News

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended a video conference meeting of ministers and state secretaries for European affairs, focusing on the preparations for a video conference of the European Council members at the end of the week. The officials exchanged views on a joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding vaccine supply, the efforts to jointly and gradually remove restrictions as soon as the situation allows, the digital green pass, and global vaccine supply.

On Tuesday, 23 March 2021, the Minister of Public Administration Boštjan Koritnik attended the World Summit on the Information Society 2021 (WSIS Forum), hosted by: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Software Developer (UNDP).

Maja Ravnikar, director of the National Institute of Biology (NIB), and Robert Carotta, coordinator for hospital beds at the Ministry of Health, took part in a press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease.

At today’s 67th extraordinary session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke about the proposal for a Declaration on the Orientations for the Republic of Slovenia’s functioning in the European Union institutions for the period 2021–2024.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project “DRR Cycling routes in the municipality Ivančna Gorica”. The project, implemented in the framework of the Agreement for the Development of the Osrednjeslovenska Development Region, is worth a little over EUR 2 million and will receive over EUR 1 million of European Regional Development Fund support.

At today’s 67th extraordinary session of the National Assembly replied to oral questions put to him by Franc Jurša (DeSUS), Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti (SNS), Tina Heferle (LMŠ) and Janja Sluga (SMC) on long-term care, harmonisation of pensions, vaccines, prosecutors and future government work.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar today attended a regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. In an informal video conference with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the ministers addressed issues related to the protection and promotion of human rights and focused on the Southern Neighbourhood and EU-Turkey relations.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project “Jesenice Business Zone expansion – reconstructing transport infrastructure”. The project worth approximately EUR 1,1 million will be implemented by the Municipality Jesenice and will receive over EUR 610,000 of European Regional Development Fund support.

Dr Borut Štrukelj from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Ljubljana and President of Headmasters' Association Gregor Pečan participated at today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the Covid-19 disease.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs marks this year’s World Water Day with the theme “Valuing Water” by launching a series of videos from different stakeholders about what water means to them. State Secretary Stanislav Raščan contributed an article on water for “EurActiv”. The Members of the Green Group, established on Slovenia’s initiative, have issued a joint statement. On 18 March, a high-level meeting on the “Implementation of the water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda” was convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, which was also attended by President Borut Pahor.

This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination focuses on young people in the fight against racism. Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, intolerance, and hate speech are unfortunately still present all around the world. In the last year, in particular, young people have demonstrated that they play an important role in combatting these harmful practices, for example by showing support for the “Black Lives Matter” movement, within which they have been actively pointing out the injustices based on race or colour.

Today, before the European Council meeting, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a videoconference with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša met with Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar, President of the Advisory Group at the Ministry of Health, Mateja Logar and Director of the NIPH, Milan Krek, to discuss the worrying trends of COVID-19, which move Slovenia’s regions closer to the red tier from day to day.

At its session on 18 March 2021, the Government appointed Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a member of the Conference on the Future of Europe Executive Board.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today received the the mufti of the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia, Nedžad Grabus.

Mateja Logar, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, and Simona Repar Bornšek from the Ljubljana Medical Centre participated at today’s press conference on the current situation regarding the Covid-19 disease.

The day after the European Medicines Agency declared the AstraZeneca vaccine safe and effective, vaccination with that vaccine was resumed in Slovenia.

On Friday, 19 March 2021, the Minister of Public Administration Boštjan Koritnik participated in the traditional meeting entitled Digital Day, which is attended annually by EU ministers responsible for digitisation.

Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Dr Rado Genorio, together with Jan De Haes, Chairman of the Arboretum Committee, and Abraham Rammeloo, Director of the Arboretum, today 19th of March 2021 ceremoniously planted Tetradium daniellii, bee tree.

As part of preparations for Slovenia's Presidency in the second half of 2021, the Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs and his delegation paid a two-day working visit to Brussels and The Hague. In Brussels, he met with the Director-General for Justice and Home Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Council Christine Roger.