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This summary is provided by the STA:
Janša, Morawiecki and Fiala back in Poland
WARSAW, Poland - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts have arrived safely in Poland back from their trip to Kyiv where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday evening. Janša thanked the Ukrainian officials for the hospitality and deep insight into the situation. He also thanked to the Polish team for taking care of the many challenges before and during the visit. The Slovenian government tweeted that the Polish PM had thanked Janša on Tuesday for making the initiative to visit Kyiv.
Janša insists EU offer Ukraine fast-track membership
LONDON, UK - Prime Minister Janez Janša reiterated that the EU must offer Ukraine a fast track to EU membership, telling BBC World Service radio that this is a strategic decision. "We have to accept the challenge, we have to stop pretending that this is a normal situation and we need 15 years of negotiations and bickering about small issues. This is a strategic decision," he said. For Ukraine EU membership represents a security guarantees framework. "They need some institutional guarantees and if the EU is is that for them, we have to respect it."
Logar discusses energy supplies in Algeria
ALGIERS, Algeria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with senior Algerian officials as Slovenia strives to secure alternative energy sources from Algeria in an attempt to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas. He held talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab, and chairman of the state-owned energy company Sonatech Tufik Hakkar. Vanja Lombar, the director of Slovenia's largest natural gas trader Geoplin, was present for the talks with the Sonatach chairman.
Pahor warns of risk Ukraine war poses to W Balkans
VIENNA, Austria - Slovenian President Borut Pahor emphasized the importance of the EU integrating the Western Balkans, in particular Bosnia-Herzegovina, as soon as possible to preserve peace and stability in Europe as he warned in a lecture in Vienna that the war in Ukraine revived "an outdated geopolitical mentality". The EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans "is a geopolitical issue of the first order", Pahor said, warning that the stalled enlargement process was reviving nationalisms and ideas of changing borders.
Covid curve keeps climbing with 2,904 cases on Tuesday
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 2,904 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, roughly a third more than the same day a week ago, but down about 30% from the previous day. Five more patients with Covid-19 died, Health Ministry data shows. A total of 208 patients are treated for Covid-19 at hospitals as of this morning, seven fewer than yesterday. Of those, 55 are treated in intensive care, one fewer than yesterday.
Parliament passes new environment protection act
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the new environment protection act, which has been labelled by Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak as an "environmental constitution". It predominantly deals with management of packaging waste, while also introducing measures to prevent or reduce the generation of all kinds of waste. Most importantly, the bill transposes EU rules and new directives, especially on the expanded producer responsibility for packaging.
Legislation passed on Pomurje Academic and Science Union
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation elevating the Pomurje Academic and Science Union from a regional association to an entity governed by public law and hence eligible for public funding. The bill was tabled by several MPs from Pomurje, who have argued that the new institution would promote the growth and quality of the sciences and drive the scientific, cultural and economic development of Slovenia's poorest region.
Parliament confirms space activities legislation
LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the act on the supervision of space activities, which will regulate space activities in the country and set up a register of space objects. The legislation was drawn up due to a rapid development in space technologies in recent years and lays the foundations for further development of the Slovenian space sector.
Amendment expands eligibility for war victim compensation
LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed changes to the act on the rights of victims of the 1991 Independence War expanding the right to compensation to the family members of victims who were civilians. It is estimated 10 children and 15 spouses or parents of civilian victims will benefit from the law, which was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of MPs.
Efforts under way to get Ukrainian child refugees to school
LOGATEC - A total of 87 school children from Ukraine have found refuge in an aliens centre in Logatec. The state is now looking for solutions to integrate them in the education system as soon as possible, Education Minister Simona Kustec said. Until all kids get formal refugee status, they will be involved in after-class activities. One head teacher proposed that distance learning from Ukraine should be organised on the premises of the primary schools.
International campaign launched in support of Friday protests figurehead
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian chapter of Amnesty International launched an international campaign in a bid to get the Slovenian authorities to withdraw their claims for Jaša Jenull, one of the figureheads of Friday's bicycle protests, to pay for the costs of policing of anti-government rallies. The urgent campaign will see members of the human rights organisation from all over the world call on Prime Minister Janez Janša for the compensation claims amounting to tens of thousands of euros to be withdrawn, something the organisation has already done.
Children of the Mist wins human rights award at Ljubljana docu fest
LJUBLJANA - Children of the Mist, an exploration of a child marriage tradition persisting among an ethnic minority in Vietnam, won the Amnesty International Slovenia Award as the Ljubljana Documentary Film Festival wrapped up. The jury said the winning documentary treated "the complex theme in a way that does not even need to be understood, as the consequences of depriving an individual of the right to choose their future are felt through film images".
Slovenia, France sign education cooperation agreement
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and France have signed an agreement on cooperation in primary and secondary education for 2022-2025 that supports teaching and learning French in the Slovenian education system. The agreement was signed by Education Minister Simona Kustec, director of the National Education Institute Vinko Logaj and French Ambassador Florence Ferrari.
Mastnak third in World Cup parallel giant slalom in Rogla
ROGLA - Snowboarder Tim Mastnak finished third in the men's Snowboard World Cup parallel giant slalom in Rogla in what is his first podium finish at the home venue in Slovenia. The silver medallist in the discipline from the Beijing Olympics finished behind Italy's Edwin Coratti and Oskar Kwiatkowski of Poland. This was a third World Cup win for Coratti in Rogla, who was followed in the second place by Kwiatkowski, who eliminated both Slovenian representatives ahead of his finals encounter with the Italian.
