News

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a conference at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, to mark the 20th anniversary of EU enlargement. The conference was organised on the initiative of the ambassadors from ten countries (including Slovenia) that joined the EU 20 years ago, in cooperation with the University of Coimbra.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič participated in the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in New York, where she advocated for the greater inclusion of women in peace processes, enhanced funding for women's organisations at the local level and reinforced accountability for severe violations of the rights of women and girls in conflict zones.

On United Nations Day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, emphasises: “I believe that, despite the challenging crises, the UN remains the most important international organisation for maintaining global peace. Member States must seize the opportunity and responsibility to strengthen it and restore its standing.”

The UN General Assembly Third Committee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs, which deals with human rights issues, is meeting in New York from 3 October 2024. Slovenia has traditionally focused its work on its priorities, such as the rights of women, the elderly and children, human rights and the environment, and the situation of human rights worldwide.

During the high-level segment discussion at the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention, Minister Tanja Fajon emphasised: "Effective cooperation mechanisms help to reduce tensions and mitigate disputes. Climate change will not lead to tensions if all Parties view their cooperation as fair, equitable and mutually beneficial."

The 12th Slovenian Development Days, held from 15 to 22 October 2024 under the theme "For a World Without Hunger", concluded with an international conference on food security and the 2nd Slovenian Humanitarian Forum. The Forum was opened by the President of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, and Minister Tanja Fajon participated in the panel on armed conflict and the food crisis.

More than 5,000 people in the worst-affected municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in need of humanitarian aid following the catastrophic floods and mudslides that hit the country in October. The Ministry and its strategic partner for emergency humanitarian aid, Caritas Slovenia, will provide EUR 100,000 in humanitarian aid over the next month.

The Ukraine Mine Action Conference UMAC2024 is taking place today and tomorrow in Lausanne under the auspices of the Swiss and Ukrainian governments. The event, opened by Swiss President Viola Amherd and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, brings together high-level representatives from governments, international organisations and experts from around the world to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian mine action.

The new academic year at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was opened today by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, with a ceremonial lecture “Themes and dilemmas of Slovenian foreign policy”.

This year's World Food Day - 16 October - is dedicated to food as a human right. Slovenia has chosen food security as the central theme of the 12th Slovenian Development Days, which take place between 15 and 22 October.

In Brussels, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended a ministerial dinner of foreign ministers on the margins of the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit.

On 14 October, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs welcomed representatives of institutions from Brazil, Chile and Uruguay working in the field of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI).

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the regular meeting of the EU General Affairs Council. Ministers and state secretaries for European affairs focused on the draft conclusions for the European Council meeting at the end of this week. They also discussed support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, EU competitiveness and migration, as well as other topical foreign policy issues.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, received Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić for an official visit. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, succession issues and Serbia's progress towards the European Union.

Minister Tanja Fajon took part in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. The main topics on the agenda were Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Middle East. On the margins of the meeting, the EU foreign ministers met informally with their British counterpart David Lammy. Other current foreign policy issues – Moldova, Georgia, Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela and relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan – were also discussed.

Slobodan Šešum, Director General of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy, was the keynote speaker at the round table Economic Diplomacy – Current Status and Future Development in the EU Region, where he presented to the participants the current challenges and views on the future role of economic diplomacy, as well as the challenges facing the EU, especially in terms of competitiveness in comparison with the US and China.

The 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which began on 9 September 2024, concluded today in Geneva. The UNHRC unanimously adopted a resolution on human rights education proposed by Slovenia in cooperation with a group of countries from different world regions.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič participated in the 16th EMUNI Conference in Piran, co-organised with the Union for the Mediterranean, where she expressed her support for the initiative to establish the Euro-Mediterranean Students’ Empowerment Fund - EMSEF.

State Secretary Melita Gabrič welcomed a delegation from the Polish-Slovenian Parliamentary Group of the Sejm of Poland for discussions focused on bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as current European and international issues.

One year has passed since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered a spiral of violence in the Middle East with catastrophic humanitarian consequences, especially for women and children. Slovenia condemns all violence, calls for the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages, the provision of humanitarian aid and the implementation of the two-state solution, which is a prerequisite for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.