Day 1 can be found here

Three Seas Investment Talk calls for steps to close liquidity-investment gap

STA, 6 June 2019 - The Investment Talk panel, held on Thursday at the business forum of the Three Seas Initiative summit in Ljubljana, noted the major infrastructure investment gap affecting central and east Europe, and called for effective steps and funding instruments to bridge the glaring discrepancy between existing fiscal liquidity and actual investment.

The opening address was delivered by Slovenian Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who underlined Slovenia's view that it was key to also focus on innovation along with the three pillar areas of the Three Seas Initiative - infrastructure, energy and digital interconnectivity.

To achieve an investment breakthrough, "attracting and supporting investment in supply chains is simply not enough any more", said Počivalšek, while calling for open and transparent investment policies, for Three Seas' openness to private-public investment projects and to any source of capital and connectivity platform.

The panel featured the heads of the Slovenian and Polish promotional development banks, Sibil Svilan and Beata Daszynska-Muzyczka respectively, as well as European Investment Bank (EIB) vice-president Vazil Hudak and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) vice-president Jürgen Rigterink.

Looking at the drop in investment after the 2008 crisis that disproportionally affected eastern Europe and added to its infrastructure gap - estimated at EUR 500 billion - the panellists noted the discrepancy between current high liquidity and the amounts that actually get channelled into projects.

While the EIB and EBRD officials noted a lack of "bankable" projects, issues with implementation and the need for their institutions to preserve AAA credit ratings so that "cheap and long" can keep coming, Svilan and Daszynska-Muzyczka urged a change of the investment mindset away from short-term logic focused solely on profitability and returns.

The key challenge will be using the right combined instruments - national, supranational, private etc. - to secure appropriate risk sharing, and also to focus on quality projects as opposed to only quantity, added Svilan, who urged accountability and sustainability.

His Polish counterpart is also in favour of blending instruments, while she also wondered whether east European countries should not perhaps be allowed to engage in bigger deficits to speed up economic and infrastructure convergence.

She said it would take 100 years for this part of Europe to catch up if it only leant on the funding envisaged for infrastructure in the EU's new financial perspective. Thus, a kind of new mini Marshall Plan, but this time for Eastern Europe, would be in order, she added, while saying the emerging Three Seas Fund, "a private fund, based on the rate of return" could be one of the instruments complementing it.

Svilan argued the richness in diversity principle in Europe also applied to financing instruments. "We need different instruments to catch different situations and that is also what we're trying to do with this fund, we're looking for something new to combine it with what is already going on in Europe. But that does not mean we'll exclude anyone," he said, arguing that the EIB, World Bank, EBRD and others should also be included.

Hudak of the EIB meanwhile pointed out that EFSI, also known as Juncker's investment plan for Europe, was an example that addressed the risks sharing need, with guarantees generating billions in private investment.

Commenting on the note of panel moderator, Gorazd Renčelj of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry, that 82% of the signed contracts within EFSI had gone to the EU-15 member states, Hudak agreed that what seemed as unfair distribution should be modified, while he pointed to plans to apply the Junker plan principle, "a mini Juncker", within the Three Seas initiative.

Rigterink, who expressing his reservations about "setting up new funds every single time", emphasised the principle of additionality and the EBRD's strong belief that the market should not be distorted in any way.

As for profits, he said that "we do not want to maximise profitability but optimise it". The EBRD "also has this development angle, but we need to be profitable to grow" and keep the shareholders happy.

Three Seas business panel calls for concrete results, representation

STA, 6 June 2019 - The business part of the Three Seas Initiative summit concluded on Thursday with a panel which called for the agreements and plans by the 12 members of the initiative to be made concrete as soon as possible, and agreeing that the group should form a steering committee in order to communicate better with other organisations.

Opening the panel in Ljubljana, Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said that now that the summit was ending, "we must deliver, we have had a lot of ideas and projects and we need to come up with some concrete results."

If the initiative makes concrete results, if it results in things that will connect people better with roads and rails, it will be more persuasive to the people, he said, adding that "this is our main task now."

Cerar's Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz agreed, saying that "success of the initiative will be measured by kilometres of road" and that the meetings indeed discussed concrete projects of common interest.

As most of the countries of the Three Seas Initiative had "found themselves on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain", they are less developed than the western countries and have the common interest in the EU, he said.

Retired US General James L. Jones, a former US national security advisor, made the point that while Three Seas was a great strategic initiative which will benefit the region, its nations did not realise what it takes to make it work.

There is a lack of architecture, there is no single point of access, no staff, no website, and there is a lack of a steering group that can respond to inquiries, Jones said, adding that the 16+1 initiative was better organised.

The US feels very tied to Europe as the continents have common values and common history, and believes that the defence of Europe starts in the Black Sea. "We are faced with at least one country which tries to destabilise and fracture the relationship."

Cerar said that the idea should be considered of creating a steering committee, a "small administrative force that would communicate with other countries". Perhaps the next step is making a body which would represent the initiative, but not with too much bureaucracy, he added.

Czaputowicz agreed too, saying that practical steps were needed to change the formula of the initiative, including further institutionalisation, a kind of a secretariat. "This practicality is important", he said, endorsing the idea to make a steering group.

As for investments, Jones said that the US needed evidence that everybody in the initiative was in in terms of funding, and only then the private and public sector would take it seriously.

Czaputowicz said that Poland already had a terminal for US gas which was less expensive than Russian gas, while Cerar said that the initiative needed more investments "from our friends from the US", noting that most investments were concentrated with a few larger EU states.

"But we should never forget what connects us the most - our common values and the rule of law. Without this glue, Europe is not what it is, or what it used to be," the Slovenian foreign minister concluded.

The panel also featured Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport Jernej Pikalo, who discussed how to keep talented people in the region. He said maintaining and nurturing talents was one of the biggest issues governments had.

He said countries had to invest in education, which was one of the most complex issues as education was always lagging behind the developments, changes in technology. "We need to create conditions in which talent can thrive".

Pikalo also pointed to gender balance as one of the most important things. "Women must have equal access and equal opportunities and chances also in terms of the later professional life," he concluded.

Three Seas Initiative Summit calls on EU to consider its goals

STA, 6 June 2019 - Presidents of the Three Seas Initiative called on the EU following a summit at Brdo pri Kranju on Thursday to incorporate the initiative's goals in its existing and future policies, with interconnectivity and energy security topping the list of the initiative's priorities.

Presenting the declaration after the summit, Slovenia's President Borut Pahor said that the initiative aimed not only to bridge the gaps between participating countries but also in the EU and strengthened transatlantic relations.

As a platform at presidential level, the initiative is an opportunity to create an equally strong voice in the EU for the participating countries and strengthens the democratic legitimacy of the EU.

Bringing together 12 countries situated between the Baltic, Adriatic and the Black Sea, the initiative aims to improve the competitive edge of member states and improve the life of its people with concrete projects, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović said.

To realise the projects, the initiative has established its own fund. While today no concrete figures were revealed about the Three Seas Fund, declared functional yesterday at the business forum accompanying the summit, it was said that the European Investment Bank had promised its support for the fund today.

According to a report by German news portal DW, the fund was established only days ago and has a balance of around EUR 500 million with the goal to reach EUR 4-5 billion.

Also present was the outgoing president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, who praised the initiative for its concrete projects, and also illustrated with figures how much the EU has already invested and will continue to invest in the region.

"Between 2014-2020, we have invested from the structural fund EUR 60 billion in this region. The Juncker plan has generated in these years EUR 42 billion for the 12 member states of the region. I believe that we have done and will do everything to support the efforts aiming at better cohesion and better connectivity in the region."

For the next financial perspective, 2022-2027, the Commission has foreseen EUR 42.3 billion to improve the interconnectivity in Europe and in particular in this region, said Juncker.

The press conference was also addressed by presidents of Romania and Poland, Klaus Werner Iohannis and Andrzej Duda, with the latter saying that the next summit of the initiative would take place in Estonia, where the presidents had been invited by President Kersti Kaljulaid.

The presidents expressed in their statements, as well as the declaration, an invitation to other potential partners, encouraging "the inclusion of actors from the Three Seas Initiative member states and the US to the existing network".

They were especially pleased that the two-day event hosted by Slovenia was attended not only by Juncker but also German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as well as US Secretary of Energy Reick Perry. The latter took part in the presidential panel hosted by Pahor as part of an accompanying business forum yesterday, inviting participants to buy US gas.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Three Seas Initiative Summit urges EU to consider its goals

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Presidents of the Three Seas Initiative called on the EU following a summit to incorporate the initiative's goals in its existing and future policies, with interconnectivity and energy security topping the list of the initiative's priorities. Presenting the declaration after the summit, President Borut Pahor said that the initiative aimed not only to bridge the gaps between participating countries but also in the EU and strengthens transatlantic relations.

Three Seas Investment Talk urges steps to bride liquidity-investment gap

LJUBLJANA - The Investment Talk panel, held at the business forum of the Three Seas Initiative summit in Ljubljana, noted the major infrastructure investment gap affecting central and east Europe, and called for effective steps and funding instruments to bridge the glaring discrepancy between existing fiscal liquidity and actual investment. The opening address was delivered by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who underlined Slovenia's view that it was key to also focus on innovation along with the three key areas of the Three Seas Initiative - infrastructure, energy and digital interconnectivity.

Last Three Seas panel calls for concrete results, representation

LJUBLJANA - The business part of the Three Seas Initiative summit concluded with a panel which called for the agreements and plans by the 12 members of the initiative to be made concrete as soon as possible, and agreeing that the group should form a steering committee in order to communicate better with other organisations. Opening the panel, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said that "we must deliver, we have had a lot of ideas and projects and we need to come up with some concrete results."

US official says Slovenian-US relations great

LJUBLJANA - Philip Reeker, acting assistant secretary of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US State Department, does not think Slovenia is too pro-Russian or that its foreign policy stance is straining relations with the US. He says US-Slovenian relations are great. "We're NATO allies, we're very proud of the fact that Slovenia was the first of the former Yugoslav countries to become a NATO member and to join the EU. Those were our foreign policy goals," he told the STA on the margins of the Three Seas Initiative summit.

Govt confirms controversial private school financing

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed a controversial bill under which private primary schools are to get full state funding to teach publicly approved curricula, but what constitutes curricula was effectively narrowed to the extent that private schools are calling it a betrayal of constitutional commitments. The amendments to the act on the financing of education implement a 2014 Constitutional Court ruling mandating full rather than 85% state financing of publicly approved curricula at private primaries.

Almost 300 refugees accepted under EU solidarity schemes

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has so far welcomed almost 300 refugees based on EU solidarity schemes, some from other EU members and others from third countries, government data show. As part of the relocation scheme, Slovenia accepted 253 people between 2016-2018 and another 34 as part of the resettlement programme for migrants residing in non-EU countries. Although both schemes ended in 2018, Slovenia still occasionally shares the burden of refugees with other EU countries.

State firm taking over management of Maribor Airport

LJUBLJANA - DRI, a state-owned consulting and engineering company specialised in infrastructure projects, will take over management of Maribor Airport as a stop-gap solution after the current operator's lease terminates next month, the government decided. The decision comes after Chinese-backed airport operator Aerodrom Maribor announced in January it was invoking a six-month notice and terminating the 15-year lease agreement it signed in 2017 due to delays in a planned expansion of the runway.

Changes to VAT law pave way for lower tax on e-publications

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted changes to the VAT act to transpose three EU directives, including one enabling a lower VAT rate for e-publications. The changes will thus make it possible to apply the VAT rate which is applicable to printed books, newspapers and periodicals to these publications in the electronic form.

Quarter of EU cohesion funds paid out by end of March

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia paid out EUR 740 million in EU cohesion funds by the end of March, or 24% of the EUR 3.068 billion available to the country between 2014 and 2020, according to a report adopted by the government. By the end of March, 406 decisions on financial support for projects, schemes and public calls worth EUR 2.36 billion were issued, which represents 77% of the available funding. By the end of April, Slovenia had claimed EUR 722 million in reimbursement from Brussels, or 24% of the funding.

Gorenje to slash over 100 jobs

VELENJE - Home appliances producer Gorenje will lay off 104 workers, which is fewer than the initially planned 270, the in-house trade union said. Of the 1,481 workers planned to be laid off, 1,377 will be offered a new contract and the rest will be sacked, SKEI Gorenje said as it received the lay-off plan from the management. Gorenje employs over 4,200 workers in Slovenia and abroad, and is amid reorganisation following last year's takeover by China's Hisense and EUR 37 million in net loss.

Protests over Italian MP's proposal to amend minority law

LJUBLJANA/TRIESTE, Italy - The Slovenian minority in Italy, the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad and political parties voiced their protest after Italian MP Roberto Novelli had tabled an amendment to the law safeguarding the Slovenian minority under which a population census would be held in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region to determine language communities. The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad underscored that the minority could not be changed without the Slovenian minority's support.

Slovenia's gender pay gap increasing at top speed in EU

LJUBLJANA - A conference held by the German political foundation Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung and the trade union confederation ZSSS called for equal pay for equal work, noting that even though Slovenia's gender pay gap is relatively low compared to EU average, it has been increasing at the fastest rate. The latest figures put Slovenia's gender pay gap at 8% for 2017, which compares to EU average of 16%, but the gap expanded from only 0.9% in 2010. Women's earnings are lagging behind men's most severely in financial and insurance services, health and social care and education. The situation is surprisingly worse in the public sector rather than in private.

Pensioners demand 7% higher pensions, end of austerity

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Pensioners (SUS) urged the government to raise pensions by 7.2% by 30 June 2020. This would make up for the shortfall resulting from austerity measures taken during the economic crisis when pensions were not raised as they should have been in line with legislation. The government had eliminated the austerity measures from the 2012 fiscal austerity law for all groups of citizens but pensioners, the SUS said in an open letter addressed to the government and MPs.

Pulp and Paper Institute launches new research centre

LJUBLJANA - The Pulp and Paper Institute (ICP) from Ljubljana has launched a renovated centre for research of biomas-based materials and products as part of the InnoRenew project. The new equipment will facilitate research of compounds from wood biomass and other biomass such as pulp and green chemicals, and development of renewable materials and end products based on biomass. The investment is worth EUR 1.25 million, of which EUR 750,000 came from InnoRenew and the rest from the ICP.

Attack on Maribor mayor's restaurant related to his work

MARIBOR - Maribor crime investigators have tracked down the perpetrators of the March attack on a restaurant owned by the new Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič. It was two young men who damaged a window with an explosive device, but they had been paid to do so by a 41-year-old unhappy with some of Arsenovič's decisions. The 21- and 17-year-old turned themselves in after police published security camera material documenting their night attack. They had been paid EUR 300 for the attack by the 41-year-old man while a 48-year-old man provided them with the explosive device which only caused material damage.

All of Slovenia's bathing waters meet EU quality standards

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Bathing water quality in 41 of 47 Slovenian bathing waters included in the European Commission's report for 2018 were classified as being of excellent quality, with all 21 coastal bathing waters receiving this grade. Five waters were labelled good, one as sufficient and none as poor. With the exception of 2011 when one bathing site was classified as good, all coastal bathing waters in Slovenia have persistently been labelled as excellent since 2009.

STA, 6 June 2019 - Bathing water quality in 41 of 47 bathing waters included the European Commission's report for 2018, released on Thursday, were classified as being of excellent quality, with all 21 coastal bathing waters receiving this grade. Five waters were labelled good, one as sufficient and none as poor.

"All reported bathing waters are in line with the minimum quality standards of the directive on bathing waters and thus classified 'sufficient' or better," wrote the European Environment Agency, which examined 374 samples from 21 coastal and 26 inland locations.

The tested sites

With the exception of 2011 when one bathing site was classified as good, all coastal bathing waters in Slovenia have persistently been labelled as excellent since 2009.

The inland bathing waters have all also been receiving at least good or sufficient grades since 2010, with half persistently classified as excellent.

EU-wide, minimum quality requirements were met by 95.4% of the 21,831 bathing waters monitored last year, with 300 waters in Albania and Switzerland also included.

Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and Romania were the only other countries besides Slovenia without a single poor quality case.

The full report on Slovenia can be read here, while an interactive map showing all the tested site, all over Europe, is here

STA, 6 June - DRI, a state-owned consulting and engineering company specialised in infrastructure projects, will take over the management of Maribor airport as a stop-gap solution after the current operator's lease terminates on 15 July, the government decided on Thursday.

The decision comes after the Chinese-backed airport operator Aerodrom Maribor announced in January it was invoking a six-month notice and terminating the 15-year lease agreement it signed in 2017 due to delays in a planned expansion of the airport's runway.

The transfer of the lease to DRI, which the government said follows the "unsuccessful story with the Chinese lessees", will help the state avoid the return of almost EUR 6 million in EU funds it received to build a new passenger terminal in Maribor.

In accordance with the commitments accompanying the EU funds, the airport must stay open at least until mid-November 2021.

Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek, who wondered how "such a bad partner" had been chosen to operate the airport in the first place, said the government had no other choice but to transfer the management onto DRI, whose bylaws were changed today so that it can act as manager of infrastructure.

This is because the current operator made continued cooperation conditional on the state paying them to manage the airport rather than it paying the EUR 100,000 monthly lease, while transferring the lease to a private company would require a new tender.

Bratušek said this was just a stop-gap solution as the state had no intention of managing the airport in the long term. The long-term options are finding a new lessee or selling the airport. Bratušek finds the first option more likely.

The local community welcomed the government decision to save the airport, while Aerodrom Maribor said it would shortly take decisions in the company's interest.

Unofficial information indicates Aerodrom Maribor will not take any drastic measures for the time being.

The company, owned by SHS Aviation, said the solutions it had presented to the government were the most favourable in terms of finances and the stability of air services.

Hoče Mayor Marko Soršak hopes DRI manages to get the operating licence so that the airport remains open. Similarly, the Maribor municipality pointed to the airport's role for the Štajerska region's development.

Both Hoče and Maribor believe the state should continue with changes to the national zoning plan for the airport, which they see as a prerequisite for its development.

Maribor would also like a rail track to be integrated into the national zoning plan to make the airport more attractive to potential new customers.

The Štajerska Chamber of Commerce is aware today's decision is but a stop-gape measure buying the government time before it takes the final decision on the airport's future.

Chamber director Aleksandra Podgornik said the region's businesses considered the airport an important infrastructure which should bring both the region and the state a competitive advantage.

She said "the region does not demand any special treatment for the airport, into which a lot of effort and money has been invested".

But we "demand the same conditions that apply to Aerodrom Portorož and Ljubljana airport, which is profitable and in foreign hands but still receives support".

STA, 6 June 2019 - Slovenia has so far welcomed almost 300 refugees based on EU solidarity schemes, some from other EU members and others from third countries, government data shows.

As part of the relocation scheme, Slovenian had pledged to accept 567 applicants for international protection from Greece and Italy, but eventually accepted 253 during the scheme's duration in 2016-2018.

As for the resettlement programme for migrants residing in non-EU countries, Slovenia had pledged to accept 60 people, but eventually accepted only 34, all from Turkey.

Of the 253 foreigners relocated from Greece and Italy, 152 were Syrian citizens, 77 Eritrean, 17 Iraqi and one Yemeni citizen, whereas six were without citizenship.

A total of 234 foreigners were granted the refugee status and eleven subsidiary protection, the Interior Ministry said.

Five foreigners were denied international protection, one person was stripped of the refugee status, and the procedure was aborted in three cases, it added.

The majority of relocated refugees reside in the areas of Maribor and Ljubljana, whereas 47 left Slovenia after receiving the status, data from the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants show.

Six Syrian families came to live in Slovenia as part of the resettlement scheme, which was carried out under the UN wing. All of them live in Maribor's integration centre.

All refugees accepted as part of the two schemes have taken part in a special three-month programme designed to facilitate their living.

As part of "the orientation programme", refugees learn the basics of Slovenian language, get to know various social systems in the country and get assistance in finding housing.

Although both schemes ended in 2018, Slovenia still occasionally expresses solidarity to share the burden of refugees with other EU countries.

Just recently the government has decided to accept up to five asylum seekers who meet the requirements for international protection from Italy.

In February, it decided to accept five asylum seekers from Malta, but they are yet to arrive here, while it accepted eight refugees from this island country in 2010.

June 6, 2019

According to the police, one person died in a traffic accident, which occurred on Wednesday, June 5 at about 8:30am on a motorway near Domžale.

The accident happened when the driver of a freight vehicle in the left lane of the motorway collided with a minibus that had stopped due to a traffic jam.

Following the collision, the minibus hit the metal safety fence where it flipped over on its side and then collided  with a second truck that stood in the line. A 52-year-old passenger in the minibus was hurt so badly that she died at the scene of the crash. Four other passengers and the driver suffered minor injuries.

According to  the Slovenian media, the minivan carried two Slovenian and four British citizens. The 52-year old woman who died is reported to have been a British national.   

This Friday, 7 June (2019) sees the start of the 33rd Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts, which runs until 29 September. This edition is curated by the art collective Slavs and Tatars and is going out under the title Crack Up - Crack Down, with a focus on satire in the region. The Biennial takes place at the International Centre of Graphic Arts (Mednarodni grafični likovni center, MGLC), in Tivoli Mansion, the building shown in the image at the top of this story. To mark the event, which has been running since 1955, we thus went to the archive (aka Wikimedia) and returned with these images of the Mansion, and other parts of the park, in first half of the 20th century.

Other posts in this series can be found here

The fish pond, 1898

The fish pond, 1902

The fish pond, 1912

Tivoli Mansion, 1907

Tivoli Mansion, 1916

Tivoli Mansion, undated

Tivoli Mansion, undated

Tivoli Mansion, undated

Tivoli Mansion, undated

Tivoli Mansion, 1933

Jakopič Promenade, 1930s

Hotel Tivoli / Švicarija - undated

STA, 5 June 2019 - Montenegro's EU integration and the situation in the Western Balkans featured high on the agenda as Speaker Ivan Brajović began an official two-day visit to Slovenia by meeting his counterpart Dejan Židan in Ljubljana on Wednesday. The pair sees the visit as a means of strengthening the excellent relations.

Židan congratulated Brajović on Montenegro's progress towards the EU, hoping the integration process would be completed as soon as possible.

He is convinced this will contribute to stability in the region and give hope to some other countries aspiring to join the EU.

"Montenegro can count on Slovenia's support," Židan was quoted as saying in a press release from the National Assembly.

Brajović said Slovenia understood the situation in the Western Balkans very well, and was able to see the progress Montenegro had made since independence.

He also said that as NATO's contact point for Montenegro in 2011-2014, Slovenia had contributed significantly to the country's NATO membership.

He also pointed out that Slovenia still provided a lot of assistance to Montenegro on its path towards the EU.

Having closely followed the recent EU elections, Montenegro also hopes Slovenia's MEPs will be its supporters and allies who understand EU consolidation is a process parallel to the EU enlargement, Brajović was quoted as saying.

"We also believe they will contribute their share so that enlargement becomes a priority of the European Commission and the European Parliament."

Brajović said Montenegro counted on becoming the first new EU member when the EU expands.

The two speakers also discussed economic cooperation, with Židan noting bilateral trade was growing.

What is more, the two countries are also political allies "because we understand that the Western Balkans must have better prospects", he said.

Both speakers are convinced bilateral relations should be nurtured, which is why they agreed on today's visit as they met in March at a conference of speakers from countries of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative in Montenegro's Budva.

Practically the same topics were also discussed as Brajović was received by Foreign Minister Miro Cerar.

Both officials noted Slovenia and Montenegro were interested in further expanding the positive and diversified cooperation, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Development cooperation was also highlighted as an area of common interest, with the ministry saying Montenegro remained a priority in this respect.

Brajović thanked Slovenia for the support it provided to his country on its way towards membership of Euro-Atlantic organisations, and Cerar pledged further support.

Panel recommends diversification of energy sources

STA, 5 June 2019 - A high-profile panel on energy was held on Wednesday as part of the Three Seas Initiative Summit, with the participants pointing out to diversification of sources, decreasing dependence on one source of energy and investments in expansion of renewable energy as the most important measures in the field.

The panel was opened by Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek, who said that this year would be important as the country was adopting national energy and climate plans that will determine decarbonisation and energy efficiency policies.

Discussing the challenges in energy infrastructure, she said that "one can opt for more renewables, for more or less nuclear power, no coal and oil or natural gas," but the fact was that the supply would remain diverse due to a number of factors.

US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry was open about his country's interests, saying that the US would share its energy knowledge with the Three Seas Initiative countries to strengthen their energy security and increase their energy diversity.

You should not be "restricted to just one energy source, bound to just one nation for your energy needs", he said, stressing that the US was a competitive alternative to Russia when it came to liquefied natural gas (LNG), supporting multiple routes to deliver energy across Europe.

"We oppose using energy to coerce any country, we believe that obtaining energy from US is a highly attractive choice," said Perry, who also believes that it is essential that Europe prioritise its own energy projects.

As fro LNG, Croatian Minister of Environment and Energy Tomislav Ćorić said that the decision to build a terminal on the island of Krk was the right one, adding that the country was fully oriented towards a low-carbon economy and renewables.

"We are fully devoted to the production coming from wind, solar and hydro power," he said, adding that diversification was a very important tool for achieving energy independence of the twelve countries of the Three Seas Initiative, and one of the most important agendas of the EU.

Piotr Naimski, the Polish government's representative for energy infrastructure, noted that Poland was "still almost totally dependent on one monopolistic company which provides us with gas, but we are on the way to change this."

According to him, Poland needs more security, diversity and reliability of networks, and it plans to get connected to with Norway and to build a floating terminal in 2025 to gain supply from different sources and routes and start a competitive gas market.

Miguel Berger of the German Federal Foreign Office noted that Germany was cooperating with the US, as it would have two LNG terminals in Germany, adding that LNG was welcome in Europe, but stressing that it "has to be market driven".

"We reject sanctions in energy relations with Russia. There is a serious and real demand for energy and we want to develop our energy relations with Russia," he said, dismissing the notion that Russia was the only supplier for Germany since it accounts for only 40% of supplies.

Martin Novšak of the Slovenian power company GEN Energija discussed nuclear energy, stressing that the joint Slovenian-Croatian plant NEK had a low-carbon production, operated successfully and was stable, which was an important factor.

The company will also be investing in hydro power plants and in photovoltaic energy, as well as in a second unit of NEK, he said, while pointing to the importance of the price of capital, noting that Chinese capital was free, and European very expensive.

Robert Krklec of HEP said that the Croatian national power company would be investing heavily in electrification, energy efficiency and renewable sources, including hydro power plants, photovoltaics and wind power plants.

"HEP is going to get to 50% of renewables in the next three years," Krklec said, while also pointing to consumers, who will have an active role in the future in determining trends and selling auxiliary services to power companies.

Representing the Slovenian national power grid operator ELES, Uroš Salobir said that the 2050 targets were very challenging, adding that as "coal is slowly vanishing from the table, we will have a huge problem of flexibility."

The options are natural gas, dispersed action of consumers, distributed generation, platforms linked across the borders and decentralised solutions, but this requires good cooperation between the political and technical level, he concluded.

Three Seas initiative panel stresses importance of innovation, infrastructure

STA, 5 June 2019 - Innovation stimulates economic growth, while infrastructure plays a key role in facilitating connectivity in the Three Seas region, which still lags behind Western Europe, heard participants of a panel debate held as part of the Three Seas Initiative summit in Ljubljana on Wednesday.

"Innovation stimulates economic growth, creates new and better jobs, enables social mobility, combating climate change and poverty, and improves overall wealth," said Bulgarian Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov.

According to him, new technologies have the potential to bring about significant social, economic and environmental benefits.

He believes the challenges faced by this region, such as rapid technological development and changed economic relations, require active work and joint policies that address day-to-day problems of entrepreneurs and researchers.

Ian Brzezinski of the US think tank Atlantic Council, who moderated the debate, concluded that this was a region of high economic growth but to sustain this high growth innovation will be crucial.

"Infrastructure is key, because it facilitates connectivity, it facilitates the movement of products and above all of ideas ... Robust, modern, efficient infrastructure can facilitate innovation," he said.

Noting that the world was in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, he said it was critical for this region to remain at the forefront of this revolution.

Sonja Šmuc, general manager of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), called for innovation not only in industry but also in government.

She agreed that infrastructure is important. "Some say that with internet you don't need roads that much any more. That's not true. We still travel, we still have to exchange ideas in person."

In 2015, there was talk about suspending the Schengen area to protect the EU borders and back then it was calculated in Brussels that each truck that waits a minute at the border costs 2 euros, she noted.

"If we turn to the Western Balkans - two countries are in the EU, six are not - and look at the long lines at the borders. How much money is lost there," she said, pointing to "illogical processes that make us poorer".

She believes this is just a matter of decision. "Infrastructure is important, but infrastructure that is connected, and with IT solutions available we can achieve much better results."

Aleš Cantarutti, state secretary at Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, called for investments in society 5.0 - the transfer of the concepts such as internet of things, artificial intelligence and big data into every-day life. These technologies could be used also to tackle the problem of ageing population, he believes.

Mark Pleško, CEO and co-founder of the Slovenian high-tech company Cosylab, said that everyone wanted to have a monopoly position. Innovation is one way to get it, but until there are other, quicker ways such as cronyism or even corruption, people will chose the easiest way.

He called for opening of the markets and fighting dishonest business practices.

Both Cantarutti and Šmuc agreed that the Three Seas initiative could further strengthen innovation by creating a platform for more integrated cooperation of companies and a fund that would financially support projects to reduce the risks of failure that prevent a potential breakthrough of many innovative entrepreneurs.

Several bilateral meetings at Three Seas summit

STA, 5 June 2019 - President Borut Pahor and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar took the opportunity of the Three Seas Initiative summit taking place in Ljubljana for a number of bilateral meetings. Pahor met the presidents of Latvia and Poland, and Cerar met his Polish counterpart.

Pahor decorated Latvia's President Raimonds Vejonis with the Order of Exceptional Merit for strengthening bilateral relations and bilateral cooperation with a view to promote Europe's common and safe future.

In turn, Vejonis bestowed on Pahor the Latvian cross for strengthening bilateral relations, political dialogue and friendship between Slovenia and Latvia, Pahor's office said in a press release.

Pahor also met Polish President Andrzej Duda, with whom he opened an exhibition on Polish ethnographer Emil Korytko (1813-1839) at the National Assembly.

Foreign Minister Cerar and his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz hailed the political and economic relations between Slovenia and Poland.

They discussed cooperation within the Three Seas Initiative, sharing a view it could enhance the development of transport and energy infrastructure in Central Europe, which was key to the region's economic development.

Another topic Cerar and Czaputowicz discussed was cooperation within the EU, with the focus on EU enlargement.

Presidential panel suggests Three Seas Initiative moving from words to actions

STA, 5 June 2019 - The presidential panel at the summit of the Three Seas Initiative, which began in Ljubljana on Wednesday, was marked by calls for a move from words to action as part of this Central European cooperation project focusing on multiplying transport, energy, and digital interconnections.

The host of the meeting and moderator of the panel, Slovenian President Borut Pahor, started the discussion by pointing out that the 12 countries participating will have concrete proposals to present as the new team of the European Commission shortly takes office.

"It will be a kind of common list of goals presented and the Commission will be invited to consider them seriously," said Pahor, who has described the summit as one of the largest political and business meetings ever held in Slovenia.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, who was one of the initiators of the Three Seas, highlighted the fast progress of the initiative since what was only an explorative first meeting in 2015. "Today we are forming the fund of the initiative which means it is becoming a truly practical initiative," she said.

Grabar Kitarović, who said the initiative was looking to help achieve true cohesion in the whole of the EU but also beyond, "in the Atlantic space because we very much value the partnership of the US and of course of Germany, which has also become the partner of the initiative".

While German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be joining the presidents for dinner tonight ahead of the summit tomorrow, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry participated in the panel.

Underlining that time for talk is over, Perry said that the US supported the EU and "efforts to create this energy union, to better integrate Europe in these energy markets and improve energy security".

"It's time for us to be taking true action ... to send the message ... around the globe that we are going to be working closely together. That the Three Seas Initiative member nations are ready and willing and that we are going to meet our objectives."

He swore that the US would never use energy for political coercion, earning an applause from the audience. "It is for these reasons that we continue to oppose the North Stream 2 pipeline. The pipeline will weaken the energy security of Europe and the sovereignty of its nations, especially Ukraine."

Noting that the 75th anniversary of liberation of Europe will be commemorated tomorrow, Perry said he could think of "few greater ways to honour the US's commitment to defend and support freedom in Europe than continuing to work together for the betterment and prosperity of our nations and our people".

Polish President Andrzej Duda said it was time to move from analysis to action and illustrated that the journey from north to south eastern Europe takes days, while in the west it takes hours, adding that this affects not only travel and tourism but also economic and social relations in this part of Europe.

It is thus key that the countries pursue coherent investment policies to overcome transportation gaps. He announced that the initiative was launching in Ljubljana the Three Seas Fund.

"Poland and Romania have inaugurated the functioning of the fund. We see it as a new sources of financing for infrastructure investments. This will be a practical dimension of the Three Seas Initiative cooperation. A tool to make our plans and dreams come true."

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stressed the need to come out as a winner in a what were times of turbulent global political and economic change that he felt made it fair to speak of a new world order.

Quick and common sense decisions will be key, said Szijjarto, who argued Central Europe "is and will be the engine of growth in Europe".

Stressing the need to address infrastructure shortcomings in the region, he said energy diversification must become more than just a word, with Hungary also being very vulnerable energy-wise.

"If we cannot change this infrastructure situation, then my country will be in a position again to engage in a long-term cooperation with Russia when it comes to gas supply," Szijjarto said.

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid also noted the Commission's support, echoing Grabar Kitarović, as well as Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. She also hailed Slovenia's decision to bring innovation into the debate alongside the three main focuses of the initiative. She noted this was key to making transport and energy "not only competitive but also clean".

Kaljulaid, who is also in favour of dedicating attention to environmental topics as part of the initiative, meanwhile highlighted the need to leverage the private sector. "We politicians, we can start communication ... but nothing we create is durable unless you take over, then it is sustainable and durable, if you the private sectors of the initiative work together."

Bulgarian President Radev expressed satisfaction that the meeting in Ljubljana is not attended only by heads of states but also by government representatives, agencies, business representatives and strategic partners, such as the US, represented by Perry.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia hosts Three Seas Initiative summit

LJUBLJANA - A two-day summit of the Three Seas Initiative got under way with a large business forum featuring more than 600 participants from over 40 countries. The summit, hosted by President Borut Pahor, is attended by the presidents of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, while Austria, Hungary and Slovakia are represented by junior officials. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and US ebergy Secretary are the guests of honour. The presidential panel was marked by calls for moving from words to action. Pahor as the moderator of the panel said the participating countries would have concrete proposals to present as the new team of the European Commission shortly took office.

Energy, transport high on agenda of Three Seas Initiative summit

LJUBLJANA - A high-profile panel on energy held as part of the Three Seas Initiative summit pointed to diversification of sources, decreasing dependence on one source of energy and investments in expansion of renewable energy as the most important measures in the field. A panel on transport meanwhile saw the participants highlight connectivity and decarbonisation of transport as the main future priorities in the EU and in the countries of the initiative, which are heavily in rail infrastructure, to close the gap with the west. European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc pointed to four priorities - decarbonisation, digitalisation, investment and innovation, putting a special emphasis on the last one.

US keen on selling nuclear tech to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Meeting President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec on the sidelines of the Three Seas Initiative summit, US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said the US was keen on selling Slovenia technology for small modular nuclear reactors. Slovenia is "an excellent potential market for this game-changing technology", Perry told reporters when asked why Slovenia, which is considering building a second reactor in Krško, should choose a US-made reactor over designs from other countries. He said the issue was not only about the best technology but also about safety and non-proliferation.

Brussels tells Slovenia to proceed with reforms and privatisation

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - The European Commission made a repeated call on Slovenia to secure fiscal sustainability, reforms in healthcare, long-term care, the pension system and labour market, improve the business environment and proceed with privatisations. The recommendations, issued as part of the European Semester, were also extended to investment with the Commission saying it should focus on innovation, energy transition, sustainable transport and environmental infrastructure. Responding to the recommendations, the Finance Ministry said the Commission had acknowledged the progress Slovenia made in public finance.

Cerar, Šarec say speculation about EU commissioner candidate uncalled for

LJUBLJANA - In response to the speculation he was tipped as a candidate for Slovenia's EU commissioner, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said the coalition had not yet discussed potential candidates, adding PM Marjan Šarec would be the one to nominate them. Cerar said the speculation, coming after he decided not to stand for re-election as SMC leader at his party's congress in autumn, were uncalled for and inappropriate, a view also expressed by Šarec. Šarec said there were several suitable commissioner candidates, so the government would have a hard choice to make.

EU enlargement in focus of Montenegrin speaker's visit

LJUBLJANA - Montenegro's EU integration and the Western Balkans featured high on the agenda as Speaker Ivan Brajović began an official two-day visit to Slovenia by meeting his counterpart Dejan Židan and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar. Židan congratulated Brajović on Montenegro's progress towards the EU, hoping the integration process would be completed as soon as possible. He is convinced this will contribute to stability in the region and give hope to some other countries aspiring to join the EU. "Montenegro can count on Slovenia's support," Židan said. Brajović said Montenegro counted on becoming the first new EU member when the Union expanded.

CoE urges Slovenia to bridge "impunity gap in hate speech cases"

STRASBOURG, France - A report by the Council of Europe's anti-racism commission covering 2014-2018 finds progress in anti-discrimination legislation in Slovenia, but it also calls on the country to bridge the "impunity gap in hate speech cases". The report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance also notes a lack of reliable and updated data needed to combat racial discrimination, and continued issues faced by Roma with respect to access to housing and safe water.

Slovenia protests over Trieste councillor map

LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec and the Foreign Ministry condemned a move by Trieste city councillor Lorenzo Giorgi, who marked Italy's Republic Day, observed on 2 June, by posting on his Facebook a map of Italy with parts of Slovenia as well as Croatia's Istria and Dalmatia. "Historical revisionism goes against the basic principles of the European system, while such actions do not benefit neighbour relations," the ministry said, while Šarec called the move a stab in the heart.

Lobbying reports quadrupled in four years, corruption watchdog report shows

LJUBLJANA - The president of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, Boris Štefanec, presented the watchdog's report for 2018, expressing satisfaction with more reported cases of lobbying. In 2014, some 1,120 cases were reported to the commission, while the figure exceeded 4,860 last year. He believes the rise shows the commission was successful in raising awareness about reporting all attempts at influencing decision making. He also indicated he might apply for re-appointment as his term expires at the end of March 2020.

Vilenica Prize goes to Dragan Velikić

LJUBLJANA - Dragan Velikić, one of the most esteemed Serbian authors, is the winner of the Vilenica Prize, which will be presented at the conclusion of the 34th Vilenica International Literary Festival in Slovenia in mid-September. Commenting on the news for the newspaper Primorske Novice, Velikić said the Vilenica Festival was very important to him. Velikić has won all the major literary awards in Serbia as well as accolades abroad.

Slovenia showcased at Prague Quadrennial with mural, triptych

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Kapital 2018, a mural by art collective Irwin, and a triptych of video books, are Slovenia's show pieces at the 14th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. Running between 5 and 16 June, the Quadrennial is the largest international festival of theatre and stage design. Curated by Barbara Novakovič Kolenc from independent art producer Muzeum, the Slovenian installation, themed Warped Space, is showcased in the main section, Exhibition of Countries and Regions.

Slovenia's joblessness keeps falling

LJUBLJANA - The number of people registered as unemployed with the Slovenian Employment Service decreased by 2.6% in May to 72,012, a decline of 6.1% compared to the same month a year ago. In May 4,515 people were freshly registered on the unemployed roll, a drop of 9% compared to April and 11% fewer than a year ago. Out of the 6,468 removed from the roll, 4,723 found a job or got self-employed. This is 20% fewer than in April and 10.5% fewer than in May 2018.

Slovenia's minimum wage ranks 9th in EU

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranks ninth among the 22 EU member states that have a statutory minimum wage in terms of the gross minimum wage rate. This year's increase in Slovenia's minimum wage to EUR 886.63 was among the modest ones, finds the annual report on minimum wages in the EU and Norway, published by Eurofound on Monday. The highest wage rate was registered in Luxembourg (EUR 2,071.10), and the lowest in Bulgaria (EUR 286.33).

TEŠ drags HSE group into the red

VELENJE - As the Šoštanj coal-fired power station (TEŠ) sunk deeper into the red last year, its owner, national power utility HSE, also posted a loss in 2018, HSE CEO Stojan Nikolić said on the sidelines of an energy conference. The loss amounted to EUR 31 million, but HSE can still cope with it, as it is within plans. Nikolić attributed TEŠ's mounting loss to impairments.

Slovenia and Hungary sign energy memorandum

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto signed a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation which focuses on gas pipelines and high-voltage power lines. The pair also discussed Slovenia's construction of a new rail line to its port of Koper, with Bratušek noting a decision on whether any country would take part in the project "will be taken shortly, perhaps by the end of the year". Hungary had been mentioned by the previous Slovenian government as one of the possible landlocked countries to co-finance the investment.

Plastics maker Plastika Skaza honoured by German business

LJUBLJANA - Plastika Skaza, a fast-growing maker of plastic products, is this year's winner of the award for innovations given out by the Slovenian-German Chamber of Commerce. The company was honoured for its focus on synergies, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.