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This summary is provided by the STA:
Over 2,000 Covid infections confirmed Wednesday amid downward trend
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged another 2,125 coronavirus infections on Wednesday, a figure down by over 130 from Tuesday and by over 540 from a week ago, show the latest figures released by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The seven-day average decreased by 77 to 1,986 in a day and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents by 73 to 1,591. Government data show that there are now 1,087 Covid patients in hospitals, down 14 from yesterday, of whom 280 are in intensive care, up by three. 14 people died of Covid-19 yesterday, one fewer than a day earlier.
EU-Western Balkans ministerial calls for closer cooperation to better manage migration
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Home affairs officials from the EU and the Western Balkans who meting at Brdo estate agreed on the need to improve the exchange of information and cooperation on the ground in the combat against organised crime and terrorism and managing of migration, Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after the meeting. The minister said the discussion at the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum had also ascertained that the cooperation between EU agencies and Western Balkan countries "is a two-way road". It is not just that the agencies offer assistance but also that the countries properly apply the tools at their disposal and share their information with the EU.
Govt revamps Slovenia's foreign policy strategy
LJUBLJANA - The government put down in writing a new version of the national foreign policy strategy, which takes into account new challenges, particularly hybrid threats and other crises. The document was referred to the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee. The document, titled Slovenia: Safe, Successful and Respected in the World - Foreign Policy of the Republic of Slovenia, is a revised and updated version of the country's strategy endorsed in July 2015, said the Government Communication Office (UKOM) after the session.
Agri minister happy EU members endorse 2023-2027 CAP
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU member states confirmed the common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2023-2027 to make the CAP greener, fairer and more transparent. "We have finally reached the finish line after more than three years of hard work," said Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, who chaired the Council session. "The new CAP, endorsed today, represents a milestone in the EU's agricultural policy as it paves the way for EU farmers to have a more just and transparent future," the minister said.
Logar urges restoration of mutual trust at OSCE meeting
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Attending a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, Foreign Minister Anže Logar advocated in Stockholm the restoration of mutual trust and strengthening of political will of the organisation's members. He warned such efforts were key as conflicts in the region were on the rise and the threshold for use of violence was being lowered.
No proof that wholesale energy markets do not work, says Vrtovec
BRUSSELS, Belgium - After chairing a session of EU ministers in charge of energy, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said that the main conclusion of the meeting was that there was no evidence that wholesale energy markets were not working. The meeting of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council was mainly aimed at discussing soaring energy prices and measures to mitigate the situation, as well as an interim report on the situation of the wholesale markets by the EU's Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).
Pahor attends memorial ceremony for Giscard d'Estaing
STRASBOURG, France - President Borut Pahor attended a ceremony remembering Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who served as the president of France from 1974 to 1981. On the first anniversary of his death, Giscard d'Estaing was remembered in the European Parliament for his role in the Convention on the Future of Europe, which concluded its work in 2003 by drafting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Upon his death, Pahor wrote a letter of condolences to French President Emanuel Macron, saying that France and Europe had lost a great European and statesman who persistently advocated closer European integration.
Former minister Lovro Šturm has died
LJUBLJANA - Lovro Šturm, former minister, Constitutional Court judge in the 1990s and professor emeritus at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, has died aged 83, New Slovenia (NSi) said. Šturm became professor of administrative law at the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts after he got his PhD there in 1966. He was also active in international organisations of jurists. He was appointed judge at the Constitutional Court in 1990 and presided the court in his final two years in office, until 1998. In 2000 he served as minister of education and sport in the Andrej Bajuk government and in 2004-2008 as justice minister in the first Janez Janša government. Janša said today he had been a great patriot, intellectual and human rights fighter.
Govt endorses new UKC director
LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed the decision of the council of UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest medical centre, to appoint acting director Jože Golobič for a full term. He starts his four-year term today, the government said. Golobič took over as acting director in February after Janez Poklukar left to become health minister. He was appointed for a full term pending the government's approval at the end of September.
Underdeveloped communities with Roma population to get more funds
LJUBLJANA - The government submitted to parliament a bill amending the financing of municipalities act whose goal it says is to streamline the procedure to award funds to the local communities with Roma settlements. The amendments also expand the list of state-subsidised services provided by joint municipal administrations. A release issued after the government session said one of the changes concerned the provision on the co-financing of municipalities with Roma populations which the government says has been open to misinterpretation.
Govt extends validity of this year's vouchers
LJUBLJANA - Given the poor epidemiological situation and the fact that almost half of the vouchers issued this year to help the hospitality, tourism, sports and culture sectors have not been cashed in yet, the government decided on Thursday to extend their validity until the end of June 2022. The 2021 vouchers were introduced with an emergency law for tourism and associated sectors and awarded to all those who had a permanent residence in Slovenia on 30 June.
Govt donates EUR 860,000 to international organisations
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree allocating EUR 860,000 to international and other organisations active in foreign policy, international development cooperation and humanitarian aid this year. EUR 510,000 of the money will go for emergency aid in various humanitarian crises, the government said. The money will go to several UN funds and agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Caritas Internationalis, the World Food Programme, the OECD Development Assistance Committee and several other international organisations.
Govt declares 2022 Tartini's year
LJUBLJANA - The government on Thursday decided 2022 will be the year of Piran-born Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), as 330 years will have passed since his birth next year. This means the government will encourage events and programmes dedicated to the anniversary. The Culture Ministry has urged public institutions in culture to plan projects marking the anniversary, which will also be an "excellent opportunity for enhanced cooperation between important sectors such as education and tourism".
Water bottling company Costella up for sale
LJUBLJANA - The Swiss company Agrokor, which is in liquidation, is soliciting interest in the purchase of the Costella water bottling company, whose most valuable asset is a water extraction concession valid until 2035. Non-binding bids for the company are expected in the coming days, Finance reported. The paper added that Costella has never even come close to exploiting the water extraction capacity granted by the currently valid concession: 250 million litres of water per year. Current capacities, built in 2006 and 2007, enable the extraction of up to ten million litres of water per year per shift.
Slovenia's Expo pavilion and partners to launch new sustainable initiative
LJUBLJANA - An initiative in which the company Knauf Insulation and its partners Riko and Sophia Academy focus on a comprehensive approach to sustainable development and living will be launched in Dubai in January as part of Slovenia's Expo showcase under an agreement signed today. The three partners will set out the philosophy of their initiative on a broader scale at a large event in Dubai in January and early February. Aimed mainly at the business community, the events will address topics such employee well-being, sustainable construction and green solutions.
NGO proposes container deposit system
LJUBLJANA - Eko Krog, an environmental NGO, proposed Slovenia introduce a container deposit system for drinks packaging including plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles as a means of improving the recycling rate and the economics of waste management. "Precious materials in the form of waste is disappearing from Slovenia, while waste that cannot be used is piling up and being burned," Eko Krog president Uroš Macerl said. The NGO says ten European countries already have such systems, and 15 plan on introducing one. A survey carried out by Eko Krog among almost 1,900 respondents showed 99% support for such a system.
Volunteers clock in more than 7.3 million hours of work a year
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian volunteers clock in over 7.3 million hours of work annually, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik noted in his address to a two-day virtual congress of Slovenian volunteers, which started today, focusing on the role of volunteers and solidarity in addressing social and environmental challenges. The volunteer hours have somewhat dropped in the past two years as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic after some activities were suspended while new forms of voluntary work have come to the forefront, he said, praising the response of volunteers during the epidemic as exceptional.
