News

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar has attended the eighth meeting of the Coordination Committee of Ministers between the Republic of Slovenia and the Italian Republic in Brdo pri Kranju. The Minister discussed the migration and security situation in the Western Balkans region with the Italian State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior Nicola Molteni.

On October 25, 2024, the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington organized the annual meeting of Honorary Consuls from the United States, the United Mexican States, and the Republic of Panama. This year’s keynote speakers were the Slovenian Minister of Finance, Klemen Boštjančič, and the Governor of the Bank of Slovenia, Boštjan Vasle.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs expresses profound concern over the recent adoption of a law by the Israeli Knesset that severs the Israeli authorities' engagement with the UNRWA and hinders the Agency’s activities across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the 9th UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona together with 43 foreign ministers and their deputies from the Euro-Mediterranean region. Thanks to its increased engagement in the UfM, Slovenia has been recognised as a very active and constructive member in recent years," said Minister Fajon.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed on 1 November 2024 in observance of the Day of Remembrance for the Dead.

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

During her participation in the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, State Secretary Melita Gabrič met with Palestinian Minister of Women's Affairs Mona Al-Khalili.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a conference at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, to mark the 20th anniversary of EU enlargement. The conference was organised on the initiative of the ambassadors from ten countries (including Slovenia) that joined the EU 20 years ago, in cooperation with the University of Coimbra.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development (MKRR) will launch public calls for proposals in 2024. The calls will be implemented by the ministry on its own as well as through the Slovenian Regional Development Fund (SRRS) and the Slovene Enterprise Fund (SPS) to offer both grants and repayable financial incentives to local communities and businesses in 2025.

The tenth Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention, hosted by Slovenia in Ljubljana and thus taking over the Presidency of the Convention Bureau, is coming to an end. The session was organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Water Convention.

The National Assembly approved the law on the public sector pay system yesterday.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the ECoC GO!2025 project – Renovation of the Trg Evrope square.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič participated in the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in New York, where she advocated for the greater inclusion of women in peace processes, enhanced funding for women's organisations at the local level and reinforced accountability for severe violations of the rights of women and girls in conflict zones.

24 October 2024 – The National Assembly today adopted the Common Foundations of the Public Sector Salary System Act (ZSTSPJS).

The tenth meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention in Ljubljana continues. Following yesterday's official opening and high-level discussion, today and tomorrow the Parties will focus on general topics, such as reviewing the implementation of the current work program and adopting a new one, decisions on the direction of the convention and elections to working bodies. We pay special attention to side events today.

At today's session, the Government took note of work being done ahead of the application to host a high-performance computer, i.e. an artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer, in order to set up an AI Factory. It also adopted the 2023 report on the management of Slovenia's public debt and amendments to the national detailed site plan for the second track of the Divača–Koper railway line.

At today's third meeting of the Monitoring Committee of Slovenia’s Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027, the members of the Monitoring Committee and European Commission representatives discussed the progress made in Slovenia’s Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 implementation and the amendments of the programme that will allow the establishment of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP).

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the Ambassador Iztok Mirošič, together with Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, made a working visit to the White House at the invitation of the President of the United States, Joseph Biden.

The main event of the meeting was the high-level discussion "Our Waters, Our Future: Transboundary Water Cooperation to Strengthen Climate Resilience", which was attended by high-level representatives of countries – ministers, state secretaries and other representatives of governmental and non-governmental international organizations. At the end, the participants also adopted the joint conclusions of the high segment of the session.

As we celebrate the entry into force of the Charter of the United Nations on United Nations (UN) Day, we pay tribute to the world's most important international organisation.

On United Nations Day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, emphasises: “I believe that, despite the challenging crises, the UN remains the most important international organisation for maintaining global peace. Member States must seize the opportunity and responsibility to strengthen it and restore its standing.”

Prime Minister Robert Golob concludes his working visit to US President Biden.

The UN General Assembly Third Committee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs, which deals with human rights issues, is meeting in New York from 3 October 2024. Slovenia has traditionally focused its work on its priorities, such as the rights of women, the elderly and children, human rights and the environment, and the situation of human rights worldwide.

During the high-level segment discussion at the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention, Minister Tanja Fajon emphasised: "Effective cooperation mechanisms help to reduce tensions and mitigate disputes. Climate change will not lead to tensions if all Parties view their cooperation as fair, equitable and mutually beneficial."

The tenth meeting of the parties to the Water Convention in Ljubljana has finally begun. The high-level international event, organized under the auspices of the United Nations by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, is attended by about 600 representatives from all over the world. On behalf of the hosts, Minister Jože Novak and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Ms. Tatiana Molcean addressed the audience.

Slovenia today received the transfer from the third payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility in the amount of EUR 257.7 million.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, today paid a working visit to the United States at the invitation of the President of the United States, Joe Biden. This is the first working visit of a Slovenian Prime Minister to the President of the United States at the White House in 18 years.

The 12th Slovenian Development Days, held from 15 to 22 October 2024 under the theme "For a World Without Hunger", concluded with an international conference on food security and the 2nd Slovenian Humanitarian Forum. The Forum was opened by the President of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, and Minister Tanja Fajon participated in the panel on armed conflict and the food crisis.

Minister Jevšek was a keynote speaker at the panel discussion titled Improve Efficiency of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) Absorption Processes in Slovenia that took place in the framework of the 20th Salzburg Europe Summit. In his speech, the Minister underlined the importance of the Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) mechanism, which is an excellent example of a ‘place-based’ and ‘bottom-up’ approach.

Prime Minister Robert Golob visited the University Rehabilitation Institute Soča (URI Soča), where 10 children and adolescents from Gaza are undergoing rehabilitation.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a ceremony marking the start of construction work on the modernisation of the central part of Ljubljana's railway station.

At the initiative of Prime Minister Golob, a meeting was held today with representatives of the Slovenian automotive industry to discuss current trends and challenges facing this key economic sector.

On Monday, 21 October and Tuesday, 22 October 2024, the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia will be closed to all visitors and users of archival records due to the move to a new location. The archives reading room and information room will be closed during this time.
It is expected that on Wednesday, 23 October 2024, the archives and the archives reading room will open in their new premises at Poljanska cesta 40.

Today, the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience forwarded the second proposal to amend the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) together with all supporting documentation to Brussels. The Government approved the proposal to amend the RRP yesterday.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar hosted his colleague Minister of the Interior of Luxembourg Leon Gloden on a bilateral working visit.

More than 5,000 people in the worst-affected municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in need of humanitarian aid following the catastrophic floods and mudslides that hit the country in October. The Ministry and its strategic partner for emergency humanitarian aid, Caritas Slovenia, will provide EUR 100,000 in humanitarian aid over the next month.

On the second day of his official visit to Brussels, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the European Council meeting. The summit's agenda included Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and continued comprehensive support for Ukraine, the escalating crisis in the Middle East, a review of the comprehensive approach to migration, the competitiveness of the European market, and specific foreign policy issues.

The Ukraine Mine Action Conference UMAC2024 is taking place today and tomorrow in Lausanne under the auspices of the Swiss and Ukrainian governments. The event, opened by Swiss President Viola Amherd and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, brings together high-level representatives from governments, international organisations and experts from around the world to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian mine action.

At today’s session, the Government approved legislative amendments to increase the accessibility of payment accounts and the second proposal for amendments to the Recovery and Resilience Plan. It also took note of the initialled agreement on the Act on the Common Foundations of the Salary System in the Public Sector.

Today, the Government approved a proposal to amend the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). This is a minor modification focused on the implementation of six key measures. In accordance with the agreement with the European Commission (EC), the Slovenian Recovery and Resilience Office will submit the revised plan to Brussels by Monday, 21 October 2024, for formal coordination and approval.

The new academic year at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was opened today by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, with a ceremonial lecture “Themes and dilemmas of Slovenian foreign policy”.

Please be advised that due to a planned data migration and systems upgrade, there will be disruption to our services from Thursday 17 October 2024 until Sunday 27 October 2024.

Prime Minister Robert Golob is today attending the first summit between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Prime Minister Robert Golob is today attending the first summit between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

This year's World Food Day - 16 October - is dedicated to food as a human right. Slovenia has chosen food security as the central theme of the 12th Slovenian Development Days, which take place between 15 and 22 October.

The closing event of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism programmes for the period 2014-2021 in Slovenia took place in Ljubljana. A total of 37.7 million euros was allocated to Slovenia under the two financial mechanisms during this period.

In Brussels, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a ministerial dinner of foreign ministers on the margins of the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit.

On 14 October, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs welcomed representatives of institutions from Brazil, Chile and Uruguay working in the field of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI).

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the EU General Affairs Council. Ministers and state secretaries for European affairs focused on the draft conclusions for the European Council meeting at the end of this week. They also discussed support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, EU competitiveness and migration, as well as other topical foreign policy issues.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde. It was a courtesy visit by the President of the ECB ahead of the monetary policy meeting of the ECB Governing Council, which will take place at Brdo pri Kranju on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, received Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić for an official visit. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, succession issues and Serbia's progress towards the European Union.

The Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, today met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Marko Đurić, who is on an official visit to the Republic of Slovenia.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran has resumed with the provision of consular services.

Archival reading room and information room will be closed from Thursday, October 17, to Tuesday, October 22, 2024, due to our moving to new location.

During this time, the operation of the archive will also be interrupted.

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the archive and its archival reading room will begin operating at the new location at Poljanska Road 40.

Minister Tanja Fajon took part in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. The main topics on the agenda were Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Middle East. On the margins of the meeting, the EU foreign ministers met informally with their British counterpart David Lammy. Other current foreign policy issues – Moldova, Georgia, Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela and relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan – were also discussed.

Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek took part in the panel discussion Mobility and web accessibility for people with disabilities that was held at the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia. In his opening remarks, the Minister said that care for the people with disabilities and the elderly was an across-the-board theme in long-term care, health care, and social inclusion in Slovenia’s EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended a trilateral meeting with the Ministers of the Interior of Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, hosted by Croatian Minister Dr Davor Božinović, in Zaprešić, Croatia.

Congratulating them at today's press conference, Minister Igor Papič said that without their efforts it would be hard to imagine the continued successful development of society.

Slobodan Šešum, Director General of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy, was the keynote speaker at the round table Economic Diplomacy – Current Status and Future Development in the EU Region, where he presented to the participants the current challenges and views on the future role of economic diplomacy, as well as the challenges facing the EU, especially in terms of competitiveness in comparison with the US and China.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended a summit of the Mediterranean EU countries, MED9, in Paphos, Cyprus. The summit was also attended by the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which began on 9 September 2024, concluded today in Geneva. The UNHRC unanimously adopted a resolution on human rights education proposed by Slovenia in cooperation with a group of countries from different world regions.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Development of key competences and specialised programmes for persons on probation.

In this episode of the GOVSI podcast, we discuss civil defense. Together with Boštjan Pavlin, the Director General for Defense Affairs at the Ministry of Defense, we explain the essence of civil defense and the difference between civil defense and civil protection.

At today's session, the Government issued a Decree on determining intensified security conditions due to staffing or accommodation problems in prisons and on taking provisional measures. It also adopted the medium-term fiscal-structural plan and took note of the starting points for drafting the proposal for an act on protection measures for persons engaged in public activities.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič participated in the 16th EMUNI Conference in Piran, co-organised with the Union for the Mediterranean, where she expressed her support for the initiative to establish the Euro-Mediterranean Students’ Empowerment Fund - EMSEF.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Robert Golob, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr Rafael Mariano Grossi, is visiting Slovenia today.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the opening of the new premises of the Ljubljana Community Health Centre's mental health centre for children and youth (Unit Vič-Rudnik).

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Competence centres for human resources development 4.0. European Regional Development Fund contribution for the project stands at 15.4 million euros. The project aims to improve employees’ knowledge and skills, enhance creativity and innovation and thus boost the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

State Secretary Melita Gabrič welcomed a delegation from the Polish-Slovenian Parliamentary Group of the Sejm of Poland for discussions focused on bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as current European and international issues.

Ljubljana hosts the Days of Automotive Industry Suppliers. Almost 40 members of ACS, the Automotive Cluster of Slovenia, presented themselves to the Chinese automotive industry at the main event. Four representatives of Chinese car manufacturers, Nio, Jiangling Motors, Tam Motors and ATTC, will also visit some Slovenian companies in the coming days.

Prime Minister Robert Golob made a statement to the media on the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attack in Israel and the start of the Gaza war. "Today marks one year since the brutal Hamas terror attack on innocent Israeli civilians, one year since the capture of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and one year since the Israeli military launched one of the largest slaughters in modern history.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the 83rd extraordinary session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, where the appointment of new ministers to the Slovenian Government was discussed. Prime Minister Golob also addressed the deputies.

The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our cities and towns, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. The day highlights the key challenges of sustainable urban development and better living conditions in urban areas. This year's theme is: "Engaging youth to create a better urban future".

One year has passed since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered a spiral of violence in the Middle East with catastrophic humanitarian consequences, especially for women and children. Slovenia condemns all violence, calls for the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages, the provision of humanitarian aid and the implementation of the two-state solution, which is a prerequisite for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The archive reading room and information room will be open only until 11.30 on Thursday, October 10.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was the keynote speaker at today's award ceremony for the 2024 national education awards. These prestigious annual awards, the highest recognition in education, were presented by the Ministry of Education on the eve of World Teachers' Day.

Slovenia will provide half a million euros for emergency humanitarian aid to Lebanon. Together with the Slovenian Karitas, the strategic partner for the emergency humanitarian response, and the ITF - Enhancing Human Security, the assistance in the form of basic necessities will be targeted at the most vulnerable internally displaced persons, with a special focus on women, children and the elderly.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič has signed an agreement with the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, to provide 500,000 euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, consisting of medicines and medical equipment.

October is Cyber Security Month in many countries, including Slovenia. In the 12th episode of the GOVSI podcast, Dr. Uroš Svete, Director of the Government Office for Information Security, and Petra Bezjak Cirman, Director of the Government Office for Communication, discussed this topic.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, and the Minister of Health, Valentina Prevolnik Rupel, met with the management of the Maribor University Medical Centre (Maribor UMC) to review the progress of the expansion of the oncology ward, which is crucial for increasing access to oncology services for patients in north-eastern Slovenia.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the first power transmission and the construction of the Fala–Laško transmission line. The ceremony was organised by ELES, with Mr Golob as the keynote speaker.

Marko Štucin, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, participated in the Meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for EU Affairs of the nine Mediterranean countries of the European Union, known as the MED9, held in Nicosia, Cyprus.

At today's session, the Government completed the discussion on the 343 buildings scheduled for potential removal in the aftermath of the floods and landslides that occurred in August 2023. The Government also took note of the start of activities of the ESC negotiating team for pension reform and included the purchase of property for the expansion of the hospital activity of the Maribor University Medical Centre in the Development Programme Plan for the period 2024-2027.

In less than a month, Slovenia will host the tenth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention and take over a three-year presidency of the Water Convention Bureau. The Convention currently brings together 55 Parties. Also due to the experience with last year's catastrophic floods, it is in Slovenia's interest to strengthen the resilience of transboundary river basins and river basins so that they can effectively cope with the challenges posed by climate change.

A conference under the theme ‘’Renewable Energy Production Challenges’’ marked the closure of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Programme that has been implemented under the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2020.

The natural gas supply to Slovenia and the wider region will be stable and reliable this winter, mainly thanks to other sources from Algeria, Azerbaijan and Norway.

Consular operations at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran are temporarily limited to providing essential consular services in support of Slovenian citizens.

"It is a pleasure for us to welcome the children from the Khmelnytsky region to Slovenia and we hope that they will be able to regain their strength and cheer up in the company of their peers before they return home," said State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Dr Melita Gabrič on the occasion of her visit to 50 Ukrainian children receiving psychosocial rehabilitation in Strunjan.

The Government Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Information Security (GISO) organized a workshop in Podgorica for female experts from Western Balkan countries, employed in the field of cybersecurity in the private, public, and academic sectors. The event took place between September 30 and October 1, hosted by the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C).

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a reception and award ceremony for Para athletes and coaches to commemorate the medals that Slovenia took home from the Paris 2024 17th Summer Paralympic Games. The event was held by the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport.

In Berlin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, attended the Berlin Process Anniversary Summit. She underlined that this process, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has played a significant role in promoting regional cooperation, connectivity and stability in the Western Balkans over the past decade.

On Thursday, 26 September, the Chief Inspector Katja Čoh-Kragolnik received the Ambassador of India, Her Excellency Namrata S. Kumar, at the headquarters of the Labour Inspectorate. Their discussion focused on the issue of employment of Indian nationals in Slovenia.

In September, Slovenia held its first rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during its current non-permanent membership in the period 2024-2025. The September presidency presents an additional organisational challenge, as it coincides with the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly's general debate.

Today marks the International Day of Older Persons, celebrated annually. This year’s theme is ''Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.”

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, is attending the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh/ISIS. The Global Coalition, which unites 87 countries, is marking its 10th anniversary.

State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in an extraordinary informal videoconference of EU Foreign Ministers, convened by Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to discuss the escalating situation in Lebanon following the intensified conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Slovenians Abroad, Matej Arčon, as chairman of the Slovenian delegation, today co-chaired the 19th meeting of the Slovenian-Hungarian Joint Commission for Monitoring the Agreement on Guaranteeing the Special Rights of the Slovenian National Minority in the Republic of Hungary and the Hungarian National Community in the Republic of Slovenia.

Between 25 and 26 September 2024, the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) hosted the annual meeting of the European Nuclear Security Regulators Association (ENSRA) for the first time since joining this association of competent authorities for nuclear security back in 2008.

Between September 2 and 27, 2024, the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia completed the first stage of its move to its new location at Poljanska Road 40. Archival records, which were temporarily unavailable during the relocation, are once again accessible to visitors in our reading room at Zvezdarska Street 1. The reading room will during the relocation continue to operate according to the summer schedule, i. e. Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm.

Prime Minister Robert Golob chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as rapporteur. The Prime Minister also addressed the Security Council.