The main topics of the visit of the Minister for Digital Transformation, Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh, to Osaka, Japan on 24 November 2022 were the announcement of deeper cooperation between Slovenian universities and the University of Osaka and its research centres, the use of robots in creating a more inclusive society, and the role of the Smart City Strategy in ensuring the digital and green transition.

Minister for Digital Transformation Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh attended the Ministerial Council Meeting of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in Tokyo, Japan, on 22 November 2022. The meeting adopted a declaration agreeing that the development of an AI ecosystem is essential to address the complex challenges facing society, but that it must be safe and focused on human well-being.

Minister for Digital Transformation, Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh, met with prominent representatives of the Japanese government, business and academia working in the field of digital transformation at the start of her official visit to Tokyo on 21 and 22 of November 2022. She also took part in a roundtable discussion on country practices and challenges of global cooperation in the development and use of artificial intelligence, organised by the GPAI on 22 of November 2022.

At today’s sessions of the government committees, the government, among other things, recapitalised the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Regional and Rural Development, activated the new item in the budget titled Increase of earmarked assets of the Slovene Enterprise Fund - Expensiveness, adopted multiple decisions on the reallocation of the national budget funds, and included some new projects in the applicable Development Programmes Plan 2022-2025.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar attended the Ministerial Council between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, Pacific States. The Ministers discussed global issues, in particular food and energy security, the Post-Cotonou Agreement, the implementation of the Partnership Agreement, the Global Gateway Strategy and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), as well as cooperation in international forums.

At today’s correspondence session, the government adopted a regulation that defines the upper threshold of energy product prices for major commercial electricity consumers.

The plenary meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 28 November to 1 December 2022. The Slovenian delegation presented the life and work of one of the most important chronicler of the historical events and tragedies of the 20th century, writer Boris Pahor, who passed away in May 2022 at the age of 108, to the Committee on the Holocaust, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity.

Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Dr Igor Papič, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Matevž Čelik Vidmar, visited the National and University Library (NUK).

Today, at the invitation of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec and a delegation visited Ukraine.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar attended the Foreign Affairs Council in its development configuration. The meeting discussed the follow-up to the sixth EU-African Union Summit and Team Europe’s crisis response, with a focus on Ukraine and Afghanistan.

On 16th November 2022, Her Excellency Barbara Sušnik presented her Letters of Credence as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Kingdom of Belgium to His Majesty The King of the Belgians.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EUR 890,000 in EU funding for the project Integrated Territorial Investments Kranj: Planina overpass – Hrastje business zone.

At the request of the Ukrainian side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide 370,000 euros in humanitarian aid for the purchase of an ambulance for the transport of premature babies and mothers. The donation agreement was signed today by the Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Renata Cvelbar Bek, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia, Mr Andrii Taran.

Minister of the Interior Tatjana Bobnar attended an extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels. Ministers discussed the situation on the main migration routes.

In the wake of the global food crisis, which has deepened since the start of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed that Slovenia join Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative, in which Ukraine donates grain while donor countries, including Slovenia, finance shipping to the least developed countries in Africa and Asia, where people are at risk of starvation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supported a project to complete the renovation of a rehabilitation home in Ukraine. With the project, which will be implemented by the Ministry’s strategic partner for humanitarian aid, Slovenian Caritas, Slovenia will help ensure facilities for the proper care and rehabilitation of 90 children, people with disabilities and young people with special needs, who are increasing in number as a consequence of the bombing.

On today’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, calls are being made for violence against women to become a thing of the past. Non-governmental and other organisations stress that violence cannot be stopped without the elimination of inequalities in society. The support for victims of violence in proceedings and women’s empowerment are also crucial.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs joins the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Violence against women remains one of the most common human rights violations around the world. For many years, the global average of one in three women experiencing violence in their lifetime has remained unchanged.

The proposed mechanism for limiting natural gas price presented this week by the European Commission will need substantial corrections, stated Bojan Kumer, Slovenian Minister of Infrastructure, after today’s meeting of energy ministers.

In Iran, we are increasingly witnessing the disproportionate use of force against peaceful protestors, which is why today's Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on the state of human rights in Iran is extremely important.