State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first regular session of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (GAC) as chair.

On the margins of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 20 September 2021, Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers. He also held a series of bilateral meetings.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan was invited to speak at the regular ministerial meeting on the Responsibility to Protect principle (R2P) that was held in virtual form on the margins of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Director-General for EU Affairs Barbara Sušnik engaged in consultations with Director-General for European Affairs Rui Vinhas at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon. The consultations were held in the context of excellent cooperation in the Trio Presidency of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, with a special focus on reviewing bilateral relations and exchanging views on the current European and international issues.

A webinar on negotiating techniques and women’s empowerment for representatives of Venezuelan democratic forces, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held between 14 and 17 September 2021 by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). The seminar participants were first addressed by Bogdan Batič, Deputy-Director for Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the European Parliament Plenary Session from 13 to 16 September 2021 as the high representative of the Council of the EU in relations with the Parliament during the Slovenian Presidency. On behalf of the Council of the European Union, he assured commitment to protecting European democracies, respecting the rule of law in the EU, and making progress in the legislative process for the Fit for 55 package.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Anže Logar met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić in Strasbourg. He presented priorities of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU – topics that are also at the heart of Council of Europe's activities. During the meeting, they discussed accession of EU to the European Convention of Human Rights that was envisaged in the Lisbon treaty. They also reviewed other current political and strategic directions of the Council of Europe, the oldest pan-European international organization especially in the light of Covid-19. At the same time, the meeting was excellent opportunity to assess cooperation between Council of Europe and Slovenia.

Accompanied by a delegation, Ambassador Jožef Drofenik, Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the authorised representative of the Republic of Slovenia for succession issues, attended the 20th meeting of the Joint Committee for the Distribution of Diplomatic and Consular Properties of the Former SFRY, in compliance with Annex B to the Agreement on Succession Issues, convened in Sarajevo on 13 and 14 September. At the meeting, the immovable property of the former SFRY in Rome was allocated to Slovenia.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan represented Foreign Minister Anže Logar on the Government's visit to the Savinja Region. He visited the Development Agency of the Savinja Region, Grand Hotel Sava Rogaška as well as the companies Roboteh, Pišek & HSF Logistics, and Nivo Eko, noting that the companies in the region have great potential for development.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan met with Ambassador Badr Abdel Atty, Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt.

On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that hit the United States of America, Minister Anže Logar and Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy Susan Falatko honoured the memory of nearly 3,000 innocent victims who lost their lives in a series of criminal acts orchestrated by Al-Qaeda extremists in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič attended the extraordinary meeting of EU directors-general for humanitarian aid on the situation in Afghanistan in preparation for the high-level ministerial meeting to be held in Geneva on 13 September 2021.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar hosted the Gold Ribbon Slovenia team, a group of children and adolescents who have survived cancer or are still battling it, raising awareness about the disease and offering support to their peers. The group’s representatives handed gold ribbons to the Minister as a symbol of childhood cancer awareness. “I will convey your message to the European house of democracy in Strasbourg next week,” said Minister Logar.

On 8 September 2021, Slovenia, the country holding the EU Council Presidency, organised a virtual event “Publication of the Fourth Report on the EU Guidelines on Promoting Compliance with IHL” in tandem with Portugal. The Report was presented in public for the first time, as recommended by the EU Political and Security Committee, with a view to raising awareness of a number of IHL activities undertaken by the EU and its member states.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan today contributed a video address to a high-level event organised by the United Nations entitled: Anticipatory Action: A Commitment to Act Ahead of Crises.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan held a videoconference with Cabo Verdean Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Miryan Djamila Sena Vieira and Portuguese Secretary of State Francisco André. As to the COVID-19 pandemic, the officials devoted great attention to the efforts for fair distribution of vaccines and Slovenia’s recent donation of 150,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Cabo Verde.

As part of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Government Information Security Office, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised a cybersecurity conference in Bled on 3 September 2021, which was held in a hybrid form.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan received Alexandre Adam, Europe Adviser at the Private Office of the President of the French Republic, today. Their discussion focused on the continuation of enhanced strategic cooperation between Slovenia and France in the context of their successive presidencies of the Council of the EU.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič took part in an extraordinary meeting of EU Directors-General for development cooperation on the situation in Afghanistan.

State Secretary Dr Stanislav Raščan met with Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, on the margins of the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich). In the context of current developments, State Secretary Dr Raščan and European Commissioner Urpilainen focused on the situation in Afghanistan, the development aspects of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the equitable distribution of vaccines.