It is with great sadness that we inform you that the voice of Dr Vladimir Kos, a great Slovenian who lived and worked in Tokyo for many years, has fallen silent forever. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, relatives and fellow comrades.

At the invitation of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the informal meeting of ministers and state secretaries for European affairs in Prague. Discussing the priorities of the Presidency, the General Affairs Council focused on the EU's continued support to Ukraine, the strengthening of democratic institutions, the role of media plurality and the implementation of the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the President of the Republic of Hungary, Katalin Novak, who is on an official visit to Slovenia. The talks focused on deepening relations between the two countries, the global challenges of energy and food security, Ukraine's European perspective, and EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) aim to set new rules for the use of the internet to make it safer for users, fairer for businesses, more legally predictable and more accountable for intermediary platforms. They increase the accountability of digital platforms for services and products, thereby improving the functioning of the internal market for digital services, creating a level playing field and legal certainty for smaller businesses, and protecting the rights and interests of all European citizens. The principle “that what is illegal in the real world is illegal online” is upheld, with particular attention to the protection of freedom of expression.

The Minister of Finance Klemen Boštjančič on the basis of the third paragraph of Article 40 of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding Act, issued a Decision on the appointment and tasks of the Expert Commission for the preparation of the candidate proposal for the member of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) Supervisory Board, which will carry out the process of obtaining and evaluating candidates and prepare for the Minister of Finance the proposal of the relevant candidates. The candidate selection process is underway due to the recall of two members of the Supervisory Board of SSH.

The new migration policy being prepared by the Ministry places greater emphasis on respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the values that every democratic society should uphold – a humane attitude towards every individual and the provision of the assistance they need.

On Thursday, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia took note of the 3rd Annual Rule of Law Report of the European Commission and adopted the first measures to mitigate the impact of electricity costs.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague. The Conference adopted a political declaration in which States pledged further support for efforts to ensure accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine.

At the 8th Government session, Minister Tanja Fajon presented the European Commission's 2022 Rule of Law Report, underlining Slovenia's commitment to follow recommendations listed therein. As the lead ministry on this issue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tasked all relevant ministries and authorities with undertaking a thorough review of the report and providing a comprehensive response.

On Thursday, the National Assembly ratified the NATO accession protocols for Sweden and Finland. Before the vote, MPs were addressed by Prime Minister Robert Golob, who recalled the historic nature of the moment and the right of nations to decide on their own security and defence.

At the invitation of Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjárto, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon took part in a meeting of foreign ministers of five Central European countries (C5) in Budapest.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. One of the key topics addressed in their talks was the energy crisis related to the war in Ukraine and the resulting need to ensure energy security.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian national community in Hungary in Monošter. The meeting was attended by Erika Köleš-Kiss, the Slovenian national community’s advocate in the Hungarian Parliament, Karel Holec, President of the Slovenian Self-Governing Community, and Andrea Kovacs, President of the Union of Slovenians in Hungary.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held a bilateral meeting with his Spanish host Pascual Navarro, Secretary of State for the European Union at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, on the margins of the meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs of the MED-9 informal group in Madrid.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs of the MED-9 informal group in Madrid. Participants discussed Mediterranean and topical European issues in the light of the MED-9 Summit to be hosted by Spain in September 2022.

Probably every day of the year is dedicated to a certain topic. Thus, we have days that celebrate mountains, poetry, walks, beer, etc. Ice cream lovers also have their own special day on the 3rd Sunday in July. What do official statistics show about this topic?
EU Member States produced 3 billion litres of ice cream in 2020. The biggest producer was Germany. In 2021, Slovenia imported almost EUR 16 million of ice cream and exported over five times more.

On 4 July 2022, the Ministry of Finance published the first Allocation and Impact Report relating to its inaugural Sovereign Sustainability Bond issued on 1 July 2021. The purpose of this Report is to justify the trust of investors with transparency and disclosure of details.

Minister of the Interior mag. Tatjana Bobnar has attended the Informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Prague.

Acting Director-General Ambassador Ksenija Škrilec attended an informal meeting of Directors-General for EU Affairs in Prague, organised by the Czech Republic upon its assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Consul General Alenka Jerak visited the SNPJ in Enon Valley, PA. Slovenefest 2022 was held there from July 8 through July 10. This event, the biggest SNPJ event of 2022, offered a chance to meet with other Slovenians while listening to Slovenian music and enjoying Slovenian dishes and beverages.