News

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held consultations with the Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Vincenzo Amendola.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar concluded a two-day working visit to Korea today. He met with his host, Chung Eui-yong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea. They advocated strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries, including the opening of the Slovenian Embassy in Seoul. Minister Logar also took the opportunity to present the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year and to exchange views on current international issues.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today held a videoconference with Secretary General at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, focusing on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2021.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a videoconference with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs of Turkey Faruk Kaymakçi. They assessed bilateral relations and exchanged views on EU-Turkey relations in the light of the incoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Today, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a meeting via videoconference with Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen. The meeting focused on the presentation of the priorities of the upcoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a video conference with the Minister for EU Affairs of Sweden, Hans Dahlgren. State Secretary Dovžan briefed Minister Dahlgren on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and Secretary General Jožef Drofenik hosted a regular informal meeting of secretaries-general of the EU Member States and the Secretary General of the European External Action Service.

Director-General of the Directorate for European Union Affairs Barbara Sušnik held bilateral consultations with Jean-Louis Thill, Director-General for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg via videoconference.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar had a telephone conversation today with Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport Dominique Hasler.

On the second day of the 25th Consultation of Slovenian Diplomats, which was launched yesterday at Brdo pri Kranju, the core topics revolved around the future of the European Union and Europe, building the Union’s resilience following the pandemic, and its role in the changed global geopolitical situation. Heads of Slovenian diplomatic missions and consular posts, along with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were addressed by Prime Minister Janez Janša. He referred to the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international relations, and the future of the Union: “In my view, genuine debate on what Europe should look like is the greatest added value of the Conference on the Future of Europe.”

Minister Anže Logar participated in the NATO foreign affairs ministers' session via video-conference, which was carried out ahead of the NATO Summit on 14 June.

On Monday, 31 May 2021, and Tuesday, 1 June 2021, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan participated in the virtual ministerial session of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Council titled “Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future”. The session was opened by the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, on behalf of the country holding the Presidency.

Today marks the launch of the 25th Consultation of Slovenian Diplomats at the Brdo Congress Centre, which is taking place one month before Slovenia takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In his introductory address, Foreign Minister Anže Logar, who is heading the two-day Consultation, assured the participating diplomats that Slovenia is well prepared for the Presidency. “The following months will be very challenging for all of us. The Presidency will be another test due to the limitations and uncertainties brought about by the pandemic. However, we have the knowledge, experience and confidence to accomplish this task as successfully as we did in 2008,” explained Minister Logar.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today met his host and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for a working meeting aimed at presenting the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2021, exchanging views on current international topics, and bilateral cooperation.

The 2nd Session of the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation between Slovenia and North Macedonia was held via videoconference today. Slovenia was represented by State Secretary Stanislav Raščan and North Macedonia by State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Razmena Cekić-Durović.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, via videoconference today. The meeting was convened at Slovenia’s initiative and focused on the presentation of the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich) in Lisbon. The ministers discussed EU-Africa relations, the unresolved conflicts in the European Eastern Neighbourhood, Belarus and the drafting of the EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi joined them for a working lunch and briefed them on the situation in the region and the Middle East Peace Process.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan met with Roland Schilling, Regional Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Central Europe. They discussed the priorities of Slovenia's EU Council Presidency, migration, the difficult humanitarian situation of refugees and migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Slovenia's support for the UNHCR.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan held a meeting via videoconference with State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. Their conversation focused on the priorities of the upcoming Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, officially opened the 10th jubilee Africa Day International Conference. Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar, who emphasised that from the very beginning, the Africa Day Conference has been a forum for the exchange of ideas and views between partners, including Slovenian and African companies, also addressed the participants.