News

Slovenian prime minister Marjan Šarec is paying a return visit to Skopje today at the invitation of North Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev. The Slovenian PM’s visit to North Macedonia represents a continuation of the regular intensive political dialogue between the two countries.

Slovenia is deeply concerned about the Turkish military operation in north-east Syria. The operation could threaten the stability of the wider region and the progress achieved in the fight against Da'esh and other terrorist organizations, as well as undermines the political process to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. It also threatens the lives of the population and further exacerbates the humanitarian situation in the country, which could provoke further displacements.

On Thursday, 10 October 2019, the Ministry of Public Administration received representatives of the Civil Affairs Institute (Instytut Spraw Obywatelskich), a Polish non-governmental organisation.

On today’s World and European Day against the Death Penalty, Slovenia, a vocal opponent of this kind of punishment, calls for it to be abolished worldwide, and applauds Europe (with the exception of Belarus) as first continent to have done so.

On his working visit to North Macedonia in Gevgelia, prime minister Marjan Šarec and North Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev reviewed the conditions on the North Macedonian-Greek border with respect to the challenges of illegal migration on the so-called Balkan route, and visited a migrant transit centre on the country’s south-eastern border. On the occasion, he met with six members of the Slovenian police who are participating in the joint surveillance of border crossings on Macedonian territory as part of joint measures for managing the increased flow of migrants.

Minister Dr Miro Cerar hosted Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Stef Blok on an official visit to Slovenia today. The two ministers confirmed the excellent bilateral relations between their countries, which have been developed in both politics and business, noting with pleasure their similar views on numerous current European and global topics. Slovenian racing cyclist Primož Roglič, who is part of the Dutch team Jumbo–Visma, is yet another example of Slovenian–Dutch partnership, inspiring cycling fans both here and in the Netherlands.

The prime minister Marjan Šarec hosted a visit by the Belgian prime minister and newly elected President of the European Council Charles Michel. The visit by this senior European politician is part of his preparations prior to assuming the role of President of the European Council, having previously paid visits to Berlin and Rome. Mr Michel was elected to the post on 2 July and will start work on 1 December.

Acting Director-General for EU Affairs, Ambassador Barbara Sušnik, took part in bilateral consultations in Norway today. She and her counterpart, Director General of the Department for European Affairs Niels Engelschiøn, exchanged views on topical bilateral, European and international issues.

State Secretary Dobran Božič addressed participants in the Slovenian–Jordanian Business Forum held at the Grand Hotel Union today. The Forum seeks to present opportunities for cooperation in various business areas and for networking between Slovenian and Jordanian companies. The ten-strong business delegation of the Jordan Europe Business Association is composed of representatives of companies engaged in defence, security, aviation, electrical appliances, the food industry, smart energy solutions, construction materials and equipment, the cosmetics industry and spa tourism.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued grant decisions for two projects promoting conservation of natural and cultural heritage in the Drava River basin, which fall in the scope of the Natura 2000 Management Programme. Both project budgets amount to over EUR 8.2 million; the projects will receive a contribution of EUR 6.5 million from ERDF (European Regional Development Fund).

At the end of the previous week, on 5 and 6 October 2019, the "My Safety and Mobility" hackathon was held at ABC Accelerator in Ljubljana. The event brought together 48 participants who developed their ideas on the subjects listed in the public competition for the selection of the "My Safety and Mobility" concept, announced by the Ministry of Public Administration.

You are cordially invited to attend the opening of the exhibition Slovenians in the United States Today, which will take place on October 9th, 2019 at 1 p.m. in the park in front of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia.

The latest Report on the Implementation of EU Cohesion Policy in the Period January 2014-June 2019 and the Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan to Accelerate the Spending under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of EU Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014-2020 were presented to Slovenian Government. The Government will submit the documents to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

At the invitation of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Warsaw Security Forum, State Secretary Dobran Božič is attending this year’s Forum, taking place on 2 and 3 October.

At its session today the government approved draft amendments to four tax, adopted the Draft Act amending the Pension and Disability Insurance Act, defined the text of the Draft Act amending the Labour Market Act and adopted a draft amendment to the text of the Aviation Act.

An international conference on the public administration challenges facing the Western Balkan countries held in Ljubljana concluded yesterday. The conference was organised by the ReSPA (Regional School of Public Administration) and hosted by the Slovenian Ministry of Public Administration. The participants were addressed by Slovenian Minister of Public Administration Rudi Medved.

Minister Dr Miro Cerar hosted Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Minister of Immigration and Asylum of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn on an official visit to Slovenia today. The counterparts confirmed excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, based on common European values, the rule of law and similar views on current European and global issues.

For nearly 30 years, 1 October has been celebrated as the International Day of Older Persons. This year’s celebration is held under the theme ‘’The Journey to Age Equality’’ and is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 10. In Slovenia, numerous measures promoting employment of older workers and active and healthy ageing are supported by the European Social Fund (ESF).

An international conference on the public administration challenges facing the Western Balkan countries is taking place in Ljubljana these days. The conference is organized by ReSPA (Regional School of Public Administration), and this year is hosted by the Slovenian Ministry of Public Administration.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 1 October as International Day of Older Persons to highlight the frequently overlooked position of this population group in society. The Foreign Ministry is using this occasion to call for the elimination of age discrimination and for the establishment of effective international mechanisms for the protection of older persons.

State Secretary Dobran Božič has received a business delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The visit in Slovenia of this first major government and business delegation in nineteen years will last until 3 October.

The 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, which concluded in Geneva today, saw the adoption of resolutions on the human rights situation in Venezuela and Sudan. Slovenia sponsored a resolution on a world programme on human rights education and training, foreseeing a multiannual focus on teaching young people about human rights.

In New York, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar hosted a breakfast for ministers and senior representatives of the Green Group. The group, established by Slovenia, gathers six small countries dedicated to promoting green policies and the transition to a green economy and the use of renewables: Slovenia, Singapore, Iceland, Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates and Cabo Verde.

At the Paris conference to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), State Secretary Simona Leskovar underscored Slovenia’s determination to prevent discrimination.

The Slovenian Prime Minister addressed the UN General Assembly at its 74th session, which is centred around the theme of Galvanising multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion.

A champion of preventive diplomacy and mediation, Slovenia has been a member of the Group of Friends of Mediation from its inception in 2010 at the initiative of Finland and Turkey. The group currently has fifty-eight members.

As a token of Slovenia’s advocacy of the rule of law, preventive diplomacy and multilateralism, Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar participated in three major events in areas where Slovenia plays an active and prominent role: an event in support of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a meeting of the Group of Friends of Mediation and an event in support of multilateralism.

On Wednesday, Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar took part in a conference on facilitating a nuclear test ban pursuant to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 1996, the Treaty has been signed by 184 countries; Slovenia signed the CTBT twenty years ago.

On the penultimate day of his attendance of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec had a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Foreign Minister Cerar is in New York attending the UN General Assembly session and various side events. During last night’s meeting organised by the EU, he held conversations with European Council President-designate Charles Michel, Vice-President of the Commission Frans Timmermans and Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Discussing the continuation of political dialogue with the new Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, they agreed to hold a bilateral meeting as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar are participating in the 74th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. Minister of Health Aleš Šabeder, who was taking part in a high-level meeting on universal health coverage, joined them for the opening of the General Debate.

Slovenian Minister of Public Administration Rudi Medved received H.E. Prof. Dr. Vujica Lazović, the Ambassador of Montenegro to Slovenia. The cooperation between Slovenia and Montenegro has always been close and it will become even closer in the area of public administration with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Ljubljana next week, Minister Rudi Medved and Ambassador Lazović stressed at the meeting.

Slovenia’s prime minister Marjan Šarec attended the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, and took part in the UN sustainable development goals summit. This year’s General Assembly session is centred around the theme of galvanising multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion.

The Ministry of Public Administration has today received representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations from North Macedonia as part of their two day-visit to Slovenia.

The prime minister is attending the Climate Action Summit and the 74th meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York between 23 and 27 September.

The Slovenian government put forward the draft state budgets for 2020 and 2021. The draft budgets follow the fiscal rule that requires medium-term balance of general government revenues and expenditures without borrowing. Total state budget expenditures of EUR 10.35 billion are planned in the next year, which is 1.9% higher than set out in the revised budget for 2019, while revenues are planned to rise by 4.5% to just under EUR 10.82 billion.

At today’s session the Slovenian government put forward the draft state budgets for 2020 and 2021. The draft budgets follow the fiscal rule that requires medium-term balance of general government revenues and expenditures without borrowing. Total state budget expenditures of EUR 10.35 billion are planned in the next year, which is 1.9% higher than set out in the revised budget for 2019, while revenues are planned to rise by 4.5% to just under EUR 10.82 billion.

Andrej Benedejčič, Ambassador-at-Large for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, attended in Vienna a session of the informal Structured Dialogue working group on the current and future challenges and risks to security in the OSCE area. This meeting, held in capital format, focused on measures to increase transparency and on hybrid threats, above all on strengthening resilience and raising awareness about the dangers hybrid threats pose in the contemporary security environment.

State Secretary Simona Leskovar and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Andrew Winternitz advocated further strengthening of friendly and allied relations between Slovenia and the US, underlining the need for a strong Transatlantic partnership, and they went on to exchange views on current international developments.

An eight-member delegation of the Slovenian Government, led by Slovenian Minister of Economy Zdravko Počivalšek, is attending a working meeting in Berlin at the invitation of German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier.

The two counterparts confirmed positive bilateral relations between Slovenia and India, and they identified a number of opportunities for enhanced cooperation in various fields, from business and tourism to culture, science and sports.

Today, 13 September 2019, the Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar hosted the Austrian Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Peschorn. The two ministers discussed internal border controls and migration.

Today the 52nd MOS Trade Fair in Celje hosted the 9th Economic Diplomacy Day. The event was attended by ambassadors and economic advisers from countries accredited to Slovenia, and by representatives of Slovenian companies. The participants were addressed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Miro Cerar, MOS Board Member Nina Ermenc Pangerl and Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek. This year the MOS partner country is Montenegro.

Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar met Ombudsman Peter Svetina today for a working meeting. Given the human rights focus of Slovenia’s foreign policy, the two institutions have developed excellent cooperation. The Minister assured the Ombudsman that numerous international activities in this area will also continue after Slovenia’s membership and last year’s presidency of the UN Human Rights Council. He went on to mention that Slovenia is currently preparing for the third UPR cycle, planned for 12 November in Geneva.

The first year of the current government’s term of office is ending with stable and strong public support. Since we follow the vision of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec that “our main duty is to work for the people”, increased trust in the work of the government team comes as no surprise. On the anniversary of the election of the government, we are aware of the responsibility that such support entails, and we are once again committed to working in the interest of Slovenia and all of its inhabitants.

On the last day of her visit to Canada, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Aleksandra Pivec attended Slovenia's promotional event presenting Slovenian businesses to potential business partners and the media. Ms Pivec met today with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Province of Ontario, Ernie Hardman, and representatives of Slovenians living in Canada.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Aleksandra Pivec spent the second day of her Canadian visit in Ottawa. Ms Pivec met with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Chris Forbes at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food. She also attended the ceremonial handover of a photograph featuring the image of a bee to the Canadian Museum of Nature and visited a research institution – an experimental farm.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the Integrated Territorial Investment ‘’ITI Velenje cycle network – west’’. The project funding amounts to a total of EUR 2.6 million, of which nearly EUR 1.4 million comes from ERDF.

As part of Slovenian prime minister Marjan Šarec’s official visit to Russia, a reception was held this evening for Slovenian and Russian business leaders. It was attended by the prime minister, foreign minister Dr Miro Cerar, minister of economic development and technology Zdravko Počivalšek, and minister of labour, family, social affairs and equal opportunities Ksenija Klampfer. The Russian Federation was represented at the event by Russian minister of digital development, communications and mass media Konstantin Noskov.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Miro Cerar met Russian Minister for Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Konstantin Noskov today as part of Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec’s official visit to Russia. As co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Slovenian-Russian Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which held its last session at Bled on 14 June, Ministers Cerar and Noskov noted that progress has been achieved in numerous joint projects. They reaffirmed that economic cooperation between their two countries was rewarded today with the signing of two business agreements between a Slovenian company and two Russian companies, paving the way for cooperation on third markets. 　

During his official visit, Slovenian prime minister Marjan Šarec unveiled a memorial to Slovenian victims of both world wars on the territory of today’s Russian Federation alongside Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Aleksandra Pivec has begun her visit to Canada today. On the first day of her visit, Ms Pivec attended the Apimondia International Apicultural Congress that also featured a Slovenian Day. This year, Slovenia has its own exhibition area at the Apimondia Congress where it is represented by the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Slovenian Beekeeper’s Association (SBA), and by the institutions and companies associated with beekeeping. The Slovenian Agriculture Minister also met with the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Province of Quebec Sylvain Lacombe with whom she discussed cooperation between the two countries and the areas and products that are of interest to consumers in the two countries.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is on an official visit to Russia on 10 and 11 September 2019, at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Janez Lenarčič, the Slovenian EU commissioner-designate, has been assigned the portfolio of crisis management in the next European Commission, as President-elect Ursula von der Leyen announced the distribution of posts.

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič took part in the debate titled “Crisis or the end of the international system as we know it”, which addressed the transition from multilateralism to a multipolar or even a new bipolar international system, including the return of geopolitics to the Western Balkans. Therefore, underlined Ambassador Mirošič, the EU enlargement process is exceptionally important

The Slovenian government has adopted the draft priorities of Slovenia’s presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2021, and they will now be presented to the Slovenian National Assembly.

State Secretary Simona Leskovar and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held political consultations in Ljubljana today as part of the regular political dialogue between the two countries.

As part of the 14th Bled Strategic Forum, State Secretary Božič met with Scottish Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development Ben Machperson. They discussed the challenges posed by Brexit and possibilities of strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the economy, tourism and sustainable development.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting the second seminar for young diplomats from the Eastern Partnership, which is being attended by representatives of the Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarus, Georgian, Moldovan and Ukrainian foreign ministries.

Today, as part of the 14th Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto, who currently presides over the EU Foreign Affairs Council. The main topics of their discussion were bilateral relations, the Western Balkans, migration and the Arctic.

The Ministry of Public Administration, more specifically the team of experts from the IT Directorate, hosted a study visit of the Armenian delegation.

On the second day of the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with Michelle Bachelet Jeria, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The afternoon discussions at the Bled Strategic Forum were dedicated to multilateralism. The panellists, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borell Fontelles, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar, exchanged views on the importance of effective multilateralism and finding common solutions to global problems, and on the role of small countries in these efforts.

Do you like being a tourist in Slovenia? Do you love travelling, exploring new places, meeting new people and recording your every move? Then enter our video contest ‘’EU PROJECT, MY STORY 2019’’. Create a short and attractive video. With a bit of luck, you might win two flight tickets to your favourite European capital. Last year’s winner chose Warsaw. Which European capital would you go to if you won the contest?

On the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation Josep Borrell Fontelles.

The afternoon discussions at the Bled Strategic Forum were dedicated to multilateralism. The panellists, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borell Fontelles, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar, exchanged views on the importance of effective multilateralism and finding common solutions to global problems, and on the role of small countries in these efforts.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec addressed the attendees of this year’s Bled Strategic Forum, which is focused on sustainable development and resource management.

The annual Bled Strategic Forum kicked off today with opening addresses by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar as the host of the Forum. This leading international conference in the region is being held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Centre for European Perspective for the fourteenth consecutive year. Under the title (Re)sources of (In)stability, this year’s Forum has gathered many state dignitaries and representatives of international organisations, civil society and business, including President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, Spanish Foreign Minister and EU High Representative-designate Josep Borrell, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Foreign Minister of Finland Pekka Haavisto, currently presiding over the Council of the EU, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, and the foreign ministers of most Western Balkan countries.

On the margins of the 14th Bled Strategic Forum, Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar met with the President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 73rd session, Ms María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, with their talks focusing on the role and strengthening of multilateralism.

Bled, 2nd September 2019 – Minister for public affairs Rudi Medved attended Bled Strategic Forum 2019, where dialog was being held among high leaders from states and companies and they discussed key issues concerning Europe in 21st century. Aside from this event, minister Medved met deputy Secretary General of OECD, Mr. Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen. They discussed the challenges in the field of digitalization and artificial intelligence.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the programme Mobility of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in 2019, University of Ljubljana. The total programme budget amounts to EUR 650,800. European Social Fund will contribute EUR 520,640, which accounts for 80% of the programme funding.

Minister Dr Miro Cerar is attending an informal two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich). On the first day, the foreign ministers, together with ministers of defence, discussed hybrid threats, underlining the importance of information exchanges between EU member states. The discussion on the Middle East focused on Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, with the ministers stressing that the EU must continue its efforts to calm the situation in the region and ensure free navigation through the strait. They also strongly advocated preserving the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA).

At today’s session the Slovenian government adopted the draft Act amending the Road Transport Act, received a report on the process of drafting and adopting the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan, issued the Decree on Outdoor Storage of Flammable Solid Waste and adopted a decision to initiate repatriation procedures from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for persons who meet the conditions under the Act Regulating Relations between the Republic of Slovenia and Slovenians Abroad.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is today on an official visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is today on an official visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ‘’Public utility development in industrial zone Beti’’. The overall project budget amounts to EUR 730,000, of which EUR 375,000 will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

On 2 and 3 September, Bled will again host high-level politicians, business people and representatives of international organisations and academia from Slovenia and beyond. Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Centre for European Perspective for the fourteenth consecutive year, the Bled Strategic Forum seeks to provide appropriate solutions to key issues for guaranteeing peace and security, sustainable development, and economic progress. The two-day conference, held under the title (Re)sources of (In)stability, will be divided into thirty panels with the participation of fifteen ministers, two presidents, and many senior representatives of international organisations.

On 19 August, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Blažka Kepic as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Portuguese Republic resident in Ljubljana.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food hosted an international ministerial conference under the title Strengthening the Formation and Transfer of Knowledge for the Advancement of Agriculture and the Countryside that was held ahead of the AGRA Fair. The conference was attended by 15 foreign delegations, including a Turkish delegation that started its working visit yesterday by signing the adopted guidelines for the further cooperation between Slovenia and Turkey.

The European Commission informed the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy of the decision approving the major project for upgrading the existing line of the railway track Maribor-Šentilj-state border. The project worth over EUR 253 million will receive Cohesion Fund contribution in the amount of EUR 101 million. Minister responsible for Development, Strategic Projects and Cohesion Dr. Iztok Purič underlined that “the project is a major step forward in modernising the Slovenian railway network and therefore boosting Slovenia’s development. The project will also significantly improve the quality of life of local inhabitants.”

Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli is currently on a visit to Slovenia at the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart Aleksandra Pivec. Before the minister's arrival, the two countries held the second expert-level meeting of the Slovenian-Turkish Steering Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

On 12 August, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Tanja Strniša as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Czech Republic.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ‘’New business incubator facility’’. The overall project budget amounts to over EUR 1.9 million, of which around EUR 1 million will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

Minister Miro Cerar today hosted his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono. This is the first official visit of a Japanese Foreign Minister in the history of independent Slovenia. Minister Kono also met with President Pahor.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for a call for projects under the EUREKA initiative for 2019 which the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology published on 9 August 2019 in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, issued a grant decision for the project “Economic business infrastructure in the business zone TRIS Kanižarica, part 2: roads B1, G and G3”. The project worth over EUR 571,000 will receive European Regional Development Fund support in the amount of EUR 304,000.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ''Vrbje business zone''. The project with a total budget of EUR 1.5 million will receive a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to nearly EUR 626,000.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, issued a grant decision for the “Call for proposals for support services provided by innovative environment entities in the Republic of Slovenia in the period 2020-2022 (SIO 2020-2022)”. The call which makes a total of EUR 10.1 million available will receive European Regional Development Fund support in the amount of EUR 7.4 million. Cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija will receive support in the amount of over EUR 6 million and cohesion region Zahodna Slovenija will receive support in the amount of over EUR 4 million.

On 12 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Alenka Suhadolnik as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the People’s Republic of China.

In the first half of this year, the state budget showed a surplus of EUR 208,2 million, while in the same period last year it stood at EUR 184.2 million. First-half revenues stood at approximately EUR 5.08 billion this year, up 6.8% on the same period last year, while expenditures rose 6.5% and amounted to approximately EUR 4.87 billion.

Today, State Secretary Dobran Božič received Marta Grande, the Chair of the Committee on Foreign and EU Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, accompanied by Paolo Trichilo, the Italian ambassador to Slovenia, Filippo Giuseppe Perconti, a member of the Committee, and Francesca Piazza, the secretary of the Committee.

At today’s correspondence session, the Slovenian government adopted a decision to propose Janez Lenarčič as a Member of the European Commission from Slovenia. It also decided to establish a Slovenia House in Brussels as a satellite unit of the Slovenian Embassy in Brussels, in order to provide a uniform presentation and promotion of Slovenian creativity, innovation, economic competitiveness, art, science, sports, tourism, gastronomy, winemaking and promotion of the country in general.

The 6th International Conference on Big Data Analysis and Data Mining is being held on the 25th and 26th of July in London. On the first day, dr. Kern Pipan from the IT Directorate of the Ministry of Public Administration gave a successful presentation entitled "Supporting improvements in decision making process using big data analytics in the Ministry of Public Administration of Republic Slovenia". The presentation aroused much attention, including a number of questions regarding the implementation, benefits and future challenges.

On July 11, 2019, the Government of Slovenia endorsed »The Annual Report 2018 on Radiation and Nuclear Safety in the Republic of Slovenia« and sent it to the National Assembly to be discussed on.

Andrej Logar, ambassador-at-large for key and strategic affairs, attended the informal meeting of foreign and internal ministers in Paris, which discussed migration in the Mediterranean. The meeting of the EU and Schengen ministers and heads of several international organisations was convened by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner in the face of the growing challenges of migration management in the Mediterranean, particularly its central part, which is considered the deadliest migration route for migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean Sea.

State Secretary Dobran Božič received Loránt Vincze, the president of FUEN (the Federal Union of European Nationalities), today to present the initiative Minority Safepack. The initiative’s goal is to establish an EU framework of ethnic and linguistic minority members’ rights.

On 19 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Lea Stančič as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to Romania.

On 19 July, the President of the Republic of Slovenia signed a decree on the appointment of Peter Japelj as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of Albania.

The rating agency Fitch upgraded the credit rating for Slovenia from A- to A, with a stable outlook. This is the third such upgrade for Slovenia by rating agencies this year, showing that the country is in good shape and has been successfully consolidating its public finances.

This year’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, United Nations’ central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals convened every year under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, is held under the theme ‘’Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality’’. The key message from the HLPF is that the global response to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has not been ambitious enough, and a renewed commitment and accelerated action is needed to deliver the SDGs in time. 47 Member States are presenting their Voluntary National Reviews of the 2030 Agenda during the Ministerial Segment. Slovenia presented its first National Voluntary Review in 2017, and will conduct its second voluntary national review in 2020.