STA, 29 August 2022 - Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon defended EU sanctions against Russia in a debate at the Bled Strategic Forum on Monday, arguing there was no alternative. She acknowledged, though, that things may get tough. 

"Sanctions are necessary ... We have to say it clear who started the war and who is the aggressor... There is no alternative if we want to preserve peace and stability, and international order," she said.

Her remarks came during a wide-ranging debate featuring the foreign ministers of Austria, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Poland and Turkey, and the French minister of state for European affairs.

Fajon said the EU had shown strong unity when it came to imposing sanctions, but six months after the start of the war there is a debate opening up as people start fearing that the sanctions will start hitting Europe's economies stronger than expected.

#BSF2022 | The #EU ?? requires a glue – the shared values of the #RuleOfLaw, human rights and media freedom – to solidify its structure. It is not only prosperity, but also these values that make Europe such an attractive place to live for its citizens. – Minister @tfajon. pic.twitter.com/LIqRnVOEWe

— MFA Slovenia (@MZZRS) August 29, 2022

Recalling bouts of selfishness during the Covid pandemic, Fajon wondered what will happen if for some reason one country remains without gas it has been promised. She said this would test unity and solidarity.

"This will be the top test and challenge for all of us. That is why we have to stick together on our basic values," she said.

Fajon noted that the present time was "very dramatic and challenging", putting at stake not just the unity of the European Union but also the international order given how many geopolitical questions are currently open.

Turning to the Western Balkans, she said the region had been neglected as the EU had gone through crisis after crisis in the past ten or twenty years, "lost its strategic focus", and neglected enlargement policy.

Asked whether a change of qualified majority in the EU voting could help that, Fajon said that "we should just deliver on our promises", but noted that this was also a good opportunity for the bloc to "think outside of the box".

STA, 24 August 2022 - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon is not in favour of the initiative that the EU should stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens, telling the Alpbach Forum in Austria on Wednesday that the measure would also hurt those who oppose President Vladimir Putin's policies and would like to leave the country.

"I'm not in favour of limiting tourist visas. Any visa restrictions would also prevent people who oppose Putin's policies and want to leave Russia from leaving the country. I believe that abolishing visas would be a risky move which could boomerang back on us," Fajon was quoted as saying in a press release from her ministry.

The minister took part in a panel debate on the EU's political awakening, which discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the threat of energy and food crisis in Europe.

Fajon again condemned Russia's aggression and appealed for the war to end as soon as possible.

"We need wisdom and long-term political strategy. The current crisis has shown us and the world that the European Union is strong when united. This should be the guiding principle for the continuation of our geopolitical awakening," she was quoted as saying.

The speakers agreed that the EU demonstrated its unity in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the political momentum should be used for long-term geopolitical action.

Slovenia is yet to adopt its position on the proposal to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens. Earlier this month the Foreign Ministry said the country would continue to "look for solutions together with EU member states".

Earlier this week PM Robert Golob said consultations on the matter were under way. "We're still far from a decision, we'll have discussion in the government and on the Foreign Policy Committee, only then will we take a decision," he told a televised interview.

EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss a potential ban on tourist visas for Russians at the informal meeting at end of the month.

STA, 27 July 2022 - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon travelled to Kyiv on Wednesday, meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitchko and investment office head Sergiy Tsivkach. She promised Slovenia's support in the future, both in facing the consequences of war and efforts to join the EU.

She expressed support and solidarity with Ukraine and also talked about aid provided by Slovenia so far and learnt about Ukraine's aid needs.

"Slovenia remains a friend and supporter of Ukraine and its residents who have shown great courage," Fajon was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry on Twitter. She again condemned Russian aggression on Ukraine.

She presented to Kuleba the scope of humanitarian aid provided by Slovenia, which totals EUR 8.8 million, together with contributions donated by NGOs. Since the start of the war, Slovenia's government has contributed EUR 3.2 million. The country has become a refuge for many refugees and has taken in 20 orphans from Luhansk.

Slovenian NGOs have provided EUR 5.5 million in aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Slovenia, a press release from the Foreign Ministry said.

"We talked about concrete humanitarian aid projects, such as demining and rehabilitation of the wounded, fields in which Slovenian experts can help," Fajon was quoted in the press release. During her visit, she also signed a memorandum on cyber security with Ukraine.

Prime Minister Shmyhal thanked Slovenia for the humanitarian aid it provided, while Fajon told him Slovenian companies were interested in helping to rebuild Ukraine after the war.

She also met the Kyiv mayor, saying he was very motivated and had great faith in the capital's residents. They talked about the need to end the war and Kyiv getting back to normal life.

The foreign minister also visited Irpin, which suffered heavy attacks from the Russian forces. Alongside Kuleba, she laid a wreath to honour the victims of war in the Donbas region, the ministry also tweeted.

She condemned killings of civilians in the strongest of terms, saying these were violations of humanitarian law and human rights, also underlining that the perpetrators must not go unpunished.

STA, 26 July 2022 - Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer said there would be no rationing in the supply of natural gas to households in Slovenia this winter, as he attended a meeting of EU ministers in charge of energy in Brussels on Tuesday that agreed on rationing in gas consumption.

Many things would have to go wrong for gas supply disruptions to occur, Kumer said, adding that "if the only thing that happens is Russia stopping the supply of gas, there would be no serious challenges for supply in Slovenia".

This is especially true if the regulation on the reduction of gas consumption by 15% by March 2023, which was agreed on today, achieved its purpose, the minister added.

According to him, EU member states have made a very clear commitment to do more on a voluntary basis and express solidarity. "This positive approach truly fills us all with optimism."

Kumer noted that for the natural gas supply in Slovenia to be disrupted, "a lot of things would have to go wrong", including supply interruptions, a really severe winter and disruptions in the supply from liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.

Slovenia is very well connected with its neighbouring countries and, due to its small size, has a very low gas consumption compared to Italy, Croatia and Austria.

"This means that at least this protected segment, which accounts for approximately 20% of the annual consumption, can be quickly covered and supplied with other systems," the minister added.

This means that, according to Kumer, there is no fear there will be rationing in the supply of natural gas to households in the coming winter. "Absolutely not."

The EU ministers today confirmed the proposed European Commission regulation that sets a target of voluntary cut in gas consumption from 1 August to 31 March 2023 by 15% compared to the average gas consumption between August and March in the last five years.

There is also the possibility of mandatory cuts, where several exceptions are envisaged, including for island and Baltic countries, as well as for countries that are heavily dependent on gas for electricity production.

Kumer said that, when it comes to exceptions, it is crucial for Slovenia that these do not result in Slovenia becoming less competitive in terms of reducing gas consumption.

Slovenia could exercise exceptions for the supply of protected categories, such as households, healthcare and social institutions, he said, noting that there was also the exception related to the use of gas for electricity production.

Substituting natural gas with other fuel in the production of electricity could be one in a combination of various measures with which Slovenia could reduce gas consumption by 15%, Kumer said, adding that businesses could substitute natural gas with LPG.

It is precisely industry and businesses that account for over 70% of total natural gas consumption in Slovenia, so the government will advocate for industry and businesses to organise themselves and limit consumption on a voluntary basis, the minister said.

In addition, the government has already adopted recommendations for the public sector to introduce less intensive cooling in the summer and less intensive heating in the winter.

As for possible mandatory measures, Kumer said responses on a voluntary basis should be seen first, which will also be a topic of discussion on Thursday of the crisis task force headed by the minister.

"If all these measures on a voluntary basis fail to work, tougher measures will probably have to be taken," he said, adding that this would be made possible by the emergency legislation that was being drafted.

At the meeting, the minister commended the solidarity expressed by Italy, with which Slovenia signed an agreement on solidarity measures to ensure the reliability of gas supply.

Slovenia is in talks for similar agreement with Croatia and Austria. Croatia's Davor Filipović told his Slovenian counterpart that internal procedures had been accelerated and that he saw no obstacles for the agreement to be signed by the autumn.

Full support for speeding up the procedures to sign a relevant agreement with Austria has also been expressed by Minister of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology Leonore Gewessler, the minister said.

STA, 22 July 2022 - Russia has added Slovenia on the list of countries considered unfriendly by the Kremlin, according to a report by the Russian press agency Tass. This means Slovenia will no longer be allowed to hire employees for its diplomatic missions in Russia.

"The government has updated the list of foreign states that commit unfriendly acts against Russian diplomatic and consular missions abroad. The list now also includes Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia," Tass quoted a press release from the Russian government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an executive order on measures against listed countries on 23 April.

Apart from the countries, the list also specifies the number of individuals in Russia that the listed countries and their diplomatic offices can hire.

Greece has a limit of 34 people, Denmark 20, Slovakia 16, while Slovenia and Croatia can no longer employ any people for their diplomatic missions or consular institutions.

In May 2021, Russia imposed such restrictions on the US and the Czech Republic. Tass reports that the list may be expanded further.

Russia in May ordered Slovenia to reduce its diplomatic personnel by four. Marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed regret that the Slovenian authorities had adopted a position hostile to Russia.

STA, 12 July 2022 - Prime Minister Robert Golob met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Tuesday in what is his first bilateral visit abroad. After the meeting, Golob said the goal of getting through the winter without Russian gas is very ambitious but attainable if the EU works together.

The impact of the war in Ukraine, mainly the energy crisis, was one of the main topics of the meeting.

Golob noted there were synergies between EU member states that could be tapped into to get through this winter without Russian gas or any "imposed reduction" on gas supply provided there are adequate gas-saving schemes.

Together, the EU can get through this crisis and achieve this very challenging goal, he told a press conference after the meeting.

Scholz said that the EU will have to do its best to reduce its energy dependency on Russia, pointing to efforts to set up infrastructure that would enable oil and gas extraction from other sources in the short term.

Both Golob and Scholz think that political, military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine must continue as should sanctions against Russia.

The pair also discussed EU enlargement to the Western Balkans with both of them highlighting that countries in the region had been in the waiting room for EU membership for 20 years - too long.

Predsednik vlade ?? dr. Robert Golob: "Slovenija je za marsikoga v EU na nek način vstopna točka do Zahodnega Balkana. Ko smo podprli kandidaturo ?? in ?? za članstvo v EU, smo se takoj soočili z dilemo. Države Zahodnega Balkana so v čakalnici že 20 let in to je predolgo." pic.twitter.com/djJVYMPVf4

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) July 12, 2022

Golob believes that ways need to be found for these countries to take individual steps and achieve success on their path to EU membership.

"Unfortunately, this process, the way it has been done, is a process that led to apathy in these countries because it is absolutely too slow," he warned.

In 2003, the six countries of the Western Balkans were promised a fast-paced and realistic EU perspective, but since then not much has happened, Scholz said, so Germany and Slovenia would like to work together to give fresh impetus to this accession process and to soon welcome the region's countries into the EU.

Asked about Slovenia's purchase of Boxer armoured vehicles that hangs in the air and may complicate Slovenia-Germany relations, Scholz said that he had briefly discussed this with Golob.

The Golob government may withdraw from the agreement, which was signed with the German supplier of Boxer carriers Artec, depending on the outcome of the review of the previous government's deal. Scholz acknowledged the purchase is currently under review, and called for making rapid progress together on this issue.

Golob said that he and Scholz had talked potential cooperation in supplying Ukraine with weapons, but they had not discussed the ongoing review of the Boxer deal.

"We do not expect this review to complicate relations in any way, also because we are exploring different options on how to get out of this situation in the event the review shows that this purchase is inappropriate for us," the prime minister said. There is not just one option, but several, and they will be presented to the public in the coming months, he added.

This was Golob's first bilateral visit abroad after he assumed office in early June. He told the press it was no coincidence that he visited Berlin first as Germany is Slovenia's key trading partner and has been its "most important friend and ally" ever since Slovenia gained independence.

There are no open issues between the two countries, said Golob, who was accompanied in Berlin by Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer.

Scholz is confident that he and Golob will work well together, especially in light of challenging issues that face the EU and can only be tackled together, on both bilateral and EU levels.

STA, 8 July 2022 - Addressing the Slovenian National Assembly by video call on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked European countries, including Slovenia, for their support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom. He called on Slovenian companies to join recovery plans for postwar future in Ukraine.

The special event held in parliament in support of Ukraine was first addressed by Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič, who said it was a great honour to be able to welcome Zelensky and wished the circumstances of this were different.

"Ever since the start of the war, Slovenia has been on the side of countries that have condemned in the strongest terms the aggression against Ukraine, an independent and sovereign European country," she said.

The previous prime minister visited Kyiv in March in a display of strong support for the war-stricken country, and Slovenia's support remains the same under the new government, she noted, pointing to financial, humanitarian and other aid.

The speaker also congratulated Ukraine for being granted EU candidate status. This is "a recognition that Ukraine is on the right track, that it is part of the family of European nations, that its future lies in Europe," she said, adding this was also a recognition of Zelensky's and his team's work.

Kot je že potrdil premier, bo ?? Ukrajini nudila pomoč pri razminiranju in jo trdno podpirala pri njenih prizadevanjih za suverenost in mir.

Vlada odločno obsoja rusko agresijo, ki je v nasprotju z določili Ustanovne listine ZN in ob tem poudarja pomen enotnega delovanja EU. pic.twitter.com/NgpAr99ZQ1

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) July 8, 2022

Zelensky, dressed in his usual army green apparel, said the honour was mutual and thanked all European countries that are supporting Ukraine's liberation efforts, noting that cooperation was key. "I thank the Slovenian nation, thank you for your big and brave heart."

He added he was currently close to the front line. "Russia continues to work to prevent Ukraine's progress", including in the international arena, he said, but highlighted that Moscow was running out of fuel to keep on this path.

Ukraine demands an investigation by the International Criminal Court, so that all war crimes in Ukraine are investigated and those responsible are held accountable, he reiterated.

The Ukrainian president also thanked Slovenia and other EU countries for endorsing Ukraine's bid to join the EU at the recent EU summit. No one can say how long this path of EU integration will take, but Ukraine's dream is to become a full-fledged member of the bloc, he said, adding that it was important that the country preserve its territorial integrity.

Moscow is well aware that Ukraine is a very important country within the European framework, he said, highlighting that his country "is a European territory". Ukraine shares EU values and wants to cooperate with the bloc across the board, Zelensky told the Slovenian MPs.

The Russian government uses various tools to destroy Ukraine, and the energy crisis and inflation are one such attempt, he said, noting that Ukraine will try to mitigate gas shortages in Europe through electricity supplies. The country has already joined the European electricity system ENTSO-E.

He also mentioned Ukraine's gas storage system, which is one of the world's biggest by capacity, as another potential option to mitigate the developments, and added that Ukraine could help the EU with its strong IT infrastructure.

Russia is preparing another blow - by blocking cereal exports it hopes this will eventually led to major famine-induced migration flows from Africa and the Middle East that would hit Europe, so Ukraine is doing its best to prevent this and help people who are affected by this.

Russia's major target is the EU as Moscow would like to break European stability, but the bloc can defend itself, he said.

Zelensky urged Slovenians and Slovenian companies to join recovery plans for postwar future in Ukraine. He is confident that Ukraine will be free again and will preserve its territorial integrity, noting that this is also in the interest of the EU, which is now acting as one.

There will be no victory without soldiers, he said, highlighting Ukraine's military strength. "Together we will win, glory to Ukraine," he concluded his speech that was followed by a thunderous applause.

The event was attended by Slovenia's top three officials, President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Robert Golob and Speaker Klakočar Zupančič, as well as National Council President Alojz Kovšca and cabinet members.

When Zelensky's address was officially announced yesterday, the parliament noted that the event was an expression of support for the Ukrainian people in their fight for their homeland and an expression of friendship to Ukraine.

The opposition Democratic Party's (SDS) initiative to invite the Ukrainian president to address the MPs had been green-lit by the foreign policy and the EU affairs committees.

Radio Slovenija reports that Slovenia is one of the last EU member states to have been addressed by Zelensky. Only two weeks after Russia attacked Ukraine, the Ukrainian president addressed the British parliament, which was followed by videolink appearances in his country's key allies.

EU-wise, Zelensky has so far not addressed only the parliaments of countries that have shown more lukewarm support for Ukraine - Austria, Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary.

STA, 21 June 2022 - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry told the STA on Tuesday it had no information of assets of any Russian citizen under the EU sanctions being frozen in Slovenia since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

The ministry is in charge of implementing the law on restrictions Slovenia introduces in line with legal acts and decisions adopted by international organisations.

The changes to the law were passed in March and entered into force in April under the previous government.

At the time, the then Foreign Minister Anže Logar assessed that the new legislation significantly empowered the government in the process of implementing sanctions.

The legislation gives institutions such as the Financial Administration (FURS) and the Surveying and Mapping Authority the needed powers, he said.

If a person or company from the EU sanctions list had a piece of property in Slovenia, these institutions would put a seal on it.

The STA turned to FURS with a query, but the revenue service referred it to the Foreign Ministry, arguing the ministry is in charge of collecting the data about the action taken in this respect by FURS, banks, fund managers, insurance companies or the stock exchange operator.

These institutions must check if the Russians on the EU sanctions list have any property, bank account, money invested in funds, a share in a company or a boat in Slovenia.

In March, Logar did not have the information on how many assets Russians had in Slovenia that should be frozen.

He said, however, that once the ministry got the first information from FURS, he saw no problem in making it public.

As a result of the EU sanctions against the Kremlin due to the aggression on Ukraine, EUR 12.5 billion worth of assets of Russian oligarchs and related companies in the EU have been frozen. This is almost double the 6.7 billion reported in April. The latest figures cover luxury yachts, real estate, helicopters and works of art, but not the frozen assets of the Russian central bank.

STA, 14 June 2022 - Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has indicated the country's efforts regarding Ukraine would shift to the provision of development and humanitarian aid, after the previous government focused on sending military aid.

"We have projects such as demining with which Slovenia can help Ukraine. I hope we can find a common alliance when it comes to post-war rebuilding," she said after talks on Tuesday with Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

"Both countries are very strong when it comes to humanitarian aid, development aid," she said.

Since the start of the war Slovenia has provided Ukraine humanitarian assistance worth EUR 3.2 million and around EUR 7 million worth of military aid, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Fajon's comments came in the aftermath of two conflicting high-profile public letters written by intellectuals and former politicians questioning Slovenia's positioning on Ukraine.

She announced the formation of a strategic council that would debate both letters. The authors thereof will be invited to the debate.

In a subsequent press release, the Foreign Ministry said the minister had also set up a coordinating group that will cover Ukraine and propose solutions for how to help the country.

Slovenia is moreover making efforts through various diplomatic channels to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

The ministry condemned the numerous attacks on Russian civilian population and infrastructure and called for an independent inquiry by the International Criminal Court.

Overall, the war in Ukraine and the prospects of giving the country a path to EU membership topped the Fajon-Asselborn talks today.

Both ministers said Ukraine was a sovereign country with internationally recognised borders that is free to choose its security arrangements and alliance.

They said the country should continue to receive development and humanitarian aid, while warning that the conflict was a major challenge with consequences for the whole world.

Both endorsed sanctions against Russia, with Asselborn noting that the sanctions were urgent since they weakened Russian President Vladimir Putin, helped Ukraine and protected European values.

As for the EU membership prospects of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, which will be the topic of the next EU summit, they expressed support, even as they pointed out that criteria cannot be ignored.

"We'll see in the coming days what the European Commission's recommendation will be regarding Ukraine's EU membership prospects. But notwithstanding the Commission's decision, Ukraine can always count on Slovenia's support when it comes to the prospects for membership," Fajon said.

STA, 24 May 2022 - Russian activist group Pussy Riot will perform at the Lesbian Quarter festival in Ljubljana on Thursday, in what the organiser ŠKUC Association dubbed as one of the highlights. The festival will focus on lesbian future, which in a heteronormative and patriarchal society must be understood as "a radically impossible utopia".

The Russian punk band came to global fame following their February 2012 gig at Moscow's main cathedral drawing the public's attention to the Orthodox Church's support for President Vladimir Putin. All three members of the band were later sentenced to prison over the gig.

The 8th Lesbian Quarter is opening on Tuesday with an evening of post-2008 short films at the Slovenian Cinematheque.

The films bring accounts of activists about their efforts, while also representing a guerilla response to lesbophobia, lesbian invisibility, and violence and discrimination in Slovenia.

Several workshops, including about storytelling and digital activism, will be organised alongside a panel discussion to mark 35 years of the Slovenian lesbian movement.

The Lesbian Quarter will close with Saturday's party accompanying a new edition of the Lezbozin bulletin and with Sunday's Astro-brunch.

Tickets for Pussy Riot can be bought here