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Today's earthquake, which was around half past six in the vicinity of Zagreb, was also detected in the Krško NPP, but it did not have any impact on its operation.

Today, when the first COVID-19 vaccinations for the groups of the population most at risk started to be administered, Prime Minister Janša visited the University Medical Centre Maribor, where the first healthcare workers were vaccinated. The Slovenian Prime Minister also visited the COVID-19 hospital wards to gain insight into the work of the doctors and medical staff.

The first shipment of a vaccine against COVID-19 arrived in Slovenia yesterday, and today the first vaccinations of the most critical groups began across the country. Prime Minister Janez Janša today visited the Danica Vogrinec Home for the Elderly in Maribor, where they are at the moment still facing an aggravated epidemiological situation and where the first married couple was vaccinated.

The first batch of the coronavirus vaccine arrived at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana on Saturday and was delivered to the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).

Below is the Christmas address of the Prime Minister Janez Janša.

The Ministry welcomes the deal on EU-UK future partnership, which was reached after extremely intensive negotiations led by the EU’s negotiator Michel Barnier and on the UK side, David Frost.

Below is a transcript of the address by Prime Minister Janez Janša at the state ceremony on Independence and Unity Day; due to the epidemiological situation, it was only broadcast on television.

Government of the Republic of Slovenia took note of the activities regarding the draft national Recovery and Resilience Plan which was approved on 8 October 2020 and instructed the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy to submit the said proposal to the Government for approval after the European Parliament adopts the EU Regulation establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility in February 2021.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 was attended by the Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, the state secretary at the Ministry for Economic Development and Technology, Simon Zajc, the deputy head of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ), Nuška Čakš Jager, and the government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2021.

Today, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food published an open competition for selection of an innovative, creative design and plan for a symbolic object – the ‘Zlata čebela’ / ‘Golden Honeybee’ award model. This open and anonymous competition is addressed to all the interested citizens of the Republic of Slovenia with the required skills in the realms of authorship, technical know-how and organisational competencies.

Prime Minister Janez Janša participated at the meeting of four presidents at the presidential palace today, which is traditionally organised by the President of the Republic, Borut Pahor. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Janez Janša, President of the Republic, Borut Pahor, President of the National Assembly, Igor Zorčič, and the President of the National Council, Alojz Kovšca.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease was attended by Marija Magajne from the Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr Borut Štrukelj, psychologist Dr Andreja Poljanec, and the government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

At the invitation of Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the first meeting of foreign ministers of the three countries was held today in Trieste, and focused on the joint management of the Adriatic Sea. Bordering the same sea, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia share a vision of the Adriatic Sea as a bridge uniting the people of the region and as a source of prosperity for all.

At a session, the Government issued the Ordinance on the declaration of the COVID-19 epidemic in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia and published it in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia. By this ordinance and on the basis of the Communicable Diseases Act, an epidemic of the COVID-19 communicable disease was declared in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia. The ordinance shall enter into force on 18 December 2020 and remain in force for 30 days.

On Thursday, 17 December, in the Presidential Palace, the President of the Republic of Slovenia and Commander-in-Chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces Borut Pahor promoted Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Robert Glavaš, to the rank of Major General.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today addressed the participants of the 15th Slovenian Economy Summit via video. He said, among other things, that the victors of tomorrow are those who are flexible, creative, curious, and dare to think outside the established frameworks. In order to succeed, we need the know-how that is connected with digitalisation and innovation. Skills in artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, and quantum computers are necessary.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs attended an event that was part of the Zlati pogovori cycle, which takes place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Zlati kamen event. In the virtual conversation “How to get funds for municipalities after 2020?”, State Secretary underlined that municipalities and development regions are important partners in the process of planning the use of European Cohesion Policy funds for the period 2021-2027 as well as the funds available under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The EU Environment Council, attended by the State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Metka Gorišek, reached an agreement on the EU Climate Act, which sets out the long-term goal of EU's carbon neutrality until 2050 at the EU level.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today held a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of the Republic of Kosovo, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla. The ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation, especially on the economy, which has an important place in bilateral relations. They also discussed measures to stem the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its consequences and went on to discuss current regional themes.

At its 44th regular session, the Government adopted many acts related to the COVID-19 epidemic. It therefore extended the epidemic by one month, kept the measures at border crossings, and adopted some changes on the green and red lists of countries.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today presided over the session of the Government Council for Slovenians Abroad. The Council is a consultative body of the Government, and participates in the formation and implementation of policies and strategies of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians abroad. The session participants thanked the Prime Minister for the meeting and for the expressed concern and interest of the Government for Slovenians abroad.

Today, the European Court of Human Rights published its ruling on Slovenia's inter-State application against Croatia with respect to the Ljubljanska banka claims against Croatian companies. The Court decided it had no jurisdiction to examine the inter-State application under Article 33 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms since Ljubljanska banka, in view of the Court, was not a "non-governmental organisation" for the purposes of Article 34 of the Convention.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 will be attended by the head of the Clinic for infectious diseases and fever conditions, Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, deputy head of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ), Nuška Čakš Jager, and the government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

The EU Ministers responible for agriculture and fisheries met yesterday and today at the last session of the EU Council of the year under the presidency of Germany. State secretary mag. Miran Mihelič attended the session for Slovenia. As is traditional for the end of the year, negotiations on fishing opportunities for the next year were at the forefront of the meeting, which are faced with additional challenges due to United Kingdom’s exit from the EU. Discussion on the proposal of a uniform voluntary marking of nutritional values on the front of packaging was also at the forefront, which resulted in the adoption of resolutions of the presidency, as well as the discussion about an all-European marking on animal well-being on foods of animal origin. During lunch, the German presidency presented to the Ministers the advancements in negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy after 2021, which, following the adoption of the General Approach of the Council, are now continuing with the European Parliament in the form of so-called trialogues.

During today's working visit to The Hague, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar met his host, Stef Blok, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The two ministers confirmed the excellent and friendly relations between their respective countries, advocating for the further strengthening of cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Janez Janša presided over the session of the Government Council for Slovenians in Neighbouring Countries today. He initially assessed the future of Slovenians in neighbouring countries, and continued to talk about the preservation of the Slovenian language and identity, reinforced cooperation of cultural institutions on both sides of the state border, about young people who must be a priority in all activities, and on the strategic relationship of the Republic of Slovenia in this area.

During today’s visit to The Hague, Foreign Minister Anže Logar held a meeting with the President of the International Criminal Court Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji. They highlighted the importance of constructive cooperation in fighting impunity and the crucial role of an independent judiciary.

NIJZ provided some more up-to-date information for the press conference. There are currently 20,970 confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia, said Ms Bratuša, the 14 day incidence is 1,006 positive cases, and the 7 day incidence is 1,477 such cases.

Prime Minister Janez Janša participated at the meeting with ambassadors of the EU member states today at Brdo pri Kranju, which was organised as an event in the framework of the German presidency of the EU Council. The Prime Minister answered the questions of the ambassadors, and talked about the recent meeting of the European Council, the challenges that await us in the following year, and the preparations for Slovenia’s presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2021.

Today in The Hague, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Anže Logar met with Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fernando Arias. This is the first visit of a Slovenian foreign minister to the seat of the Organisation. The talks mainly focused on an assessment of global progress in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and a review of cooperation between Slovenia and the OPCW, particularly in the light of Slovenia’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021.

Director-General for EU Affairs Barbara Sušnik today held virtual consultations with Andreas Riecken, Director General for the European Union and Economic Affairs at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. They discussed bilateral cooperation, exchanging information on the state of play in their respective countries in relation to curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and on topical issues within the EU.

The Minister of Health Tomaž Gantar, Director General of the Employment Service of Slovenia Mitja Bobnar, and government spokesman Jelko Kacin, took part in today's press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 epidemic.

Slovenian minister of the interior Aleš Hojs has participated at Council meeting of the EU Home Affairs ministers held via videoconference that was also the final meeting under the German presidency.

Stanka Vauh, Director of Prevalje Retirement Home, psychologist Peter Markič and Maja Bratuša, Deputy Government Spokesperson, attended today’s afternoon press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed the attendees of a virtual event marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the OECD Convention (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). The state of the global economy, long-term trends, and the OECD's special contribution to "Better Policies for a Better Life" were presented at the event, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the general debate held during the nineteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). He expressed support for the independent and impartial work of the Court, commending the efforts of the international community to put an end to impunity for international crimes. He went on to underline the importance of promoting mutual trust and dialogue between all stakeholders to strengthen international peace and security.

At today’s 53rd extraordinary session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša responded to deputies’ questions. He replied to questions regarding the suitability of social dialogue, importance of the media, dealing with the current crisis and the plans for economic recovery after the epidemic.

We are publishing the response to the petition of foreign academics, who express their concern over the state of autonomy of Slovenian academia.

On 18 November 2020, Slovenia, Israel and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) organized a virtual event “Water and Cyber security - Protection of critical water-related infrastructure”, with 22 panelists and 150 participants.

As part of Slovenian delegation, the Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek visited the Republic of Italy and the Vatican City State on Thursday and Friday. The visit to Rome included the Minister’s activities and meetings with the leading representatives of the World Food Programme of the United Nations (UN) and of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies of the Republic of Italy. On Friday, the Minister Dr Podgoršek heard Holy Mass for the Fatherland, attended the Audience with the Holy Father, and met with the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson. On conclusion of visit of the Slovenian delegation, a ceremony of lighting candles on a pine tree presented by Slovenia took place in the St. Peter’s Square.

Following the conclusion of the European Council meeting, Prime Minister Janez Janša today addressed the following items in detail in a press statement: on coordination concerning COVID-19, climate changes, fight against terrorism, EU-US relations, Turkey and the Southern Neighbourhood

A Slovenian Christmas tree, a spruce from the Kočevsko forests, has been lit up in all its beauty today in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican. The tree is decorated with handmade ethnographic ornaments. The keynote speaker at the event was Dr Anže Logar, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The press conference about the current situation regarding COVID-19 was attended by Hugon Možina, head of the emergency internal medicine service at UKC Ljubljana, Deana Potza, from the health inspectorate, and Tomaž Pečjak, deputy director-general of the police.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Anže Logar visited the Holy See, where he had the honour of attending an audience with Pope Francis together with members of the Slovenian delegation. On the 30th anniversary of the Plebiscite on Sovereignty and Independence, Slovenia gifted a Christmas tree to stand in St Peter’s Square. By erecting the tree in the Vatican, Slovenia once again expresses gratitude to the Holy See for its unwavering support during the process of gaining independence.

Dear Ms Mijatović, May I begin by thanking you for your concern and the attention you have been devoting to the current situation regarding the Slovenian Press Agency (SPA). Just as you, I also want the current difficulties regarding the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency to be resolved as soon as possible to the benefit of the employees as well as the Agency itself.

In scope of the HIA project, funded by the European Comission and coordinated by TECOS with the help of SRIP FoF and Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, we are launching the second call for expression of interest, where we invite interested companies with relevant Industry 4.0 references to apply. This is the second of the overall three open calls within this project.

Today’s press conference on the current situation of the Covid-19 epidemic was attended by Anica Hribar, director of the Brežice general hospital, and psychologist Žarko Trušnovec.

Prime Minister Janez Janša will be participating at the European Council meeting in Brussels today. The EU leaders will discuss further harmonisation on Covid-19, climate change, the fight against terrorism, and EU relations with the USA, Turkey, and the southern neighbourhood.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed, via video message, the attendees of the Global Slovenian Business: Cooperation and Development event, uniting Slovenian businessmen around the world, which has been organised by the Slovenian Global Business Network.

On the margins of his visit to Rome, Foreign Minister Anže Logar met David M. Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). Minister Logar congratulated him on receiving the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to WFP for its efforts to combat hunger, its contribution to improving the conditions for peace in conflict zones, and for efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

The press conference on the current Covid-19 situation was attended by the state secretary at the Ministry of Health, Marija Magajne, the state secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mateja Ribič, and the government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

Below is the interview with Prime Minister Janez Janša for the Hungarian weekly Mandiner. The interview focused on the Slovenian domestic policies, Covid-19 epidemic, Slovenia’s presidency of the EU Council, on cultural Marxism, and on Hungary.

Today, we mark International Human Rights Day. It is very different from previous years. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives without precedent. In fact, it goes far beyond a public health emergency. It is an economic and social crisis, as well as a human rights crisis.

The press conference on the current situation with the COVID-19 disease was attended by Borut Štrukelj, full professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Dušan Deisinger, medical director of the Izola General Hospital, Eva Grilc, epidemiologist from the NIPH, and the government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a virtual ministerial roundtable on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, which was held on the margins of the World Press Freedom Conference 2020 co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and UNESCO. The meeting focused on the strengthening of support for countries to increase the safety of journalists and media workers, particularly in fighting impunity for crimes committed against them. At the close of the meeting, a ministerial commitment was adopted.

As part of his two-day official visit to Israel, Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with his host, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In their joint statement to the press, the two prime ministers highlighted the good, friendly relations between the countries since Slovenia gained independence thirty years ago and the importance of innovation for the future competitive advantage of both Slovenia and Israel.

Speakers at today’s afternoon press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 were Mojca Matičič from the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, who is also a professional mentor to students at the government call centre, and Robert Masten from the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana.

During his visit to the US, Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with US Congressman Paul Gosar and Senator Amy Klobuchar today. Due to measures adopted by the Congress to control the COVID-19 pandemic, both meetings took place via video-conference.

The press conference on the current situation relating to COVID-19 was attended by Boštjan Koritnik, Minister of Public Administration, Dr Matjaž Vogrin, Medical Director of Maribor University Medical Centre, and Government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

Speakers at the afternoon press conference on the current epidemiological situation included Nataša Slejko, head of healthcare at the Nova Gorica Home for the Elderly and a member of the regional team of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia, psychologist Eva Kovač, and government spokesperson Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the EU General Affairs Council video conference. At today’s meeting, the European Affairs ministers and state secretaries focused on examining draft conclusions for the European Council meeting to be held on 10 and 11 December 2020. In this context, they discussed the coordination effort that has been delivered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including work on vaccines, climate change, the fight against terrorism, EU-UK relations, Turkey, and the Southern Neighbourhood.

Today’s press conference on the current Covid-19 situation was hosted by Mateja Logar from the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Ljubljana University Medical Centre and Jelko Kacin, the government spokesperson.

Following the agreement between Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on launching the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries, the inaugural session of the Dialogue was held today at the Department of State.

Prime Minister Janez Janša has given an interview to Sieci, a Polish weekly magazine. The interview covers the prime minister’s letter to European leaders about the rule of law, Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU, the American elections, the media in post-communist countries and his political career.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar is visiting Washington D.C. at the invitation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The main purpose of the visit is further strengthening of relations between Slovenia and the US, historical friends, strategic partners and NATO allies.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar spoke in the general debate during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the COVID-19 pandemic. In his address, he stressed that the current health, economic and social crisis calls for a well-coordinated regional and global response.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today met with the representatives of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. The discussion focused on the Covid-19 epidemic in the context of trade and the possibilities of easing measures imposed on trade activities. They agreed that restrictions imposed on trade activities can only be relaxed, if the number of Covid-19 cases decreases. For this to happen, all citizens must act responsibly and respect measures for the prevention and containment of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar is today attending the international video-conference Rome MED 2020 – Mediterranean Dialogues, held this year under the title Heal and Rebuild: A Positive Agenda for the EU in the Enlarged Mediterranean. The Minister took part in a panel session with the foreign ministers of Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece. In his address, he stressed the importance of partnership between the European Union and neighbouring countries in the field of migration as well as green and digital transition, transport, and energy.

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mr Cveto Uršič, representative of the Health Inspectorate, Ms Deana Potza, Deputy Director-General of the Police, Mr Tomaž Pečjak, and the Government spokesman Mr Jelko Kacin participated at the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs participated in a videoconference of like-minded Member States on some elements of the Migration and Asylum Pact, convened by Polish minister Mariusz Kamiński.

Marko Rakovec, Acting Director-General of the Directorate for International Law and Protection of Interests at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and current chair of the Slovenian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) participated in an online plenary meeting of the organisation. In his address, he underscored the attention Slovenia pays to raising awareness about the unacceptability of antisemitism and about the tragic events of the past, such as the Holocaust and the Porajmos.

Speakers at the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 included the Minister of Health, Tomaž Gantar, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Aleš Mihelič, the Secretary from the Healthcare Directorate at the Ministry of Health, Doroteja Novak Gosarič, and the Government Spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stanislav Raščan, took part in the opening session of the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council held via video teleconferencing. The event is hosted by the Albanian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, and will conclude on 4 December 2020.

Janez Janša, Prime Minister, Borut Pahor, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, and Igor Zorčič, the President of the National Assembly, commemorated the International Day of Disabled Persons with a special ceremony.

The Director-General for EU Affairs, Barbara Sušnik, held bilateral consultations with David Cvach, Director-General for European Affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

At its 134th session by correspondence on 30 November 2020, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia was informed by the Government Communication Office (GCO) of the inability to perform Contract No. 81/2019 on the Performance of Public Service in 2020, concluded with Slovenska tiskovna agencija d.o.o. (Slovenian Press Agency), Ljubljana, and the inability to conclude a contract on the performance of public service in 2021.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Construction of a new building of the Centre for Treatment of Children’s Diseases”. The project worth over EUR 5.8 million will be managed by the Ministry of Health and will receive a little over EUR 4.4 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

Today, the final event of the development cooperation project “School and Peer Mediation in Bosnia and Herzegovina” took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carried out in 2019–2020, the project involved primary schools from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Brčko District, and the Republika Srpska.

Ahead of the December Home Affairs Ministers Council, today the Ministers of Trio Presidency, German minister Horst Seehofer, Portuguese minister Eduardo Cabrito and their Slovenian counterpart, minister Aleš Hojs, exchanged views on the new Migration and Asylum Pact.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar took part in the second day of the regular meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which was held via teleconference. Today’s meeting was mostly focused on exchanging views with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the foreign ministers of Finland, Sweden, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, in particular, on the impact of China’s rise in the global community.

The press conference on the current situation with the COVID-19 disease was attended by the Deputy Head of the Communicable Disease Centre of the National Institute of Public Health Nuška Čakš Jager, DEOS manager Irena Vincek, the representative of the Ministry of the Interior Borut Jakopin, and the government spokesman Jelko Kacin.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar took part in the regular two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance, organised via video-conference. The meeting primarily focused on the reflection process for strengthening the political dimension of the Alliance and on the NATO 2030 Expert Group’s Report.

At the invitation of the German Presidency, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today attended a virtual informal meeting of ministers for European affairs. The members of the EU General Affairs Council discussed issues relating to the future of Europe and exchanged views on the possibilities of stepping up coordinated action against the COVID-19 pandemic. Ministers of the Western Balkans countries also joined the discussion.

Today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease was attended by Janez Tomažič from the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Ljubljana University Medical Centre (UKC), Polonca Mali from the Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, and the government spokesman Jelko Kacin.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by Vesna Vodišek Razboršek, director of the Šentjur retirement home (DSO), and psychologist, Andreja Poljanec.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia took note of the Report of the Permanent Coordination Group for Restrictive Measures on Hezbollah’s Activities and Mode of Operation, reaching the decision to treat Hezbollah as a criminal and terrorist organisation that poses a threat to peace and security.

Today, Slovenia's leading conference on innovation “Innovation Day” took place in a virtual format under the title “Symptoms of Creativity”. This year’s event was organised for the first time in partnership with the Creativeforum.si platform launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It brought together over a thousand participants from more than 50 countries, for a lively discussion on the pivotal role of creativity as an international societal driving force and the potential of cooperation between traditional industries and creative sectors. “Supporting creativity and innovation is one of the pillars of Slovenia’s foreign policy, and creativity will be one of Slovenia’s cross-sectoral priorities during its presidency of the Council of the EU”, stated State Secretary Stanislav Raščan in his opening speech.

The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Icelandic foreign ministry, conducted a study entitled “Empowered diplomacy: bridging the gender gap” on equal opportunities of women and men in diplomacy. Its findings suggest that since 2009, the situation regarding the gender gap in higher positions in Slovenian diplomacy has largely improved. The aim of the project was to obtain up-to-date and transparent insights into gender equality and equal opportunities in diplomacy, and to subsequently identify and design the necessary measures for further improvement.

The press conference on the current COVID-19 situation was attended by the Head of the intensive care unit at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at UKC Ljubljana, Matjaž Jereb, and the government spokesman, Jelko Kacin.

Today, Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the first ever Schengen Forum meeting through a videoconference link. The meeting, at which the European Commission gathered EU home affairs ministers and MEPs, marked the launch of regular discussions on the future of the Schengen area.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Wastewater collection and treatment in the Meža River basin – Municipality Mežica”. The project worth EUR 529,000 will be implemented by the Municipality Mežica and will receive EUR 272,000 of Cohesion Fund support.

Today’s epidemiological situation: a relatively large number of tests were carried out yesterday (as many as 6,587). One thousand six-hundred and nine cases were confirmed, which means that the proportion of positive tests was 24.4%. Hospital care required 22 more COVID-19 patients (namely 1,324) in comparison to Wednesday. Two-hundred-six patients needed intensive care, which is nine less than the day before. Ninety-eight patients were discharged from hospitals in total. Yesterday we also had a lot of deaths in Slovenia: 48 people died in hospitals, nursing homes and care homes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today held a video conference with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson. Minister Logar stressed the positive and friendly bilateral relations and expressed Slovenia’s interest in further deepening economic cooperation with Iceland.

This year, following the decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and in agreement with the Holy See, a Slovenian Christmas tree, a spruce from the Kočevje forests, will be erected in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City. It will be decorated with handmade Slovenian ethnographic ornaments. A Slovenian Christmas tree being put up in the Vatican, as well as the accompanying promotional events that will take place, is an excellent way to promote Slovenia, especially in the light of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021. The project is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. The opening ceremony will take place in the Vatican City on 11 December 2020.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the virtual ministerial meeting of the Regional Forum within the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as the main platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation in the region. In his address, Minister Logar spoke in favour of further strengthening the relations and cooperation within the UfM to increase security and stability and promote overall development in the Mediterranean.

The press conference on the current Covid-19 situation was attended by the acting director of the Healthcare Directorate of the Ministry of Health, Marija Magajne, psychologist Peter Markič, and the government spokesperson, Jelko Kacin.

Today, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of EU Member States and Southern Neighbourhood partner countries. Against the backdrop of the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, the ministers exchanged views on the future of the EU-Southern Neighbourhood partnership.