Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar today took part in a video conference of EU ministers of foreign affairs, which was chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The discussion at the now fifth video conference of foreign ministers focused on relations between the EU and China, the impact of the pandemic in the Asia-Pacific region and on future relations between the EU and said region.

In today’s audio-video conversation with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar stressed excellent bilateral relations and underlined Slovenia’s interest in further deepening economic cooperation with Norway, with both ministers noting that their countries share a number of positions relating to European and multilateral topics.

Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó in Dolga Vas today.

Slovenia is a land of forests as they cover 58.2% of our country. In terms of forest cover, Slovenia ranks third in the European Union, after Sweden and Finland.

Prime Minister Janez Janša was a guest of today's Pogovor o ... talk show on Radio Ognjišče, where he talked about various current topics, especially Slovenia's fight against the coronavirus and the measures adopted by the Government to contain the spread of the coronavirus and to help the people and the economy.

At the invitation of Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić and Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Anže Logar today participated in an audio-video conference of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII) and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). The ministers exchanged views and incentives regarding the role of the AII and EUSAIR, and discussed ways of successful regional cooperation in alleviating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the meeting, Minister Logar presented the programme of the Slovenian AII and EUSAIR chairmanship, which will officially be assumed on 1 June 2020.

Today, the European Commission published a renewed proposal for the EU 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, which includes the long-awaited recovery fund. It constitutes a financial package designed to deal effectively with the consequences of the COVID crisis.

At today’s virtual Donors Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the countries of the region facing the COVID-19 crisis, State Secretary Kajzer pledged Slovenia’s humanitarian contribution in the amount of EUR 10,000. The contribution, which is to be channelled through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is intended for Venezuelan refugees in the Brazilian cities of Boa Vista and Manaus.

On Monday, Prime Minister Janez Janša was a guest on the programme A Talk with the Prime Minister on Nova24TV.

The keynote speaker at the press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 epidemic was the Chair of the Commission for Children with Special Needs of the Council of Experts of the Republic of Slovenia for General Education, psychologist Kristijan Musek Lešnik.

Slovenia declared an epidemic on 12 March 2020 due to the growing number of coronavirus infections. In order to contain the spread of infection, many countries, including Slovenia, introduced changes in their border crossing regime. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted an ordinance declaring the end of COVID-19 epidemic effective from 15 May. But since the risk of spreading COVID-19 still persists, the general and specific measures adopted pursuant to the decision on the application of measures under the Communicable Diseases Act will continue to apply based on expert opinion until 31 May 2020.

Slovenians are hard-working and motivated people. Work is an important value and we strive to be good at what we do. We see creativity as a source of encouragement for the development of society, and it comes as no surprise that the Slovenian business environment is based on the following approach: green, creative and smart.

The new Ordinance on imposing and implementing measures for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 at border crossings at the external border and at checkpoints at the internal borders of the Republic of Slovenia entered into force today. New exceptions from mandatory 14-day quarantine upon entry into Slovenia have been added. Also, a new checkpoint Gorjansko ‒ San Pelagio has been added on the road connection with Italy.

At today’s 17th session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša answered parliamentary questions raised by Jani Möderndorfer (LMŠ), Jani Prednik (SD), Violeta Tomić (Levica) and mag. Marko Pogačnik (SDS).

The speakers at the press conference on the current situation in relation to the COVID-19 epidemic were the Director of the National Education Institute, Vinko Logaj and the head of the Communicable Disease Centre of the National Institute of Public Health, Mario Fafangel

This week Slovenia is holding its 21st National Volunteer Week. The purpose of the event is to celebrate volunteering, thank the volunteers and voluntary organisations for their work, and invite individuals to learn about volunteering opportunities and donate their time for the good of their community.

A press conference was held on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 epidemic, which was attended by Minister of Justice Lilijana Kozlovič and the government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

Today, Foreign Minister Dr Anže Logar met with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Dr Gordan Grlić Radman at the Dragonja border crossing.

Prime Minister Janez Janša was the guest of last week’s BBC NEWS WORLD programme, where he talked about the government’s plans to revive the tourism industry and other issues concerning tourism after Slovenia, as the first country in Europe to do so, declared the end of the coronavirus epidemic.

To mark Slovenia’s UN membership, Slovenian Diplomacy Day is celebrated on 22 May, as on this day Slovenia entered the global diplomatic arena, relatively soon after that joining the EU and NATO, and later the OECD. In the second half of 2021, the country will hold its second EU Council presidency.