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Paris this year is not only the centre of the sporting world, but also a meeting point of different cultures. The Olympic Games have always been linked to culture and the arts. France is a country of culture and Paris a capital of the arts. Slovenia has strong ties with the latter, as many Slovenian artists have studied there over the years and many of them have also created and worked there.

On Friday, August 16th, the Archive, the reading room and the information room will be closed due to a collective leave day.

Today's roundtable at the Slovenian House discussed the end of a sporting career, which is an important milestone in every athlete's journey. Former top skier and UKOM I feel Slovenia brand ambassador Tina Maze and sports aces Urška Žolnir Jugovar, Goran Dragić and Igor Vušurović, Montenegro's gold-winning volleyball player, spoke about the pitfalls and fears they faced along the way and about their experiences.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals Sustainable restoration and revitalisation of municipality-owned cultural monuments and inclusion of cultural experience in the Slovenian tourism – cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija. European Regional Development Fund contribution stands at 13.8 million euros.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and State Secretary for International Affairs and National and International Security Vojko Volk today issued statements following yesterday's successful prisoner swap between the Western Allies and the Russian Federation.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Machine Learning for Science and Humanities – SMASH. The project will receive 2.1 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund.

It has been one year since the catastrophic floods affected a large part of Slovenia. The Government promptly responded to this extreme event and did much to ameliorate the immediate effects. Later, it also adopted many measures for flood recovery. One of the key people who led the first response and saved lives was Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Upgrading the railway track state border-Dobova-Zidani most – phase 1: section state border-Dobova-Sevnica: stage 1 (Krško area). The project, worth 43.2 million euros, will receive a Cohesion Fund contribution of 22.8 million euros.

In July, the Russian Federation held the Presidency of the UN Security Council. The main events of the month were the open debates on multilateralism and the Middle East, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The Presidency also organised an open debate on cooperation between the UN and some regional organisations (CSTO, CIS, SCO).

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Centre for managing deinstitutionalisation. The project will receive 2.4 million euros from the European Social Fund Plus.

The Government has adopted a series of recommendations and is preparing new legislative measures to improve the fairness and transparency of the state media advertising, the European Commission noted in a recent report on the rule of law in the EU.

As of 31 July 2024, I will conclude my five-year term as the Slovenian Consul General in Cleveland. During my tenure, I have endeavored to actively represent and promote all things Slovenian—culture, heritage, tourism, economy, science, etc., and to devote maximum attention to the activities of the Slovenian community here.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project called Development and establishment of a new service model of the Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS) by strengthening digital services. The project will receive 12.7 million euros from the European Social Fund Plus.

Slovenia House in Paris has officially opened its doors today and will serve as the centre of fan gatherings and Slovenia’s comprehensive presentation featuring numerous events in the coming Olympic days.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today visited the Slovenia House in Paris, where he was received by Franjo Bobinac, the president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee – Association of Sports Federations. After a tour of the House and a working lunch, they made a statement to the media.

On 25 July 2024, the Republic of Slovenia issued its inaugural digital bond. The landmark transaction is the first such transaction of an EU sovereign, and one of the first sovereigns worldwide.

At today's session, the Government has decided on a proposal for the appointment of the candidate as Member of the EU Commission and to submit the proposal to the National Assembly. The Government nominates Tomaž Vesel as a candidate for appointment as Member of the EU Commission.

On 24 July 2024, the Slovenian Government approved proposals from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to contribute to international organisations and other international bodies involved in development cooperation and humanitarian aid for the 2024–2026 period.

Between 23rd and 25th of October 2024, the tenth meeting of the parties to the Water Convention will take place at the Ljubljans Economic Exhibition Centre, at which Slovenia succeeds the three-year chairmanship of the convention bureau from Estonia. Around 500 attendees from all over the world are expected at the event.

The European Commission's fifth annual Rule of Law Report for 2024 shows that Slovenia has made progress in almost all areas, including in implementing last year's recommendations. Slovenia remains committed to the common fundamental values of the Union, in particular the rule of law, and will actively continue its efforts to further strengthen it.

At today’s session, the Government adopted the starting points for drafting the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in Healthcare in order to simplify and accelerate recruitment procedures for foreign health professionals. The agenda also included the item “nomination for a Member of the European Commission”, but this item was suspended during the session.

On 18 July 2024, Slovenia became a member of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), marking an important milestone in its commitment to upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those online, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By joining the Coalition, Slovenia affirms its commitment to promoting and protecting digital rights and freedoms.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, accompanied by Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han, along with representatives of Renault and Revoz, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development and production of Renault Twingo E-Tech electric cars in Novo mesto.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Active inclusion – social inclusion of people with disabilities in sports in the 2024-2028 period. The European Social Fund Plus contribution stands at 3.2 million euros.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the opening of the House of New Beginnings in Slovenj Gradec.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended a regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where ministers discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine, with a focus on peace efforts, as well as the situation in the Middle East and Gaza. Minister Fajon stressed that respect for international law and the protection of civilians must always be prioritized when discussing peace plans and initiatives.

Slovenia's colours will be represented at the Olympic Games in Paris by its largest-ever Olympic delegation, consisting of 197 members, including 90 athletes. In addition to its outstanding sports team, Slovenia will also be making its presences felt at the largest version of the Slovenia House so far.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended the informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Budapest, Hungary. The ministers discussed the future of cooperation on home affairs, in particular migration, but also the fight against organised crime.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, in his capacity as Minister of Defence, today held an extended meeting with the senior staff at the Ministry of Defence, i.e. the heads of the organisational units and bodies within the ministry, at which he was informed of the current tasks and key projects underway at the ministry.

It is the third year since the Council of the European Union endorsed the Slovenian Recovery and Resilience Plan. Since then, Ministries have launched more than 40 calls for tenders to select projects for the planned investments, and carried out a number of activities to implement these reforms. Slovenia has submitted three payment requests to date, and the Plan underwent its first transformation last autumn.

In its Advisory opinion the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held that Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory breach some of the most elementary rules and principles of international law, including the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, who also serves as the Minister of Defence, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Damir Črnčec, Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan, and the Director-General of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, Leon Behin, were briefed on the situation in relation to the fire in the Karst. The Prime Minister assessed the operations of all deployed units as extremely fast and efficient.

With the new episode of the GOVSI Podcast, we are counting down the last days until the Olympic Games in Paris. In the studio, we hosted the president of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Franjo Bobinac. Petra Bezjak Cirman, director of the Office of Communications of the Republic of Slovenia, spoke with him.

The activities in response to the fire in the Karst are still ongoing. The fire that broke out today on the Trstelj and Kačnik hills has not yet been extinguished, but the situation is stable. New firefighting units with more than 350 firefighters will tackle the fire overnight.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the fourth European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace, near Oxford.

A fire broke out this morning in the Karst region of Trstelj. Strong winds caused the fire to spread over the entire hill and move towards Nova Gorica. At 10:34 a.m., RS Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan activated the National Protection and Rescue Plan for the event of a major fire in the natural environment.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposed new amendments to the Auditing Act and several decrees concerning agriculture and declared 28 September as Civil Defence Day.

The Rome Statute was adopted on 17 July 1998, paving the way for the establishment of the International Criminal Court on 1 July 2002. This is the first permanent international criminal court with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes and serves as the central institution of international criminal justice.

At today's correspondence session, the Government took note of the document on the reform of the public sector pay system – an overview of the situation as at 11 July 2024. It reappointed Damir Črnčec State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.

At the government committee meetings, the Government included several new projects in the current 2024–2027 Development Programme Plan.

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič hosted a reception in honor of the Slovenian delegation attending the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington D.C. marking 75 years of the Alliance and 20th anniversary of Slovenia's membership in NATO for Slovenian community in the USA and representatives from business and science sectors. Reception was attended by the head of the delegation, Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar met with the Albanian Minister of the Interior Taulant Balla in Tirana. They discussed the possibilities to enhance police cooperation and the current challenges in the field of home affairs, especially the importance of efficient exchange of information regarding migration and countering migrant smuggling.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Strengthening lifelong learning.

The Ministry of a Solidarity-Based Future produced a package of measures to stimulate employment in social care institutions. The measures were adopted by a broad social and political consensus. The Act was enacted at the National Assembly’s 77th extraordinary session.

The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) has merged with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to advance an ambitious agenda for implementing human-centric, safe, secure and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) embodied in the principles of the OECD Recommendation on AI.

Slovenia has joined the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), marking an important step forward in strengthening international cooperation and expertise in the field of cybersecurity. This partnership represents a significant milestone in Slovenia's commitment to enhancing cyber capacity and contributing to global efforts to combat cyber threats.

Prime Minister Robert Golob received outgoing US ambassador, Jamie Linder Harpootlian, whose term in Slovenia is coming to an end. He thanked her for her dedicated work and contribution to strengthening relationships between the two countries.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the call for proposals to co-finance individual presentations of companies in international fairs in the 2024-2028 period.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was today a guest on CNN's Connect the World, where he spoke live with anchor Eleni Giokos. They discussed the recent NATO Summit, Slovenia’s NATO membership, Ukraine and Palestine.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the UNRWA Pledging Conference at UN Headquarters. This annual event aims to encourage countries to make financial contributions to support UNRWA in carrying out its activities.

Language schools across Slovenia are bustling hubs these days. The language institute Didaktum (Jezikovni inštitut Didaktum) is running a Slovenian language programme at survival level in 40 locations across Slovenia. The programme has been available to eligible persons since the entry into force of the 2023 amendment to the Foreigners Act, on the basis of which a decree providing assistance for the integration of foreigners who are not citizens of the European Union was adopted.

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Dr Damir Črnčec, and the National Armaments Director at the Ministry of Defence of the French Republic, General Gaël Diaz de Tuesta, have signed a Letter of Intent on the European joint procurement of Caesar artillery and Mistral air defence systems (hereinafter referred to as the "Letter of Intent").

The NATO Summit concluded in Washington yesterday with the meeting of the North Atlantic Council with the Indo-Pacific partners and the EU and the meeting of the North Atlantic Council with Ukraine. Following the Summit, Prime Minister Golob gave his assessment of the Summit in a statement to the Slovenian media.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon attended the NATO Summit in Washington. She, along with Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob and Defence Minister Marjan Šarec, participated in the event marking the 75th anniversary of the Alliance and the North Atlantic Council meetings in Allied, Indo-Pacific and NATO-Ukraine Council formats.

Day two of the NATO Summit in Washington began with statements to the media from world leaders. Upon his arrival at the Summit, Prime Minister Robert Golob said that the leaders had yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to opening Ukraine’s path to NATO, and particularly to a stable financing of aid for Ukraine from NATO and other allies.

The city of Velenje hosted the fifth Annual political dialogue of the Initiative for coal regions in transition, which is organised by the European Commission. The target audience of the two-day international business conference was local, regional, and national representatives and just transition stakeholders from the EU and the Western Balkan region.

The Government has formulated the text of the proposal of the Act on temporary measures to improve personnel and working conditions and the capacities of providers of social assistance and long-term care services. The text of the proposal is in the third reading stage. The Government agreed to the proposed changes to the new legal amendments to the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Flood and Landslide Recovery of August 2023.

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica. In May this year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 11 July as the International Day of Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide. On this day, we remember the victims, the missing, their families and all those who have been permanently scarred by the genocide.

Before temporarily taking over the Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister Robert Golob, on the margins of the NATO Summit, held an in-depth discussion with Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec on the Ministry's work and tasks to date, as well as plans for the future. The formal handover will take place when Minister Šarec's term of office ends due to incompatibility of office. After the talks, they made a statement to the Slovenian media.

A meeting of the heads of state and government of the NATO alliance is taking place in Washington, attended by the Prime Minister Robert Golob, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon and Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec. At 19:00 CET, the meeting of the North Atlantic Council will be held in an alliance format, one of the three meetings of this year's summit.

At today’s session, the Government discussed the initial starting points for the draft Act Amending the Foreigners Act.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar paid a two-day work visit to the Minister of the Interior of Montenegro Danilo Šaranović.

The NATO Summit in Washington began yesterday with a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Golob and Tina Gaber, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, and Minister of Defence, Marjan Šarec.

At committee meetings, the Government adopted, among other things, an opinion on the draft amendment to the Criminal Code and included several new projects in the current Development Programme Plan 2024–2027.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Lisbon with the Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, Inês Domingos. The two officials confirmed the positive and friendly bilateral relations between Slovenia and Portugal, exchanging views on further support for Ukraine, institutional reforms, EU enlargement and the situation in the Western Balkans.

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal the Implementing Regulation entering the name of Istrski med/Istarski med (PDO) into the Register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications, thus protecting Istrski med as a joint product of both Slovenia and Croatia. The application for the protection was prepared jointly by Slovenian beekeepers from the Koper Coastal Beekeepers' Society and Croatian beekeepers from Istria.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon visited the Triglav Slovenian House in Sao Paulo and met with members of the Association of Slovenians in Brazil. She also attended an event organised by the Slovenian-Brazilian and Slovenian-Argentine chambers of commerce. As a guest of the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), she gave a lecture on the geostrategic situation in the world and Slovenia's foreign policy.

The Cross-border Biosphere Reserve of the Julian Alps was declared today at the 36th meeting of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in Agadir, Morocco. This brings together two existing Biosphere Reserves – the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve on the Slovenian side and the Italian Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve.

Minister Tanja Fajon began her official visit to Brazil, where she met with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. This is the second official visit at Foreign Minister level since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992. During their talks, Fajon and Vieira confirmed the excellent relations and cooperation between Slovenia and Brazil. The two countries signed an air transport agreement and a memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation.

Today, at the Baron Andrej Čehovin Barracks in Postojna, the nine-day Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation Exercise 24 – ARSC2EX 24 successfully concluded.

The Government approved the texts of the draft act governing the measures to optimise certain procedures at administrative units and of the draft act amending the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023.

Prime Minister Golob hosted a consultation of parliamentary parties on changes to the electoral system and the introduction of a preference vote also for the election of deputies of the National Assembly. All the presidents of the parliamentary parties and the heads of the parliamentary groups were invited to the consultation.

The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the Council of Europe hosted a reception on 2 July to mark the National Day and the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the European Convention on Human Rights for the Republic of Slovenia

The new biennial Economic Survey of Slovenia, prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was presented today at Brdo pri Kranju. The Survey analyses key areas for Slovenia and makes recommendations for the further development and progress of our country.

At the invitation of the Prime Minister and the President of the Government Council for Slovenians in Neighbouring Countries, Robert Golob, the Government Council for Slovenians Abroad met today. The participants discussed the realities, achievements and key challenges faced by Slovenian communities around the world.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, and his delegation met today with the Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic, Luís Montenegro. This is the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries since the Portuguese elections in March this year.

As part of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, the Ministry is hosting an exhibition entitled Influential Slovenian Women without Make-up, curated by young photographer Jernej Jelen and opened today by Minister Tanja Fajon. To mark the day, a roundtable discussion brought together Slovenian and foreign women diplomats to present their lifestyles, their strengths and weaknesses, and the challenges they face.

The Government is continuing to prepare the budgets for 2025 and 2026. It has adopted a breakdown of budget expenditure by budget users. In the next two years, the focus will remain on measures to deal with the consequences of last year's floods and to strengthen economic growth and development.

An expert working group chaired by Dr Janez Vogrinc has adopted the final proposal for the National Education Programme for the period 2023–2033 and submitted it to Minister of Education Darjo Felda.

In June, when the Republic of Korea held the presidency of the Security Council, Slovenia completed the first quarter of its current term on the UN Security Council. The month was marked by the adoption of a resolution backing the proposal for a lasting peace in Gaza.

The 17th Dubrovnik Forum is drawing to a close with the participation of Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. This year's Forum, under the theme "Dire Straits and Safe Passages", focuses on the growing global economic and security challenges and provides a platform for much-needed dialogue and the search for solutions.

The social partners met again, after almost one year, at the session of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) with the aim of reviving the social dialogue and the constructive and continuous functioning of the ESC.

On Thursday, 27 June 2024, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a European Council meeting at which the leaders of EU Member States reached an agreement on the appointments and nominations for heads of EU institutions.

After the Government took note of the Report on the Implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) on Wednesday 26 June 2024, the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience today submitted to the European Commission a third request for payment of funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The Slovenian Prime Minister, Robert Golob, together with the Minister of Finance, Klemen Boštjančič, and the Minister of Public Administration, Franc Props, met with the President of the Slovenian Trade Union of State Bodies, Frančišek Verk, and the President of the Trade Union of the Administrative Unit of Ljubljana, Dragan Stankovič.

The biennial Nuclear Safety Conference took place in Brussels on 24 and 25 June under the auspices of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG). This year's conference was chaired by Mr Igor Sirc, Director of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, and attended by more than 200 participants.

Dr Slobodan Šešum, Director General for Economic and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, attended the OECD High-Level Conference on South East Europe in Paris.

At the Intergovernmental Conference with Montenegro, participants discussed the state of play of the accession process and confirmed the steps Montenegro needs to take to close key chapters on the rule of law. The Conference recognises Montenegro's track record in this area and provides an impetus for further reforms with a focus on closing the negotiating chapters.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno L. P. Marsudi during her return visit to Slovenia. The ministers focused the discussions on the strengthening of bilateral relations, including the planned political consultations, and the current international issues with an emphasis on the Middle East and the cooperation between the EU and ASEAN.

The Government set the text of the proposed new amendments to the Local Elections Act, adopted the proposed new amendments to the Companies Act and set the text of the draft act amending the Disabled People's Organizations Act. The Government took note of the report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and began consideration of Mr Tomaž Vesel’s nomination as a Member of the European Commission.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended a two-day Ministerial Conference of the Salzburg Forum in Austria.

On 25 June 2024, the Council of Europe hosted the opening of the exhibition "75 women in the 75-year history of the Council of Europe". Among the 75 women are two Slovenian women, Petra Roter and Alenka Puhar.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, which focused on preparations for the June European Council meeting. Council members discussed draft conclusions and outstanding issues related to Ukraine, security and defence, competitiveness, external relations and the new institutional cycle.

Slovenia is making its mark beyond our planet.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the quadrilateral meeting of deputy foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. They exchanged views on current European and international issues.

At a farewell meeting, the Prime Minister, Robert Golob, received Natalie Kauther and Adrian Pollmann, the German ambassadorial couple who are finishing their term of office in Slovenia.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The discussion focused on the worrying situation in the Middle East and Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Together with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Western Balkans, they discussed common challenges in the area of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and EU enlargement.

The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad is proud and pleased to present a musical greeting from Slovenians living abroad on the occasion of Slovenian Statehood Day.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed on 25 June 2024, Slovenia's Statehood Day.

From 17 to 19 June, 2024, the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration hosted the National Technical Workshop on Cybersecurity, bringing together cybersecurity professionals from various fields of cybersecurity and nuclear safety.