Following the European Commission’s preliminary positive assessment of the first payment request for a grant from the Recovery and Resilience Facility in early March, Slovenia has today received a transfer of just under €50 million. “The relevant European institutions have positively assessed the fulfilment of all 12 milestones linked to the first instalment of the grant. The Ministry of Finance, together with the Recovery and Resilience Office, will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the plan and the achievement of the milestones and targets, which are a condition for the payment of the funds from Brussels,” emphasised Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič.

The contract for the construction of an aerial firefighting capability – the purchase of smaller aircraft – was signed by the Minister of Defence, Marjan Šarec, the Acting Director General of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, Leon Behin, and the CEO of Air Tractor Europe SL, Rafael Selma Beltrán.

The Ministry of Finance Delegation, headed by Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič, attended the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, held between 11 April and 15 April 2023 in Washington. In the discussions, considerable importance was attached to economic growth, inflation and financial stability.

Concluding her visit to Tanzania, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon met with Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. The interlocutors exchanged views on a range of current global and regional challenges and committed to strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Ljubljana hosted political consultations between Slovenia and Mongolia, which were headed by of State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Samuel Žbogar and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Ankhbayar Nyamdorj.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Irena Šinko, met with the Croatian Minister of Agriculture, Marija Vučković, at a farm in Sela pri Ratežu.

In the first three months of this year, the Ljubljana Administrative Unit has made significant progress in resolving pending cases in the Civil Registers, Aliens and Nationality Division, Aliens Departments, with more cases being resolved each month than were received. Thus, since January this year, we have reduced the number of pending cases by almost eight thousand.

The Government has adopted decree designating 411.36 hectares of the Češeniške and Prevojske gmajne area as the Češeniško Prevojske gmajne Landscape Park.

From April 2023, citizens aged 12 and over will only need to present their new biometric ID card when visiting doctors, pharmacies, opticians and other healthcare providers and suppliers of medicines and medical devices. This means that citizens are now able to use just one document, as the photo on the identity card also removes the need for additional verification of the insured person’s identity.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar visited Gaborone to meet with Botswana’s Foreign Minister Dr Lemogang Kwape. The visit was aimed at strengthening Slovenia's partnerships in the international community and exchanging views on challenges in the region and in the international community.

Today, the Ministry of the Interior hosted representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the Care and Integration of Migrants, and NGOs, in order to develop an integration strategy.

Dr Igor Papič, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, met with Matjaz Gruden, Director for Democratic Participation at the Council of Europe. They discussed current issues and activities planned by the Council of Europe.

The 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council adopted two important initiatives in which Slovenia is participating. The key UN body responsible for human rights approved the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues and confirmed that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment represents a link between the environment and human rights.

On the basis of the Act on Aid to Ensure Enhanced Air Connectivity, a Public Tender for Enhanced Aviation Connectivity was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia on 04/04/2023. In accordance with Article 10 of the law, the tender documentation is publicly published, however, the English translation is merely an information aid for foreign air carriers when preparing applications for the grant of aid.

The application for aid must be submitted in Slovene language. Submission deadline is 4. 5. 2023.

The new Transnational Provision of Services Act (ZČmIS-1) was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia. The Ministry drew up the Act in order to comprehensively address the position of posted workers when carrying out transnational services provided by Slovenian companies and self-employed persons, economic operators, for clients in other EU member states.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Alenka Bratušek, hosted the Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, on a working visit. They have agreed to propose the establishment of a joint standing committee with Croatia, Austria, and Italy, in order accelerate rail transport.

At the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Wopke Hoekstra, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in an online “talk show” event "Media Freedom as a Cornerstone of Democracy". Held in the framework of the second Summit for Democracy, the event started yesterday and featured a video message by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar.

Members of parliament have approved the bill on amendments and additions to the Employment, Self-employment and Work of Foreigners Act (amendment to the law).

At an EU Energy Council meeting, EU ministers discuss the reduction of gas consumption, changes in the electricity market and the green transition.

Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning Uroš Brežan actively participated in the UN 2023 Water Conference, which took place in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023.