Slovenia's Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Dr Jernej Pikalo, and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Mr Moez Chakchouk, signed an official Agreement establishing the International Artificial Intelligence Research Centre (IRCAI), which will operate in Ljubljana under the auspices of UNESCO.

Health Minister Aleš Šabeder said in a press release that at 20:44 the Ministry had been informed of the first positive case of novel coronavirus infection in Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a funding decision for the project Dom na Krasu. The EUR 2.2 million project will be co-funded by the ESF, with the contribution from the Fund standing at nearly EUR 1.8 million.

From 28 February to 8 March, Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre in Ljubljana, the largest home of culture in Slovenia, will once again host the Fabula Festival of World Literatures. Every year, the festival attracts the most notable authors of world literature.

The OECD has established an artificial intelligence observatory to help countries develop and control responsible artificial intelligence systems through collecting data and preparing analysis.

Excellence can be achieved by risking more than is safe to risk, dreaming more than is possible and expecting more than is expected.

The request written by the city archivist Vladislav Fabjančič in September 1935 and addressed to the Ljubljana mayor Vladimir Ravnihar is interesting in two regards. Firstly, it is a story of Fabjančič's work – he himself calls it »a matter of a city archivist«, which far surpasses the faith of any ordinary city clerk. His dealing with issues ever since the start of his employment in 1923, but particularly the complications he needed to face up to after the year 1933, dictate his distinctly personal tone of record, which a reader may find appealing, but still needs to critically review.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the agreements signed between the United States and Afghanistan and between the United States and the Taliban today on launching dialogue between the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to achieve a lasting peace. A firm agreement leading to a lasting peace and stability for the people of Afghanistan may only be reached through the full engagement of both sides in an inclusive dialogue aimed at finding a compromise solution.

Slovenia is deeply concerned about the Israeli plans to expand their settlements in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, and to develop the E1 area. If implemented, this decision would seriously damage the prospect of resolving the issue through negotiation and establishing the state of Palestine, and Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

Today the OECD launched the AI Policy Observatory which will present an inclusive online platform for sharing and shaping AI policies. The OECD Observatory aims to help countries to enable and monitor the responsible development of trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for the benefit of the society.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project “Upgrading bus stops and overhanging roofs” in Maribor. The project worth over EUR 205,000 will receive Cohesion Fund support in the framework of the Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) mechanism in the amount of EUR 80,000.

Slovenia has allocated a humanitarian contribution in the amount of EUR 50,000 to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The funds will be used to help meet the humanitarian needs of refugees and the internally displaced population in Syria. With this contribution, Slovenia fully honoured its commitment from the ministerial conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region held in Brussels in March 2019.

Green is the colour of the Slovenian DNA – in many ways.

The Government has adopted the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan of the Republic of Slovenia (NEPN) in accordance with the European Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action.

The possibility of the occurrence of the virus in Slovenia is high, considering the limited outbreaks and confirmed cases of the coronavirus in neighbouring countries and elsewhere around the world.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a funding decision for the call for proposals for co-financing of investments in the infrastructure designed to provide senior day care programs and temporary housing for senior citizens. A total of EUR 21.5 million is made available for the call for proposals, of which EUR 17.2 million comes from the ERDF. Cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija will receive EUR 11.6 million, whereas EUR 9.9 million is earmarked for cohesion region Zahodna Slovenija. The call for proposals will be published next week by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

State Secretary Matej Marn is attending the high-level segment of today’s 43rd UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. In his address, he stated that a group of countries, led by Slovenia, intends to open a discussion to declare the right to a healthy environment at the global level. During his visit, he also addressed the Conference on Disarmament and met the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the Human Rights Council and the Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a funding decision for the project Nova Gorica community centre – phase II. The total project budget amounts to EUR 1.3 million with the ERDF contributing EUR 280,000.

Slovenia made a contribution in the amount of EUR 30,000 to the World Food Programme for emergency humanitarian aid to Yemen. Slovenia thus honoured its pledge for 2020 made at the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, which was held in Geneva on 26 February 2019.

Following the invitation of the Italian Minister of Health, a meeting was held of the ministers of Italy’s neighbouring countries: Slovenia, France, San Marino, Austria, Croatia, Switzerland and Germany. Italy and its neighbours presented their existing and planned measures for protection against the coronavirus. The measures presented by the individual countries are comparable.