on the tabled amendments to the draft revised budget for 2023, adopted positions on the opinions of the National Council on this year’s draft revised budget and on the proposal of the amendment to the Implementation of the Republic of Slovenia Budget for 2023 and 2024 Act, and included three new bilateral development cooperation projects in the current 2023–2026 Development Programme Plan of the Slovenian budget in accordance with the amendment to the financing plan.

Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob attended the signing of a contract in Maribor on the co-financing of the investment “Construction of an Athletics Warm-up Track with the Reconstruction of the Existing Grandstand”, amounting to EUR 3 million.

In the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, Minister Fajon met with her host, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Prime Minister Phan Minh Chinh and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. It was the first visit at the level of foreign minister and deputy prime minister in 17 years.

From 21 to 22 May the Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon payed a visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Fajon met with her host, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Prime Minister Phan Minh Chinh and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar took part in a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, with Ministers and State Secretaries discussing the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa. They also met with Western Balkans’ Foreign Ministers.

At the request of the Republic of Italy, a temporary civil protection unit was deployed to provide assistance in the affected area of Emilia Romagna.

Today, the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre and the International Telecommunication Union signed a joint declaration on cooperation in cyber capacity building and gender mainstreaming in cybersecurity in the Western Balkans.

At today’s correspondence meeting, the government adopted an opinion on the proposal of the amendment to the Animal Protection Act and appointed the Director of the Farmland and Forest Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and the Director-General of the Forestry and Hunting Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

Minister Fajon, accompanied by a Slovenian business delegation, visited Ho Chi Minh City, the economic centre of Vietnam, where she opened a business forum. The visit reflects the desire of Slovenian businesspeople to seek new opportunities and cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.

Four important days dedicated to nature conservation will be celebrated shortly, i.e. World Bee Day (20 May), European Natura 2000 Day (21 May), International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May) and European Day of Parks (24 May).

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023, the reading room of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

At the correspondence session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has decided to immediately provide rescue assistance to the Republic of Italy through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in response to their request, due to the floods that have affected several provinces in the central part of the country.