News

On the eve of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in a meeting of the co-chairs of the Conference on the Future of Europe. He will co-chair the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe during the Slovenian Presidency.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the meeting of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions before the beginning of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS, which was established in 2014. The meeting was hosted by Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi di Maio and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the international conference of the Africa Europe Foundation Forum via video conference. He participated in a panel entitled The Health Alliance of Africa and Europe: Pandemic Resilience and the Future of Healthcare. The participants discussed the health alliance in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan received Dumitru Socolan, State Secretary at the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

On 24 and 25 June, political and security consultations between Slovenia and the USA were held at the State Department in Washington. They were conducted by Jernej Müller, Director-General of the Directorate for Common Foreign and Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Maureen Cormack, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

Minister Anže Logar’s message to the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 30th anniversary of Slovenia’s statehood

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar is hosting Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva on an official visit. For the first time in fourteen years, Portugal’s foreign minister is paying a visit to Slovenia. “The recent visit to Slovenia by President de Sousa confirmed the excellent bilateral and friendly relations between the two countries and their intensive cooperation in the Trio Presidency”, emphasised Minister Logar. The visit by Minister Santos Silva provides an opportunity to review the Portuguese Presidency’s achievements and to take up the presidency baton.

One week before Slovenia officially takes the helm of the European Union, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar outlined the priorities and objectives of the Slovenian Presidency, which comes at a crucial moment, when the European Union is adopting important packages on green and digital renewal and building its resilience. “The Presidency is an opportunity to strengthen integration within the EU and within its institutions, and to steer development towards an innovative and creative community based on sustainable development," stressed Minister Logar.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the handover of the Trio Presidency of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in the format of development cooperation ministers. The meeting took the form of an audio-video conference and was attended by the Portuguese State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André, and the German State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Martin Jäger.

Today, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in the ministerial meeting of the Central European Initiative (CEI) Member States. The meeting was held in a virtual format under the Montenegrin chairmanship and was marked by the strong interest the Executive Board has shown in seeking solutions to overcome the crisis in the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.

Following the General Affairs Council meeting, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan also took part in the Intergovernmental Conferences at the ministerial level on the accession of Montenegro and Serbia to the EU. The Conferences confirmed the political guidelines on the continuation of the enlargement negotiations for these two candidate countries.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar visited Munich today, where he met with Bavarian Minister for European and International Affairs Melanie Huml. They discussed the activities for enhancing political and economic relations between Slovenia and Bavaria in the light of the upcoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Members of the General Affairs Council discussed the preparations for the June European Council, EU enlargement, and the stabilisation and association process, and took note of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Under “any other business”, they held a debate on the rule of law in Poland and Hungary under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan held a videoconference call with Colm Brophy, the Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora at the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. The pair discussed development cooperation, including the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, now just a matter of days away.

On the eve of the meeting of the General Affairs Council, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held talks with the Dutch representative in the General Affairs Council and Foreign Minister, Sigrid Kaag.
He also visited the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Auditors with headquarters in Luxembourg.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Belarus, Iraq and Latin America. The Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovska joined the ministers for an informal breakfast before the Council meeting, presenting the current situation and expectations following the activities undertaken by the European Union aimed at the democratisation of Belarus.

The 47th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council begins in Geneva and is to take place from 21 June to 13 July 2021. As regards the topics in the focus of the Session, Slovenia will be particularly interested in gender equality and the empowerment of women, human rights and the environment, the impact of new technologies on the enjoyment of human rights, and the human rights situation in individual countries.

Today, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe in the European Parliament in Strasbourg via videoconference. In his address, he emphasised that the Conference must strive to raise awareness of the historical achievements and the importance of the integration process in Europe. "It simply should not be taken for granted. It is the foundation of our coexistence and peace, security, and prosperity. Therefore, we must spread this awareness, especially among young people," stressed State Secretary Dovžan.

Foreign Minister Logar visited Paris and met with his host, French Foreign Minister Le Drian, with whom he exchanged views on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Presidency. Minister Logar also met with French National Assembly Vice-President Laëtitia Saint-Paul. They confirmed the excellent relations, pointing out that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the conclusion of the strategic partnership, which significantly stimulated bilateral relations and put them at the highest level. In addition to membership of the European Union and NATO, Slovenia and France also share Alpine and Mediterranean identities.