Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project Development of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure along the Gregorčič alley. The project budget amounts to EUR 580,000; the Cohesion Fund will contribute over EUR 240,000 under the ITI mechanism.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry welcomes today's proposal of the European Commission on new enlargement methodology, aiming for a more efficient, transparent and credible enlargement process.

Today, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry hosted bilateral political consultations between Slovenia and Ethiopia, headed by the Acting Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Anita Pipan, and the Director-General for European and European Union Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ato Mehreteab Mulugeta. They addressed bilateral cooperation, including in economic matters, as well as cooperation at the multilateral level.

The eighth session of the Intergovernmental Slovenian-Belarusian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was held at the Brdo Congress Centre today. It was headed by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Dobran Božič, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Oleg Kravchenko.

Today, the State Secretary, Dobran Božič, took part in a working meeting of State Secretaries and Secretaries-General of EU Member States' Foreign Ministries, hosted by the Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Helga Schmid.

Today, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg delivered its judgment on the admissibility of the Slovenian action against Croatia for infringements of EU law resulting from Croatia’s refusal to implement the Arbitral Award on the border between the countries declaring that it lacks jurisdiction to rule on the action.

Students participating in the first project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘Young Women Ambassadors’ completed the informal educational programme on 30 January 2020. They were received by the President of the Republic and presented with project certificates.

On 30 January 2020, the Slovenian Government approved the report about the oral hearing of Slovenia in the third UPR cycle, which took place in Geneva on 12 November 2019. At the same time, it approved the report of the UPR Working Group on the basis of which Slovenia decided on the recommendations of other countries in the third UPR cycle. The decision will be published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

An amendment of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009) enters into force on 2 February 2020. As a result, some of the rules governing the issuing of Schengen visas will change.

Today, the day before the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU, Minister Dr Miro Cerar held talks with the British Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey. They agreed on the excellent bilateral relations and stressed that despite Brexit, Slovenia and the UK will continue to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in economy, tourism, investment, science, education and culture, and the cooperation within multilateral forums. The countries will pursue their endeavours in all areas of common interest, including in South-East Europe.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the call for proposals Design and testing of services promoting social inclusion of people with disabilities which is to be published by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. The call for proposals, which makes a total of EUR 1.15 million available, will receive over EUR 921,000 from the ESF.

Today, the State Secretary, Dobran Božič, took part in a working meeting of State Secretaries and Secretaries-General of EU Member States' Foreign Ministries, hosted by the Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Helga Schmid.

Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a round table discussion ‘Slovenia for the Rights of the Child - How to Improve the Situation of Children Worldwide’ that marked the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 20th anniversary of its Optional Protocols. The aim was to highlight the breadth of international activity of different Slovenian stakeholders in the field of children's rights, for which Slovenia is known in the international community.

Slovenia remains committed to the activities aimed at achieving comprehensive, just and long-lasting peace in the Middle East, including the establishment of the State of Palestine and bearing in mind Israel’s security concerns.

Between 27 and 29 January, a Slovenian delegation participated in, and co-hosted an informal consultation on the preparatory work for the new international convention on international cooperation in investigations and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, known as the MLA initiative.

Today, State Secretary Matej Marn attended the General Affairs Council. While the participants were informed of the priorities of the Presidency, which is held by Croatia for the first time, the discussions centred mainly on the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project “Development of the northern connection road and associated cycling and pedestrian infrastructure”. The project budget amounts to EUR 1.65 million with the Cohesion Fund contributing a little under EUR 429,000.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Birkenau death camp and other Nazi and Fascist concentration camps and persecution and execution sites. Slovenia joins in the Holocaust remembrance, commemoration of war victims and honouring of those who helped the victims of persecution survive. During the war, a great number of Slovenes, Slovene Jews and Roma of both genders were forcibly taken to concentration camps, with many never to return.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has announced he is stepping down in a bid to push for a snap election, saying he could not achieve what he set out to do with the current minority coalition.

The Government adopted a nomination of the buildings and urban development works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Government entrusted the Ministry of Culture with the implementation of activities and coordination of procedures for the preparation and submission of the Nomination File, which is the responsibility of the Republic of Slovenia as a signatory of the Convention Concerning Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Government instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present the Nomination File for the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage Lists to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris by 31 January 2020 at the latest.