The temporary border controls on Slovenia’s internal borders with Croatia and Hungary will continue for another six months, from 22 December 2023 until 22 June 2024. The internal border checks are being extended under Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals to support the activities of Knowledge Transfer Offices.

In assuming the Presidency of the Barcelona Convention, Slovenia has also succeeded in implementing an initiative for interregional integration of monitoring of the major ecosystems of the Danube, Black Sea and Mediterranean, with the aim of reducing negative effects on the world's most international river basin. The work programmes for individual sites were already agreed on the margins of the Barcelona Convention in Portorož, and the cooperation was formally confirmed at the meeting of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) in Vienna last week.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon opened the 27th Consultation of Slovenian Diplomats at Brdo pri Kranju. In her address, she presented some reflections on the year that is coming to an end and spoke about the challenges ahead. She went on to express her sincere appreciation to the Slovenian diplomatic corps for its contribution to the strengthening of the Slovenian diplomatic service and Slovenia's role in the changed geopolitical reality.

A press conference on the funding opportunities and the use of the funding made available under the Just Transition Fund was held in Velenje today. The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a novelty of the 2021-2027 programming period. Two Slovenian coal regions are eligible for funding under this instrument, i.e., Savinjsko-Šaleška region and Zasavje region. The JTF aims to support the restructuring and diversification of the local economy to alleviate the impact of the regions’ coal phase-out as part of the transition towards climate neutrality.

December is a time of gift-giving, coming together, enjoying good company and reviving old traditions.

Four Syrian families and one individual have arrived in Slovenia from Türkiye, having been selected and accepted as part of the resettlement project. Resettlement is a way of providing legal routes to Europe for people in need of protection.

The European Patent Office and the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office have signed an administrative agreement which will provide financial support to certain national patent applicants and Slovenian patent holders in the form of a reduction in the fee for searches to be carried out by the European Patent Office under the working agreement signed on 4 September this year.

Prime Minister Golob is attending the December European Council meeting today and tomorrow. On the table are strategic decisions important for the future of the EU: the rapprochement of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European budget.

The Government adopted a decree on the establishment and provision of a public information and alert system via public mobile networks, took note of information on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and issued the Ordinance temporarily reintroducing controls at internal borders of the Republic of Slovenia with the Republic of Croatia and Hungary.

On December 8, 2023, the American-Slovenian Club (ASC) was formally established in Washington D.C., USA, to help Slovenian businesses in the USA better connect with the diaspora and to foster stronger collaboration among American Slovenian experts, entrepreneurs, professionals, and individuals.

The EU-Western Balkans Summit, which was attended today by Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob, reaffirmed the prospect of EU membership for the Western Balkans on the one hand and the increased commitment of the Western Balkan partners to accelerate reforms and alignment with EU policies and values on the other.

Ambassador Tadej Rupel, National Coordinator for External Aspects of Digitalisation, AI and Cyber Security, represented Slovenia at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit and Ministerial Council meeting in New Delhi, India, on 12–13 December 2023.

The Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob met with the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron in Paris. During a working lunch, the two leaders exchanged views on key issues to be discussed at tomorrow’s European Council. They also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic field.

Today, Slovenia received an advance of EUR 24 million of EU funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan for the implementation of REPowerEU measures to reduce the dependence on Russian energy products and accelerate the green transition. In total, EUR 122 million is available to Slovenia for this purpose. It will receive the remaining funds when it meets the milestones and targets of the planned measures.

The Slovenian delegation is attending the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, which aims to strengthen international solidarity and burden-sharing in response to the large number of refugees worldwide.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project with the acronym ‘zMIGAJ!’, which supports sports and recreation activities to promote health.

As part of a final discussion of its working bodies, the Government adopted decisions establishing two public education institutions, reallocated spending rights and amended the 2023–2026 Development Programmes Plan.

On 11 and 12 December 2023, Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar hosted a meeting of the interior ministers of the Salzburg Forum member states in Brdo pri Kranju.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a regular meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels, where ministers focused on the draft conclusions for the December European Council and on enlargement. He underlined that the decision to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina is key to maintaining the region's confidence in the EU.