On the margins of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, where she met with UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Moez Chakchouk, State Secretary Leskovar held talks at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President of France and in the Senate.

On the margins of the Creative Forum, which is being co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Minister Miro Cerar held talks with Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean Nasser Kamel.

The Creative Forum Ljubljana is organised by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as a unique platform that links the Southern Mediterranean and the Western Balkans through creativity. Creative industries hold great potential for the Euro-Mediterranean countries seeking to diversify their economies and participate in one of the most dynamic sectors of world commerce. The recommendations and the takeaways from this landmark Forum will feed directly into the UfM roadmap activities and Slovenia’s Positive Agenda for Youth.

At today's 50th regular session the Government has adopted the Action Plan for the repatriation of applicants of Slovenian descent from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Republic of Slovenia.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, 16 Slovenian winemakers made a successful appearance at the ProWine Fair in Shanghai. The three-day event is one of the most important wine-related trade fairs in the Asian market. According to the winemakers, the presentation was a great success.

In the most recent OECD report, public procurement, which falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Administration, was recognised as a part of the Slovenian public sector that stands out in a positive way compared to other countries.

Talks between particular line ministries and representatives of the European Commission are being held from 13 to 15 November 2019. This is a regular technical mission with an emphasis on the overview of the compliance with country-specific recommendations. It will also cover topics envisaged in the chapters of the Country Report.

In the previous week, an event within the international BACID programme intended to improve administrative capacities of the Western Balkan countries was held in Vienna, where the European structure of the implementation of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) model in particular countries was presented to the representatives of Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

The fifth meeting of the Standing Joint Committee of senior representatives of successor States to the former SFRY was convened in Zagreb today, four years – almost to the day – after their last meeting, held in Sarajevo on 11 and 12 November 2015. Headed by Senior Representative of the Republic of Slovenia for Succession Issues Mateja Vraničar Erman, the Slovenian delegation urged for consistent and effective implementation of the Agreement on Succession Issues, for the fulfilment of its obligations in good faith and for continuous dialogue among senior representatives to be continued.

Senior government representatives from around the world have gathered in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to celebrate at the highest level the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Slovenia is being represented by Aljaž Arih, Deputy Director-General for Multilateral Affairs, Development Cooperation and International Law. The conference, which took place in Cairo in 1994, adopted a groundbreaking programme of action on gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights and health.

At a special invitation, Director General of the Public Sector Directorate Peter Pogačar is attending the OECD Civil Service Leaders' Roundtable held today at the renowned National Administration School (École nationale d'administration – ENA) in Paris.

The 2019 edition of Creative Forum Ljubljana opened on Tuesday evening, 12 November, gathering more than 200 participants from 25 countries in the next few days. On 14 November, ministers and high officials from international organisations and EU institutions will participate in a high-level political conference to seek innovative solutions and shape new policies in cultural and creative industries in dialogue with creative hubs and entrepreneurs. The high-level conference will be attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Miro Cerar and Minister of Culture Zoran Poznič.

State Secretary Damjan Stanonik is attending the 13th meeting of SEE ministers of agriculture in Pristina, Kosovo. This year's host country of the ministerial meeting is the Republic of Kosovo, in collaboration with the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG RRD) that is coordinating cooperation between the Western Balkan countries.

Earlier today in Geneva, the Slovenian delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar, presented the progress made in the last five years as part of the Third Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of human rights. The participating countries commended Slovenia on having implemented many of the recommendations received.

Foreign Minister Dr Miro Cerar attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels on Afghanistan, on the regional security situation in the Gulf and Iran, and on Sudan. During a working lunch, foreign ministers from EU member states were joined by Prime Minister of Sudan Dr Abdalla Hamdok.

Today Berlin hosted the reception on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which was attended by State Secretary Dobran Božič on behalf of the Foreign Minister.

Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Miro Cerar met with the members of the Slovenian community in Amman on Friday afternoon. The Minister thanked the participants for maintaining contact with each other and with their home country for generations, thus helping to preserve the Slovenian language and tradition.

The second plenary session of the Intergovernmental Slovenian–Vietnamese Commission for Economic Cooperation, headed by Slovenian Minister of Economic Development Zdravko Počivalšek and Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, was held in Vietnam on 8 November 2019.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Dr Aleksandra Pivec joined the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, on his state visit to Norway. The visit, hosted by King Harald V of Norway, covered numerous events and meetings attended, among others, by Norway's Prime Minister and President of Parliament. One event that received a lot of attention focused on the promotion of beekeeping and the role of pollinators in sustainable food processing, at which Minister Pivec was one of the speakers. On the occasion, President Pahor gifted the King of Norway a Slovenian beehive with painted panels.

Today Kyiv hosted political consultations between Slovenia and Ukraine. State Secretary Simona Leskovar and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar discussed the importance and strengthening of bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Ukraine, including the potential in economic terms, cooperation in international organisations such as the EU and NATO, and the current situation both in and around Ukraine and in the EU and south-eastern Europe.