News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prime Minister Robert Golob today addressed the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he touched upon the most pressing issues of our time, focusing on peace and security in the international community, the reform of the Security Council, the climate crisis and humanity.

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič hosted a reception for the Slovenian community in New York at the Slovenian Church of St. Cyril reception hall, on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Robert Golob, and his delegation on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United nations (UN) General Assembly and Slovenia's presidency of the UN Security Council in New York.

We are proud to announce that Slovenia has been accepted into the prestigious D9+ group, which brings together digital frontrunners in the European Union. The D9+ group is a platform for cooperation between the countries leading the way in the digital transformation and technological innovation.

On the basis of the Act on Aid to Ensure Enhanced Air Connectivity (hereinafter reffered as: the Act), a Public Tender for Enhanced Air Connectivity of Slovenia was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia and the Official Journal of the European Union on 27. 9. 2024. In accordance with the first paragraph of Article 10 of the Act, the tender documentation is publicly published, however, the English translation is merely an information aid for foreign air carriers when preparing applications for aid.

The application for aid and Annexes must be submitted in Slovene language. Submission deadline is 28. 10. 2024 at 23.59

On the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Minister Tanja Fajon led an informal dialogue between the Security Council and the League of Arab States on the escalating situation in the Middle East, efforts to organise a peace conference for a lasting peace and a two-state solution, and the indispensable role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

On Thursday, 26 September, Prime Minister Golob met with the Wall Street Journal management and its journalist Evan Gershkovich at the Wall Street Journal headquarters as part of the historic swap between the West and Russia, in which Slovenia played an important role.

Slovenia is ranked 34th out of 133 countries in this year's ranking. Switzerland remains the world's most innovative economy, followed by Sweden, the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The published report shows a decline in venture capital activity, R&D funding and other investment indicators.

Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek attended an event marking the 30th anniversary of the Koper Regional Development Centre. In his speech, the Minister underscored the importance of development regions; the ministry hopes to see them stronger in the future, including thanks to the incoming amendments to the Balanced Regional Development Act.

At today’s session, the Government approved the draft state budgets for 2025 and 2026 and the proposed Act on the Common Foundations of the Salary System in the Public Sector, which represents a milestone that will improve the regulation of the salary system in the Slovenian public sector. It also adopted the proposed new amendments to the Deposit Guarantee Scheme Act.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, chaired an emergency Security Council meeting on Lebanon. Slovenia, which holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council for this month, convened the emergency meeting in the light of the escalating situation and at the request of France.

Today in the UN Security Council, Slovenia hosted the main event of its Presidency, an open debate entitled "Leadership for Peace", which focused on the Security Council’s actions on three foreign policy issues: Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan. It was chaired by Prime Minister Robert Golob.

Yesterday late afternoon, Prime Minister Robert Golob presided over the high-level UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine.

On the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly, Minister Tanja Fajon met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Following her visit to China in April, they continued their discussion on bilateral relations, the escalating situation in the Middle East and the international community's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. Minister Wang Yi also announced a decision on visas for entry into China.

Prime Minister Robert Golob welcomes the signing of the declaration on the level of alignment of the new draft act on the salary system, which is an important step towards the continuation of negotiations and the finalisation of the pay reform.

On Tuesday, 24 September 2024, the Republic of Slovenia, rated A3 (stable) / AA- (stable) / A (stable), successfully increased the 3 percent Notes due 10 March 2034 (ISIN SI0002104576) by EUR 750mio, bringing the total outstanding size to EUR 2.75bn. The success of this transaction is also underpinned by a high-quality final orderbook in excess of EUR 3bn (incl. EUR 150mio JLM interest) – a clear testimony of the strong demand for the government bonds of the Republic of Slovenia.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a regular meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels. European affairs ministers focused on preparations for the October European Council and the horizontal dimension of the Commission's 2024 Rule of Law Report, which for the first time includes Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia.

The Republic of Slovenia – EUR 10-year tap of 3.00 percent 03/2034 notes.

State Secretary Marko Štucin held bilateral talks in Switzerland with Alexandre Fasel, State Secretary at the Swiss Foreign Ministry.

In New York, the High-level week has begun with leaders from all over the world gathering at the United Nations (UN) headquarters. One day before the official opening of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on 24 September 2024, world leaders participated in the Summit for the Future and adopted the Compact for the Future, which includes commitments to promote international peace and security and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, appeared today as a keynote speaker at the Save the Children event. The attendees were also addressed by the Queen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Rania al Abdullah, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Simon Harris, and the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa.

Prime Minister Robert Golob concluded his first day at the 79th UN General Assembly with an address at the Summit of the Future.

Prime Minister Robert Golob begins his participation in the 79th session of the UN General Assembly by attending the Summit for the Future. As part of the summit, the action-oriented Pact for the Future was adopted with two annexes – the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact.

On the margins of the Women Foreign Ministers' Meeting hosted by Canada and Jamaica in Toronto, Minister Tanja Fajon took part in a panel discussion on women's participation and role in leadership, governance and decision-making. Also attending are the foreign ministers of Andorra, Congo, Ghana, Eswatini, Indonesia, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Nepal, Romania and Slovenia.

“In a world marked by many complex crises, protracted conflicts and aggressive wars, we need more active efforts for peace, more promotion of dialogue and more action for mutual respect, understanding and cooperation,” said Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, on the occasion of today's International Day of Peace, which is celebrated under the theme “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon chairs today’s UN Security Council briefing on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The debate on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334 focuses primarily on the issue of laying the groundwork for a future two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for the Act Regulating the Supplement to Pensions for Outstanding Achievements in Arts, included two new projects in the Development Programme Plan 2024-2027, the Cybersecurity Situational Centre and the National Emergency Medical Centre, and decided to nominate as a member of the European Commission Marta Kos.

Minister Tanja Fajon chaired the Security Council debate in New York on the United Nations Special Political Mission in Afghanistan, focusing on the deteriorating situation of women and girls. This is the first in a series of debates the Minister will chair during the month of September, when Slovenia holds the presidency of the Security Council and world leaders traditionally gather for the United Nations General Assembly.

The ninth Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week under the theme ‘’Stronger cooperation for a better future’’ was officially opened in Izola today. The traditional event that gathers hundreds of stakeholders on Slovenian coast every year aims to raise awareness of the sea and the coast and the need to balance their economic potential and environmental sustainability.

State Secretary Marko Štucin delivered an opening address at the 9th Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies in Izola, which is taking place under the slogan “Stronger cooperation for a better future”. Slovenia currently holds the presidency of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region and is the only country that participates with its entire territory in three of the four macro-regional strategies (Alpine, Adriatic-Ionian and Danube).

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič participated in the fifth edition of the Ministerial Conference of the Moldova Partnership Platform in Chisinau, aimed at securing and coordinating international assistance to help Moldova tackle key political and social challenges. On the sidelines of the Conference, State Secretary Gabrič met with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov and addressed participants at an event co-organised by the Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF).

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has taken a decision to provide relief to the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe affected by floods in September this year following their request for assistance through the EU civil protection mechanism by dispatching up to five different post-flood emergency aid units or by providing material aid totalling up to 600,000 euros.

In a press statement today, Prime Minister Golob spoke about the new line-up of the European Commission and the role entrusted to Slovenia. "It is a high-responsibility duty. By getting the Enlargement portfolio, Slovenia has been entrusted with the key to ensuring stability and peace not only in the Western Balkans, but also in Eastern Europe," he said and added that the portfolio also included the reconstruction of Ukraine.

At the meetings of government committees, the Government, among other things, decided to provide assistance to the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe that were affected by floods in September 2024. Based on their requests for assistance through the Union's civil protection mechanism, the Government will provide aid with up to five different flood intervention units or appropriate material assistance with a total value of up to 600,000 euros.

Embassy of Slovenia in Washington attended the annual Taste of Europe event at the Capitol Hill, hosted by the EU delegation to the USA.

The European Commission today gave a preliminary positive assessment to the third request for payment of funds under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. Slovenia expects payment of EUR 257.7 million later this year.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the celebration in Vipava marking the national holiday of the Return of Primorska to the Motherland, where he was the keynote speaker.

At the invitation of Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, Minister Fajon took part in a meeting of European and Arab foreign ministers. The discussion focused on strengthening joint efforts and initiatives aimed at realising the two-state solution and achieving peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. They agreed that more diplomacy and international cooperation are needed to resolve this conflict.

The rules for visa-free travel to most European countries will change. ETIAS travel authorisation is a new entry requirement for the nationals of around 60 visa-exempt countries travelling to 30 European countries. Similar travel authorisations for visa-exempt nationals are currently implemented by the US, Canada and Australia as well as other countries.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the Yerevan Dialogue Conference in Armenia, held under the auspices of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and held political consultations.

In the latest episode, Zoran Potič hosted distinguished American professor in the field of communication and public diplomacy, Nicholas J. Cull. They discussed the history of disinformation, the characteristics of disinformation today, and the challenges modern technologies and the increasing amounts of (dis)information pose to democracy.