News

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed on Labour Day on Thursday, 1 May 2025.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Integrated Territorial Investments City of Ljubljana e-buses.

Dear citizens, dear residents of Slovenia and Slovenians abroad,

Each year, the Day of Uprising Against Occupation reminds us of the importance of freedom, unity and courage.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the funeral of Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The funeral service was presided over by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. The Prime Minister was accompanied at the funeral ceremony by his partner, Ms Tina Gaber.

The National Assembly has adopted the Declaration on the Activities of the Republic of Slovenia in EU Institutions for the period until June 2026.

In the 21st episode of the government GOVSI podcast, host Petra Bezjak Cirman spoke with Igor Feketija, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, who played a key role in negotiating the recently reached pension reform agreement. The reform, set to be implemented gradually from 2026 onwards, addresses major demographic challenges and strengthens the long-term sustainability of the pension system.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Purchase of audio-visual equipment for the Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

24 April is the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, declared by the UN General Assembly in 2018. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs marked the day in a particularly special way with a simulation of international negotiations within the framework of the United Nations, conducted by university and secondary school students under the auspices of the United Nations Association of Slovenia.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia fully supports the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom (E3) on April 23, 2025, regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

At today’s session, the Government adopted amendments to the Animal Protection Act which, among other things, provide for the financing of care for abandoned animals, ban hen cage rearing and introduce restrictions on keeping wildlife species. It also took note of the preparation of the proposed Act Amending Pension and Disability Insurance Act and the Development Report 2025.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals Enriching quality and accessible education and integrating circular economy education in educational institutions in the SAŠA coal region.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed on April 28, highlights the importance of safe working conditions for all workers. This year's theme emphasizes the role of artificial intelligence and digitalization in improving workplace safety. International experts will explore how new technologies are transforming safety and health systems at work across different sectors and countries.

Prime Minister Robert Golob gave an opening address in the National Assembly on the interpellation with respect to the work and responsibility of the Government.

The theme of this year's International Mother Earth Day, "Our Power, Our Planet", underscores the potential of individuals and communities to shape a sustainable, just and energy-independent future. Slovenia's commitment to sustainable development is also reflected in its foreign policy.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco.

On the basis of inspections carried out on 17 April 2025, the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection reports the findings in premisses connected to the water supply system of the Maximarket business building, Ljubljana.

The Inspection for Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection (IVHVVR) was today informed that due to faecal contamination of drinking water in the internal water supply system of the Maximarket business building, contaminated foodstuffs might also have been placed on the market in the premisees at that location.

A three-day Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) workshop, co-hosted by Slovenia and the United States of America, successfully concluded yesterday, 16 April.

During her official visit to Azerbaijan, Minister Tanja Fajon met with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to discuss the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed the draft peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On the sidelines of the visit, important contacts were established between representatives of Slovenian and Azerbaijani companies.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposed Individual Investment Account Act, which introduces a special type of investment account designed to make investing in capital markets easier, more transparent and more cost-effective for individuals. It also approved amendments to the acts on freshwater fisheries and marine fisheries, and the Decree on municipal waste incineration.

Today, the Government approved a proposal for the third amendment to the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), which the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience will submit, together with all supporting documents, to Brussels for formal consideration. The Government will also submit the proposal to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for information.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed for Easter on Sunday, 20 April, and Monday, 21 April 2025.

In 2024, Slovenia allocated 0.23% of its gross domestic product to official development assistance. Together with funding from the European Union budget, the EU committed EUR 152 million to humanitarian aid and development cooperation projects and programmes, a nominal decrease of just over EUR 700,000 compared to a year before.

The representatives of the ministries responsible for higher education from Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Malta, Cyprus, Portugal, Croatia and Slovenia, a representative of the Union for the Mediterranean and a representative of the European Commission attended a ministerial meeting at Brdo pri Kranju. This was the first event since Slovenia assumed the one-year Presidency of MED9, a group of EU Member States in the Mediterranean.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today received Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu for a brief meeting.

Minister Tanja Fajon's first stop on her visit to the South Caucasus region was Armenia, where she encouraged her interlocutors to continue advancing efforts towards the normalisation of relations with neighbouring Azerbaijan. Minister Fajon and her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, discussed the strengthening of economic cooperation in the fields of pharmaceuticals, sports infrastructure, energy, cancer treatment technologies and tourism.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Slovenians Abroad, Matej Arčon, visited Trieste, where he met with the leaders and representatives of societies from the two umbrella organisations, the Slovenian Cultural and Economic Union and the Council of Slovenian Organisations. He also visited several Slovenian institutions. He was accompanied by Gregor Šuc, the Consul-General of the Republic of Slovenia in Trieste.

At the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, Minister Tanja Fajon called for more decisive action to bring about a ceasefire and a lasting and just peace in Ukraine, and for the return of more than 19,000 abducted Ukrainian children: “These are war crimes and clear violations of international law. This must remain a humanitarian priority and part of the peace negotiations.”

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed on the following dates:

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project ITI Urban Municipality of Kranj Brioni.

Yesterday, Moody's Ratings (Moody's) affirmed Slovenia's credit rating of A3 with a positive outlook. Slovenia thus continues to enjoy the confidence of the rating agencies, which is particularly important in the current uncertain environment.

In Antalya, State Secretary Melita Gabrič attended the extended format meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation-League of Arab States Gaza Contact Group. The meeting hosted by Türkiye was a follow-up to the meetings of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution and is also attended by representatives of Norway, Ireland, Spain and the EU.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project ITI Urban Municipality of Kranj Digital. The municipality will receive over €900,000 from the European Regional Development Fund to deploy digital solutions for traffic optimisation and promotion of sustainable mobility.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and Minister of Health Valentina Prevolnik Rupel paid a working visit to the Oncology Institute in Ljubljana today.

Minister Jevšek met with the chairs of regional development councils and signed the first annex to the agreements on the development of region for all 12 development regions. The annex includes 98 projects worth altogether 347 million euros. The projects will receive 210 million euros in co-financing.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposed Psychotherapeutic Services Act and the proposed Information Security Act. The debate on giving approval to the appointment of the Director General of the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute was adjourned. A decision is scheduled to be taken tomorrow at a correspondence session.

During political consultations at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, State Secretary Marko Štucin met with Wael Hamed, Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Abu Bakr Hefny, Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Regional Affairs, and Nabil Habashi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates.

Ljubljana, 10 April 2025 – The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals Incentives for the digital transformation of SMEs (P4D 2025). The call will come with a total budget of EUR 17.8 million; the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund will stand at EUR 15 million.

Warsaw hosted an informal meeting of directors-general responsible for development cooperation and humanitarian aid in EU Member States, which was attended by Ambassador Edvin Skrt, Director-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The future global role of the EU as a major donor of ODA was at the centre of the debate.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, concluded a three-day visit to Benin and Togo on behalf of the EU High Representative. In the Togolese capital, she assured the country’s senior officials that the EU’s partnership with this West African coastal state remains crucial for ensuring regional security and stability.

The Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration hosted the Spring plenary meeting of the Western European Nuclear Regulatory Association (WENRA) in Bled, Slovenia, on 8 and 9 April.

Today, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the Second Ministerial Conference of the Khartoum Process in Cairo. Egypt currently holds the chairmanship of the Process, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia visited Benin on behalf the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and held a series of talks with the country’s top officials and representatives of civil society. She confirmed EU’s interest in deepening its partnership with Benin and visited some of the project sites with which the EU is engaged in the country.

The slogan of this year's World Health Day, "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures", reminds us that investing in the health of women and children lays the foundations for a healthier, fairer and more resilient society. Health during pregnancy, childbirth and early childhood has a significant impact on health in adulthood and is therefore a cornerstone of population health.

On this World Health Day conducted under the title ‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures’, the international community is urged to reflect on ways to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being. The health of women and mothers and the well-being of children have always been at the forefront of Slovenia's international efforts.

The rating agency Fitch yesterday affirmed Slovenia's A-rating, upgrading the outlook from stable to positive. This marks an important sign of confidence in Slovenia and sends a strong message at a time of global economic uncertainty.

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council concluded in Geneva, with Slovenia as one of the key co-creators of initiatives that contribute significantly to the strengthening of international human rights standards.

Due to planned maintenance on the central communication network of the state administration, occasional difficulties may occur in the operation of the online service Virtual Archive Reading Room on Sunday, April 6, 2025.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for the Higher Education Act, which aims to reform the higher education system. It also approved a draft Act Amending the Matura Examination Act, aligning with the expert guidelines and objectives of the public education system, as well as a draft Act Amending the Provision of Foster Care Act, designed to improve the quality of foster care provision.

Today, at a correspondence meeting, the Government adopted a decision to deploy an expert to the EU Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team, as requested by the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, in view of the massive earthquake in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals for business infrastructure development (business incubators) projects in the Savinjsko-Šaleška (SAŠA) coal region under the Just Transition Fund 2025-2027.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development informs municipalities that the funding available for 2025 under the first call for proposals for co-financing basic community infrastructure projects in Roma settlements in 2025 and 2026 has already been used, leaving 1,000,000 euros available for 2026.

"Strengthening public healthcare has been and remains one of the key priorities of this Government. This is the promise we made to the people, and today we have taken an important step towards its fulfilment.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Integrated Territorial Investment project in the Urban Municipality Murska Sobota called Noršinska (ITI MO MS Noršinska).

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended today's signing of the Social Partners' Agreement on the proposed Act Amending the Pension and Disability Insurance Act and addressed the participants on this occasion.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals for the co-financing of projects of youth career centres+.

Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development, Dr Aleksander Jevšek, participated in the Regional policy dialogue on good governance and women leadership in Southeast Europe. The Minister emphasised that the gender gap in decision-making and leadership positions points to the urgent need for effective strategies and measures to enhance women’s participation across all sectors of society.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, accompanies President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar on her official visit to Kazakhstan with a strong business delegation. Minister Fajon met separately with Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu.

In March, Denmark – the first among the new UNSC members – took over the presidency of the Security Council from China. The programme of work included discussions on the Middle East, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sudan and South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Improving the quality and accessibility of the green urban infrastructure in the Bonifica SRC area.

The new issue of the News from Nuclear Slovenia is published.

The Archivalia of the Month April 2025 with the title Documentary Film Nepal – »Lost« and Found Again.

At the invitation of British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended the Border Security Summit: Organised Immigration Crime in London.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar hosted the Brdo Process Ministerial Meeting. Alongside Minister Poklukar, the meeting was opened by Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today received the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, in Ljubljana.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the new Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm, for consultations. They discussed the most topical issues currently being addressed in the EU and agreed that Slovenia and Austria share similar views on several EU policies.

At today’s meeting in Brussels, which focused on the soon-to-be-published new Cohesion Policy legislative framework, EU Ministers responsible for Cohesion agreed that Cohesion Policy should adapt to better respond to current and future challenges.

Yesterday, Piotr Serafin, European Commissioner for Budget, visited Slovenia as part of the preparations for the European Union’s next long-term budget. During his visit, he was briefed on the protection and rescue system and the reforms underway in this area.

“Interreg GO! is an opportunity to reflect on the future of European territorial cooperation beyond 2027,” underlined State Secretary Marko Koprivc in his opening address on the second day of the biggest Interreg event. The second day of the event was dedicated to parallel thematic panels on topical issues related to the current Interreg 2021-2027 programmes, as well as visiting the projects on both sides of the border.

At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Jože Novak, the Environment Council yesterday in Brussels discussed, among other things, the activities and achievements of Slovenia's Presidency of the Barcelona Convention, particularly in the context of the current and upcoming global negotiations on the protection of oceans and waters.

In the 20th episode of the GOVSI podcast, host Petra Bezjak Cirman talks with Mojca Ramšak Pešec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, and Irena Ilešič Čujovič, President of the Health and Social Care Trade Union. They discuss the importance of the public sector for society and the reform of the public pay system, which brings significant changes for more than 188,000 employees within the public wage framework.

Last June, the Council of the European Union adopted a Regulation on nature restoration. The overarching objective of the Regulation is to restore at least 20% of the EU's terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning has therefore started to prepare a National Nature Restoration Plan, which will be a key document for the implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation.

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the informal meeting of leaders on peace and security for Ukraine.

State Secretary and National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Helga Dobrin hosted a meeting of the Network of Anti-Trafficking Coordinators of South-East Europe (NATC SEE) at Brdo pri Kranju.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič is in Paris to attend the Nutrition for Growth Summit. There are more than 700 million people in the world who do not eat enough or do not eat the right food. The reasons are mostly rooted in conflict, poverty and inequality. We need to pay more attention to this global challenge and make financial commitments that will accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

On 27 and 28 March 2025, the border cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, which hold the title of European Capital of Culture this year, hosted the Interreg GO! event, which was opened by keynote speakers Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reform, Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and Aleksander Jevšek, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposal for the Act amending the Electricity Supply Act, a decision on consent to the content of the call for enrolment in master's degree programmes for the 2025/2026 academic year, and the decision on consent to the content of the call for enrolment in doctoral degree programmes.

Minister Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian minority in Austria at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Ljubljana today to discuss topical issues relating to their situation, rights and development.

Minister Tanja Fajon discussed the challenges and future orientations regarding Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the members of the Expert Council for Development Cooperation. She underlined the importance of focused action, predictable funding and the reduction of administrative burdens, and the Council approved the plan to increase funding and strengthen cooperation with the private sector and NGOs.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the projects Renovation of the Bloudek Park in Tivoli, Construction of the Savsko naselje Sports Park and Construction of the children's park by the pool.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the opening ceremony of the new Podbreznik residential neighbourhood in Novo Mesto, which will provide 186 public rental apartments. The neighbourhood was developed by the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia in cooperation with the Municipality of Novo Mesto.

Slovenia recorded its third consecutive year of growth in patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024. With growth surpassing the EU average, a strong presence of women inventors and high adoption of the Unitary Patent, Slovenia continues to demonstrate a dynamic innovation environment and the significance of its expertise within the EU patent landscape.

Due to work on the transformer substation and a power outage, the Archives Reading Room and the Information Room will be open only until 15:30 on Wednesday 26 March 2025.

The March issue features an interview with the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ambassador Barbara Žvokelj. It also includes articles on the Ministry’s first strategic foresight document and on Slovenia's participation in the advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, aimed at clarifying the obligations of States in relation to climate change.

Prime Minister Robert Golob is attending the regular Spring European Council, where discussions will focus on competitiveness, including the issue of high energy prices, reducing administrative barriers, challenges in the automotive industry, and strengthening the overall resilience of the European Union. Leaders will also continue discussions on the situation in Ukraine and European defence.

At today's session, the Government adopted the draft amendment to the Game and Hunting Act, the Decision establishing the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Healthcare Quality and a framework for issuing green bonds. It also decided that the new regional hospital for Gorenjska will be located in Kranj.

On the occasion of World Water Day - 22 March - the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning (MNVP) organised an event to bring together connoisseurs and experts to share their views on the hydrological challenges posed by climate change and human interventions. Altered water runoff and sediment regimes are greatly increasing water-related risks and hazards.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed during Persian New Year holidays (Nowrooz) from 23 March to 24 March 2025.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was the keynote speaker at the closing session of the National Consultation on Strengthening the Resilience of the Republic of Slovenia today. The opening address was delivered by Vojko Volk, State Secretary for National and International Security at the Office of the Prime Minister.

At the invitation of the Polish Embassy, Petra Bezjak Cirman, Director of the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, attended a meeting of representatives of the diplomatic corps of EU member states (EU HoMS). At the meeting, she presented activities aimed at raising awareness and increasing resilience against disinformation, foreign information manipulation, and interference. Information security is one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Robert Golob, hosted a working lunch for the President of the Portuguese Republic, Dr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is on an official visit to Slovenia.

The Monitoring Committee for Slovenia's EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 held its regular session and approved Programme amendments. It also took note of the progress made in the implementation of the Programme and discussed key challenges and opportunities of Programme implementation.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the SUPER 8 EPK GO!2025 project.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today hosted a meeting of ministers and deputies of the National Assembly from the parties of the government coalition at Brdo pri Kranju. The Coalition Summit reviewed past and planned activities to implement the following commitments: strengthening public healthcare, a sustainable pension system, housing for young people.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon concluded her Asian tour in India, where she participated in the Raisina Dialogue international conference and the Young Raisina Leaders event. She also met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and visited an education centre in Kolkata founded 17 years ago by a Slovenian woman and her husband.

Today, State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels. Foreign ministers discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and Syria, relations with Iran and EU-US relations. The FAC meeting was followed by Brussels IX Conference on “Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition”, where Slovenia pledged a contribution of EUR 600,000.

On the basis of the Act on Aid to Ensure Enhanced Air Connectivity (hereinafter reffered as: the Act), a Public Tender for Enhanced Air Connectivity of Slovenia was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia and the Official Journal of the European Union on 14. 3. 2025. In accordance with the first paragraph of Article 10 of the Act, the tender documentation is publicly published, however, the English translation is merely an information aid for foreign air carriers when preparing applications for aid.

The application for aid and Annexes must be submitted in Slovene language. Submission deadline is 14. 4. 2025 at 23.59

Prime Minister Robert Golob today hosted a working meeting on the amendment to the Placement of Children with Special Needs Act (ZUOPP-1). The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education, experts in the field of education and representatives of organisations advocating for children with special needs and their families.

At today's session, the government adopted the draft Hospitality Act, which also includes regulations on short-term rentals. It also reviewed a presentation on the Winter Olympic Games, which will be held next year in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer today met with the European European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra. The visit was an opportunity for an in-depth discussion about the new European Commission's priorities in the areas of clean transition, climate policies, and sustainable EU growth and
the Clean Industry Deal and upcoming legislative initiatives, among which the revision of the European Climate Law, announced by the Commission in the first quarter of this year, stands out.