The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals for the implementation of integrated support services for innovative individuals and innovative start-ups 2024-2025 (Start-up consortium) and for the project Small scale incentives via vouchers. The call for proposals and the vouchers will make a total of 21.16 million euros available for start-ups and innovative entrepreneurs.

An exhibition on the technological inventions that help us fight forest fires opens at the Kosovel House in Sežana today. Visitors can learn how firefighting equipment has evolved, see a mock-up of a Slovenian satellite that detects and monitors fires, try firefighting with 3D glasses and find out when the Karst region will be green again. The exhibition will run until 21 April and admission is free.

ALT-EDIC seeks a Director who will lead the Alliance for Language Technologies EDIC (ALT-EDIC), a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (one of the first), aimed at developing a common European infrastructure in Language Technologies, focusing particularly on Large Language Models. It seeks to improve European competitiveness, increase the availability of European language data and uphold Europe’s linguistic diversity and cultural richness.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed on 1 and 2 May 2024, on the occasion of International Workers' Day.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Call for Palestine petition, Dr Rudi Rizman, the first signatory, as well as Aurelio Juri, Dr Spomenka Hribar, Dr Danijel Rebolj, Dr Primož Šterbenc and Dr Maja Breznik. They exchanged views on the war in Gaza and the situation in the Middle East and the wider region.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development hosted a panel discussion on the opportunities offered by EU cohesion policy in tackling RDI challenges and needs. This was the third event of this kind; the previous two put spotlight on opportunities for young and old people.

State Secretary Dr Blaž Germšek has attended the informal meeting of agriculture ministers in Genk. The discussion focused on how to increase the EU's self-sufficiency in protein crops, while considering all three aspects of sustainability.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the 34th plenary session of the National Children's Parliament, which once again focused on the mental health of children and young people.

Today marks a special day: World Health Day. So let's take this opportunity to reflect upon one of our most important values – health.

The 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted two resolutions on the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and on the rights of minorities, which Slovenia had proposed/filed jointly with two groups of countries.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna, for consultations. They reviewed bilateral relations and talked about Slovenia's experience in preparing for the EU Council Presidency in 2021, as well as topical European issues such as EU enlargement, the Western Balkans, EU institutional reforms and EU-Türkiye relations, including the Cyprus issue and migration.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today met with the leading representatives of the Slovenian justice system. The meeting was also attended by Andreja Katič, the Minister of Justice, and representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Marko Štucin received Gabriel Hribar, President of the Unity List, the umbrella party of the Slovenian national minority in Austria, and Rudi Vouk, President of the Association of Slovenian Lawyers in Carinthia. They discussed the situation of the Slovenian minority in Austria and the petition on the inadequate implementation of minority rights.

Nestled in the north-western part of Slovenia lies a true gem of nature – the Triglav National Park.

Since independence, Slovenia has been successfully involved in various international communities, especially at the regional level in Europe.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in a two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, which focused on NATO’s 75th anniversary, preparations for the Washington Summit in July, support for Ukraine and strengthening cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. She underlined the importance of unity among allies on key strategic issues.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for a new Lipica Stud Farm Act, setting the conditions for the Stud Farm's development and more efficient management, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage and its economic development. The Government also issued several Decrees concerning agriculture, which grant some of the requests from the recent protests. The Government decided to extend the mediation with the Fides trade union for one week.

On April 3 and 4, 2024, the 95th meeting of the Bureau of the Barcelona Convention was held in Ljubljana, which Slovenia hosted as the presiding country.

As part of the presentation of economic diplomacy, State Secretary Marko Štucin and representatives of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy visited the Savinja region to present to local companies how economic diplomacy can help Slovenian companies to internationalise their business.

Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, attended the GREMO Innovation Conference, where participants discussed the development of the Slovenian automotive and mobility industry in the light of the green and digital transformation.