Following the agreement between Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on launching the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries, the inaugural session of the Dialogue was held today at the Department of State.

Prime Minister Janez Janša has given an interview to Sieci, a Polish weekly magazine. The interview covers the prime minister’s letter to European leaders about the rule of law, Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU, the American elections, the media in post-communist countries and his political career.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar is visiting Washington D.C. at the invitation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The main purpose of the visit is further strengthening of relations between Slovenia and the US, historical friends, strategic partners and NATO allies.

Painted beehive panels are an essential element in the history of Slovenian beekeeping and even in the history of Slovenian folk spiritual culture. These panels are the same to the fine arts as songs and tales are in literary folk art. But the images from beehive panels tell a special story of Slovenian history, ideas, beliefs and customs. They are unique historical records.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar spoke in the general debate during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the COVID-19 pandemic. In his address, he stressed that the current health, economic and social crisis calls for a well-coordinated regional and global response.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with the representatives of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. The discussion focused on the Covid-19 epidemic in the context of trade and the possibilities of easing measures imposed on trade activities. They agreed that restrictions imposed on trade activities can only be relaxed, if the number of Covid-19 cases decreases. For this to happen, all citizens must act responsibly and respect measures for the prevention and containment of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar is today attending the international video-conference Rome MED 2020 – Mediterranean Dialogues, held this year under the title Heal and Rebuild: A Positive Agenda for the EU in the Enlarged Mediterranean. The Minister took part in a panel session with the foreign ministers of Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece. In his address, he stressed the importance of partnership between the European Union and neighbouring countries in the field of migration as well as green and digital transition, transport, and energy.

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mr Cveto Uršič, representative of the Health Inspectorate, Ms Deana Potza, Deputy Director-General of the Police, Mr Tomaž Pečjak, and the Government spokesman Mr Jelko Kacin participated at the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

Prof. dr. Simona Kustec, Minister for Education, Science and Sport, and the American ambassador, Lynda Blanchard, signed an agreement on Thursday, 3 December, on the inclusion of Slovenia in the GLOBE program, and thus invited a new generation of students to join this successful international community of hobby scientists in the GLOBE program.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs participated in a videoconference of like-minded Member States on some elements of the Migration and Asylum Pact, convened by Polish minister Mariusz Kamiński.

After 13 years, Slovenia will again be the centre of attention of the international public with its presidency of the EU Council.

The Minister for the Environment and Spatial Planning, Andrej Vizjak, signed an agreement for the co-financing of the Pohorka project, in the scope of the European cohesion programme, which aims to improve the situation of grassland, water, and minority forest habitats, and create quiet areas on Pohorje. The project is worth almost EUR 2.2 million.

Marko Rakovec, Acting Director-General of the Directorate for International Law and Protection of Interests at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and current chair of the Slovenian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) participated in an online plenary meeting of the organisation. In his address, he underscored the attention Slovenia pays to raising awareness about the unacceptability of antisemitism and about the tragic events of the past, such as the Holocaust and the Porajmos.

Speakers at the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 included the Minister of Health, Tomaž Gantar, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Aleš Mihelič, the Secretary from the Healthcare Directorate at the Ministry of Health, Doroteja Novak Gosarič, and the Government Spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stanislav Raščan, took part in the opening session of the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council held via video teleconferencing. The event is hosted by the Albanian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, and will conclude on 4 December 2020.

Janez Janša, Prime Minister, Borut Pahor, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, and Igor Zorčič, the President of the National Assembly, commemorated the International Day of Disabled Persons with a special ceremony.

The Director-General for EU Affairs, Barbara Sušnik, held bilateral consultations with David Cvach, Director-General for European Affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

This year’s celebration of France Prešeren’s birthday, which we have been celebrating on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture under the title of This Merry Day of Culture since the 200th anniversary of the national poet’s birth in 2000, will take place virtually.

At its 134th session by correspondence on 30 November 2020, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia was informed by the Government Communication Office (GCO) of the inability to perform Contract No. 81/2019 on the Performance of Public Service in 2020, concluded with Slovenska tiskovna agencija d.o.o. (Slovenian Press Agency), Ljubljana, and the inability to conclude a contract on the performance of public service in 2021.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Construction of a new building of the Centre for Treatment of Children’s Diseases”. The project worth over EUR 5.8 million will be managed by the Ministry of Health and will receive a little over EUR 4.4 million of European Regional Development Fund support.