Slovenia News 5 April 2011
Editorial
The leaders of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia held their third trilateral meeting in Serbia's Smederevo on Friday, discussing ways to boost economic cooperation and agreed to make a joint foray into third markets. The trio of Slovenian PM Borut Pahor, Croatian PM Jadranka Kosor and Serbian President Boris Tadic also agreed on the joint fight against organised crime, the Slovenian delegation said in a press release.
Late on Friday an agreement between the Slovenian minority in Austria and the provincial authorities of Carinthia was reached regarding bilingual city limit signs. While the Austrian side is happy with the outcome, minority officials are not as enthusiastic. The sides agreed that villages and towns with a 17.5% share of Slovenian population will get bilingual signs, which means that 150 to 160 villages and towns in the province of Carinthia will have German-Slovenian posts. Slovenian Foreign Ministry and the Office for Slovenians Abroad pointed out on Monday that they would support Friday's agreement between the Slovenian minority in Austria and Carinthian authorities on bilingual place name signs only if all three umbrella minority organisations endorse it.
The first World Book Summit opened in Ljubljana on Thursday under the motto "Book: the Bearer of Human Development". This is an important thought for a joint reflection, President Danilo Tuerk said in his opening address. Slovenians are a "nation of books", as they got their first translation of the Bible in 1584, becoming one of the first European nations to boast such a big intellectual achievement, the president said in his video address to the event, held as part of the city's stint as the World Book Capital City.
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| Foreign Affairs |
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| Pahor, Kosor and Tadic Agree on Joint Foray into Third Markets |
| Smederevo - The leaders of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia held their third trilateral meeting in Serbia's Smederevo on Friday, discussing ways to boost economic cooperation and agreed to make a joint foray into third markets. The trio of Slovenian PM Borut Pahor, Croatian PM Jadranka Kosor and Se... More » |
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| FM: Slovenia Prepared to Offer Humanitarian Aid to Libya |
| London- Attending an international conference on the future of Libya in London, Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said that Slovenia was willing to help with the humanitarian aid and political process in the country but would not join the ongoing military campaign.
Slovenia already transferred around ... More » |
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| EU Topics |
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| Gantar: Parliaments Not Aware of Their Role under Lisbon Treaty |
| Brussels, 4 April (STA) - Parliaments in EU member states are not aware of the role they have been given with the Lisbon Treaty, which is greater than before, National Assembly Speaker Pavel Gantar said on Monday at a two-day EU speakers' conference (EUSC) in Brussels, hosted by the Belgian parliame... More » |
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| Economy & Finance |
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| Economy to Grow 2.2% This Year |
| Ljubljana - Slovenia's economy is projected to expand by 2.2% this year in line with forecasts in the Spring Report of the Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD), which the government adopted at Thursday's session.
In its spring forecast, the think-tank has somewhat downgraded ... More » |
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| MPs Pass Two Pieces of Legislation Protecting Small Creditors |
| Ljubljana - The National Assembly unanimously passed on Wednesday changes to the insolvency and compulsory dissolution act and to the enforcement act, aimed at increasing protection for small creditors in case of debt restructuring and tackling payment defaults.
On the proposal from the Chamber o... More » |
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| Parliament Sets Up Independent Anti-Trust Agency |
| Ljubljana - The National Assembly passed the changes to the competition protection act which transform the Competition Protection Office (CPO) into an independent agency. The changes were passed in a 73-0 vote on Tuesday. While the office is part of the Economy Ministry, the new agency, encompassing... More » |
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| Business |
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| German Business Delegation Visits Slovenia |
| A business delegation from Germany's state of Saarland visited Slovenia on Monday, meeting representatives of Slovenian-German chamber of commerce. The business representatives were also received by Viljem Psenicny, state secretary at the Economy Ministry, with both sides expressing interest to boos... More » |
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| Agriculture |
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| Slovenia and Germany Want Stable EU Agri Policy |
| Brdo pri Kranju - Slovenia and Germany have similar views on agriculture and want a stable agricultural policy, agreed Slovenian and German agriculture ministers Dejan Zidan and Ilsa Aigner as they met in Ljubljana on Monday to discuss the future of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 20... More » |
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| Education | Science & Technology |
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| Govt Launches White Paper on Education |
| Ljubljana - The government on Thursday launched a White Paper on Education which brings new guidelines for Slovenia's educational system from kindergartens to secondary schools 16 years after such guidelines were last drawn up. The White Paper includes the proposed changes to the primary school law ... More » |
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| Social Affairs |
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| New Foreign Labour Act to Improve Protection of Migrant Workers |
| Ljubljana - Parliament passed on Tuesday a new act on foreign labour, which the government proposed in a bid to improve the living and working conditions of migrant workers following revelations of massive mistreatment in particular of construction workers from the Balkans. The vote was 48-0. "... More » |
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| Minorities |
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| Minority, Carinthian Govt Reach Compromise on Bilingual Signs. Slovenia Sets Condition to Its Support to the Agreement |
| Maribor/Ljubljana/Klagenfurt - Late on Friday an agreement between the Slovenian minority in Austria and the provincial authorities of Carinthia was reached regarding bilingual city limit signs. While the Austrian side is happy with the outcome, minority officials are not as enthusiastic. The sides ... More » |
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| Diaspora Minister Wraps Up Visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| Banja Luka - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Bostjan Zeks wrapped up his three-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina in Banja Luka on Wednesday, meeting high-ranking officials of Republika Srpska. Zeks mostly discussed the position of the Slovenian minority in the entity and possibilities for cooperation w... More » |
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| Slovenian Parties Protest Over Proposed Hungarian Constitution |
| Ljubljana - Several Slovenian political parties have voiced harsh protest over the proposed new Hungarian constitution, which they believe excludes ethnic minorities in Hungary with a wording making them part of the Hungarian nation. Such assimilation attempts are unacceptable, they point out.
... More » |
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| Austrian Court Decides 12 Villages to get Bilingual Signs |
| Vienna - The Austrian Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that twelve towns and villages in the southern province of Carinthia, the home of the Slovenian minority, should get bilingual town limit signs by 30 September. Rudi Vouk, minority representative, who filed the constitutional review claims,... More » |
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| Culture & Media |
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| Ammaniti Opens Fabula Literary Festival |
| Ljubljana - Italian novelist Niccolo Ammaniti has launched the World Literatures - Fabula 2011 literary festival, one of the centrepieces of Ljubljana's one-year stint as the World Book Capital City. Ammaniti has won international acclaim with the novel "I'm Not Scared", which was made int... More » |
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| Slovenian Music Days Start in Piran |
| Ljubljana/Piran - Almost 20 events will be held in Ljubljana and Piran as part of the Slovenian Music Days, a festival which started on Monday in the coastal town of Piran with a concert by Carmina Slovenica, Slovenian girls' choir of international renown.
The choir presented its new project "... More » |
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| World Book Summit Opens with Address by President, Ljubljana Resolution Calls for Comprehensive Book Policy |
| Ljubljana - The first World Book Summit opened in Ljubljana on Thursday under the motto "Book: the Bearer of Human Development". This is an important thought for a joint reflection, President Danilo Tuerk said in his opening address. Slovenians are a "nation of books", as they go... More » |
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| Retrospective on Mobile Lab Opens in Ljubljana |
| Ljubljana - An exhibition by Marko Peljhan and Matthew Biederman, featuring a comprehensive presentation of Peljhan's Makrolab from its origins in 1994 to its transition into the projects such as the Arctic Perspectives Initiative (API) and its end in 2007, opened on Tuesday at Ljubljana's museum of... More » |
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| Slovenian Embassies to Promote Maribor as Culture Capital 2012 |
| Maribor - Slovenia's diplomatic and consular representations promote Maribor during its stint as 2012 European Capital of Culture (ECC), Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar promised to the representatives of Maribor 2012, the organisation in charge of the project on Monday.
Zbogar, who visited Maribor... More » |
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| Sirca Says Culture Should Be Part of Europe 2020 Strategy |
| Ljubljana - Slovenian Culture Minister Majda Sirca told the press on Tuesday that her EU colleagues agreed at the latest informal meeting in Budapest that culture, as the pillar of values and creativity, must be included in the Europe 2020 strategy.
This was also a message the EU culture minister... More » |
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| Local & Regional Topics |
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| Pomurje Development Office Recaps on Its Work in 2010 |
| Murska Sobota - The government's project office for Pomurje (NE) presented on Monday its work in the past year, highlighting that 42 projects have been carried out and 154 new jobs created in the one year since the implementation of the intervention act for the development of the region for 201... More » |
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| Sport |
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| Gymnastics: Bertoncelj Silver in World Cup Meet in Doha |
| Doha - Slovenian gymnast Saso Bertoncelj won silver on the pommel horse in Thursday's World Cup meet in Qatar's Doha. He was second only to the bronze medalist from the last two world championships, Prashanth Sellathurai of Australia.
This is the third World Cup medal for the 26-year-old Skofja L... More » |
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| Events |
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| Schedule of events in the week for 4 to 10 April: |
TUESDAY, 5 April
- LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR/CELJE... - Doctors around the country are to stage a one hour token strike to bring to the government's attention problems of low payment for emergency duty.
- LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission probing problematic management b... More »
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Slovenia News 12 April 2011
Editorial
The act on mini jobs was decisively defeated in Sunday's referendum, with a surprising majority of over 80% voting against on a turnout of nearly 34%. The outcome is seen as a painful vote of no-confidence for the government, indicating the coalition will have a hard time pushing through with other, more crucial reforms.
Prime Minister Borut Pahor acknowledged that the defeat of the mini jobs act in referendum was also a vote against the government. Nevertheless he also stressed that pension reform will be the key.
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| Domestic Policy |
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| Mini Jobs Act Voted Down in Referendum |
| Ljubljana - The act on mini jobs was decisively defeated in Sunday's referendum, with a surprising majority of over 80% voting against on a turnout of nearly 34%. The outcome is seen as a painful vote of no-confidence for the government, indicating the coalition will have a hard time pushing through... More » |
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| International Organisations |
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| ITF Plans Projects Worth EUR 32M for 2011 |
| Ig - The Slovenian-run International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) spent over EUR 20m for projects in 2010, while in 2011 it will allocate some EUR 32m for projects, ITF officials told the press after the 26th annual meeting of the ITF advisory committee in Ig on Thursday... More » |
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| Environment |
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| Slovenia Joins Weather Forecast Centre |
| Ljubljana - Slovenia became a member of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on Friday, in a move that Environment Minister Roko Zarnic said would improve the country's access to the latest technology in weather forecasting. An agreement on Slovenia's full membership was si... More » |
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| Justice |
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| Justice Minister Zalar Satisfied with E-Justice Project |
| Ljubljana - Justice Minister Ales Zalar is happy with the process of informatisation of the justice system, as 31% of the planned projects have already been carried out and another 28% are under way. One of them is video hearings for children in court proceedings.
The project aims to reduce the s... More » |
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| Education | Science & Technology |
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| New Financial Instruments Promoting Development |
| Ljubljana - The higher education and economy ministries have drafted a national research and innovation strategy until 2020. Its goals are to be achieved through various development instruments, which the two ministers presented at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
According to Higher Ed... More » |
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| Social Affairs |
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| New Family Law Confirmed in Second Reading |
| Ljubljana - The controversial new family law was confirmed at second reading on committee late on Thursday, after a combined 60 hours of debates spanning 11 months that saw the originally liberal proposal watered down in order to appease conservative groups.
The most controversial part of the bil... More » |
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| Minorities |
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| Minister Luksic: "Roma Situation Improving" |
| Ljubljana - The position of the Roma community in Slovenia is improving albeit slowly, Education and Sport Minister Igor Luksic said in Ljubljana on Tuesday ahead of the 8 April World Roma Day. "We've recorded positive developments in upbringing and education," he pointed out.
"Slo... More » |
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| Government Office Distributes Funds for Slovenian Minorities |
| Ljubljana - The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad will distribute EUR 7.4m to Slovenian minorities in the neighbouring countries this year, the Office announced. The decision was adopted in early March based on applications for the public call aimed at encouraging activities of ethnic Slovenia... More » |
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| Roma Official Underlines Importance of Education |
| Ljubljana - Poverty and social exclusion are reality for the Roma community in Slovenia, but the situation seems to be improving, Roma city councillor Darko Rudas believes. "Education projects are under way, something that we missed in the past, as only education can break the vicious circle,&q... More » |
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| Carinthian Minority Organisation Rejects Proposed Town Limit Threshold |
| Klagenfurt/Celovec - The top body of the minority National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS) organisation rejected on Saturday the proposal for the 17.5% threshold for the setting up of bilingual town limits in the Austrian province of Carinthia and tasked NSKS president to continue negotiatio... More » |
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| Culture & Media |
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| Exhibition Marks Start of Gagarin Year Celebrations |
| Ljubljana - An exhibition Entitled "Gagarin - Skies Are Black, Earth Is Blue" opened at the newly-established Russian Centre of Science and Culture on Wednesday evening to mark the year dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's (1934-1968) flight into space. The guest of honour w... More » |
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| Maribor Synagogue Turns into Museum and Study Centre |
| Maribor - Ten years after it was restored to become a cultural centre of Jewish heritage, the Maribor synagogue was transformed into an independent public institution serving as a museum and a cultural and research centre dedicated to preserving the heritage of what was once a thriving Jewish commun... More » |
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| Health |
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| President Tuerk Feeling Excellent after Surgery |
| Ljubljana - Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk appeared at a public function in Ljubljana on Thursday just over a week after having prostate surgery. He told reporters that he felt excellent. The right to the highest standard of physical and mental health is one of the fundamental human rights, the pr... More » |
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| Homeopathic Remedies Finally Available in Slovenia |
| Ljubljana - First homeopathic remedies are expected to be available in Slovenia this week as the national Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices approved them on 30 March. Slovenian pharmacies have been preparing for their arrival for years, with more than 300 chemists having completed tr... More » |
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| Energy |
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| Two-Thirds of Slovenian Solar Power Produced in Northeast |
| Ljubljana - Although the best conditions for building a solar power plant in Slovenia are in the Primorsko coastal region, two-thirds of the country's solar arrays are located in the NE region of Stajersko, with the combined output of 24.4MW.
While solar arrays need as much sunshine as possible a... More » |
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| Society |
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| 75% of Children Enrolled in Pre-School Education |
| Ljubljana - Around 76,000 or 75% of all children eligible for pre-school education in Slovenia are enrolled in kindergartens this school year, up 6.8% from the previous year. Pre-school education in the 2010/2011 year is provided by 891 kindergartens, 28 more than the year before. A vast majority (9... More » |
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| Events |
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| Schedule of events in the week for 12-17 April |
TUESDAY, 12 April
- LONDON, UK - PM Borut Pahor, Finance Minister Franc Krizanic and Transport Minister Patrick Vlacic will take part in a British-Slovenian investment forum.
- TUHELJSKE TOPLICE, Croatia - A meeting of the Slovenian and Croatian pr... More »
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Slovenia News 19 April 2011
Editorial
Prime Minister Borut Pahor met British Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg in London on Tuesday for talks that focused on ways to boost bilateral ties. EU enlargement to Western Balkans and the situation in Libya was also broached.
Pahor met the British officials after attending a British-Slovenian investment forum.
Prime Minister Borut Pahor received a delegation of former politicians and diplomats from the US on Wednesday, discussing the situation in the Middle East, North Africa and the Western Balkans. The delegation was most interested in investment opportunities in Slovenia, Central Europe and the Western Balkans.
The 16th annual Slovenian Book Days were launched on Monday as the concluding event of Ljubljana's stint as World Book Capital. The ceremony was addressed by President Danilo Tuerk, the president of the Slovenian Writers' Association Milan Jesih and Culture Minister Majda Sirca.
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| Foreign Affairs |
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| Slovenian, Croatian Presidents Praise Business Ties |
| Tuheljske toplice - Slovenian and Croatian presidents Danilo Tuerk and Ivo Josipovic attended a business round table in Tuhelj on Tuesday at which the participants agreed that cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia is good, but that it should be expanded. The participants called on the countries t... More » |
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| Pahor Talks Bilateral Relations, Intl. Issues with British PM |
| London - Prime Minister Borut Pahor met British Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg in London on Tuesday for talks that focused on ways to boost bilateral ties. EU enlargement to Western Balkans and the situation in Libya was also broached.
Pahor met the British officials after... More » |
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| Slovenia Preparing for Potential Acceptance Refugees |
| Ljubljana - Slovenia has limited facilities to accommodate potential refugees from Africa, which is why the government has formed a task force to look for extra capacities, Interior Ministry State Secretary Damjan Lah told the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee on Wednesday.
Answering a quest... More » |
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| Slovenian, Armenian Presidents Discuss Bilateral Relations |
| Brdo pri Kranju - President Danilo Tuerk hosted on Wednesday his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsian at Brdo pri Kranju. The pair focused on friendly relations between the two countries and also touched on the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Tuerk said that Slovenia viewed Armenia as an ... More » |
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| Pahor Discusses Investment with Former US Politicians |
| Ljubljana - Prime Minister Borut Pahor received a delegation of former politicians and diplomats from the US on Wednesday, discussing the situation in the Middle East, North Africa and the Western Balkans. The delegation was most interested in investment opportunities in Slovenia, Central Europe and... More » |
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| W Balkans Justice Ministers Seek to Boost Cooperation |
| Brdo pri Kranju - Justice ministers from the Western Balkans met at Brdo pri Kranju on Friday as part of efforts to enhance judicial cooperation in a bid to improve the fight against organised crime. The focus of the debate was on prevention of white collar crime and on seizure of assets from crimin... More » |
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| Slovenia, Serbia Sign Legal Aid, Extradition Agreements |
| Brdo pri Kranju - Justice Minister Ales Zalar and his Serbian counterpart Snezana Malovic signed at Brdo pri Kranju on Friday a bilateral agreement on extradition and another on legal aid in civil and criminal cases.
The Slovenian Justice Ministry said in a press release that the extradition agre... More » |
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| Turkish Minister Praises Slovenia's Support for EU Bid |
| Ljubljana - Turkish EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis paid a visit to Ljubljana on Friday, expressing Turkey's gratitude for Slovenia's support for his country's bid for EU membership. According to Bagis, Turkey needs countries such as Slovenia to help others comprehend the potential of Turkey.
Ba... More » |
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| Chinese Official's Talks Focus on Bilateral Cooperation |
| Ljubljana - Bilateral cooperation was high on the agenda as President Danilo Tuerk met on Friday a top Chinese official, Li Changchun, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party.
Tuerk and Li shared a view that Slovenian-Chinese cooperation was developing very well, but w... More » |
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| High Chinese Official Visiting Slovenia |
| Ljubljana - Li Changchun, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, with a delegation will pay a visit to Slovenia on Friday. The fifth most important official of the Chinese Communist Party will meet President Danilo Tuerk, Speaker Pavel Gantar and PM Borut Pahor.... More » |
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| Zbogar and Chinese Official Also Talk Cooperation |
| Brdo pri Kranju - Li Changchun, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, continued his visit to Slovenia on Saturday with a meeting with Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar. Possibilities to boost cooperation were the central point of the talks conducted at Brdo pri K... More » |
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| Economy & Finance |
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| PM Meets UK Investors, Announces Fresh Round of Privatisation |
| London - Slovenia needs foreign investment in virtually all sectors of its economy to act as an engine of development, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said at a British-Slovenian investment forum in London on Tuesday.
He announced the government was planning to sell some state-owned companies that had... More » |
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| Business |
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| Gorenje Introducing Premium Brand |
| Velenje - Gorenje, the Velenje-based maker of household appliances, will launch a premium brand of kitchen appliances called Gorenje+ in selected European markets in a bid to boost the sales of upmarket products with higher value added.
Gorenje+ is a strategic brand that will be developed in the ... More » |
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| Slovenian Car Part Makers Establish Green Partnership |
| Idrija - Representatives of eight Slovenian car industry companies established on Tuesday a partnership in which around 50 experts will look for solutions for green mobility and higher safety and comfort of passengers.
The SiEVA partnership was established in Spodnja Idrija by representatives of ... More » |
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| German Companies in Slovenia Satisfied with 2010 Results |
| Ljubljana - German companies in Slovenia posted good results last year and remain relatively optimistic regarding 2011, according to a survey presented on Friday by the Slovenian-German Business Chamber. They are, however, less satisfied with the economic situation in Slovenia, in particular with de... More » |
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| Environment |
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| Slovenian Environmentalists Host Conference to Clean Up Balkans |
| Rimske Toplice - Slovenian environmentalists have hosted over the past three days over 60 volunteers from 12 countries to get their colleagues from the Balkans ready to carry out a massive regional cleaning campaign next year. The participants were also addressed by the EU and Slovenian environment ... More » |
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| Social Affairs |
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| President Discusses Burning Issues with Roma Officials |
| Brdo pri Kranju - President Danilo Tuerk met representatives of Slovenia's Roma at Brdo pri Kranju on Thursday to discuss the issues the community is facing. Tuerk said the situation was improving, but stressed that the parties involved should improve their cooperation.
The president observed pro... More » |
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| Culture & Media |
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| Short Stories about Career Goals Win Fabula Prize |
| Ljubljana - The Fabula prize for the best Slovenian collection of short stories from the past two years was given to Lado Kralj for "Kosec koso brusi" (A Reaper Grinds His Scythe) at an award ceremony in Ljubljana on Thursday, which was one of the highlights of the Fabula 2011 literary fes... More » |
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| Slovenian Book Days Start in Maribor |
| Maribor - The 14th Slovenian Book Days got underway in Maribor on Friday with an address by the director of the Public Book Agency Slavko Pregl, who took the opportunity for some critical remarks regarding the attitude to books in Slovenia.
"The funds that the state dedicates to books in Slo... More » |
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| Book Days Concluding Ljubljana's World Book Capital Stint |
| Ljubljana - The 16th annual Slovenian Book Days were launched on Monday as the concluding event of Ljubljana's stint as World Book Capital. The ceremony was addressed by President Danilo Tuerk, the president of the Slovenian Writers' Association Milan Jesih and Culture Minister Majda Sirca.
Tuerk... More » |
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| Museum of Film Actors Receives Architecture Award |
| Ljubljana - This year's Plecnik Award - the main award for architecture, urbanism and interior design - was conferred in Ljubljana on Monday on a group of architects for the renovation of a farm house and its dependent buildings into a Museum of Slovenian Film Actors in Divaca (SW), which is expecte... More » |
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| Health |
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| Ljubljana Surgeons Develop New Breast Reconstruction Method |
| Ljubljana - Slovenia's central hospital, the Ljubljana UKC, has started performing a new method of breast reconstruction for cancer patients. The UKC surgeons say they are first in the world to use a 3D mould to form a new breast from the patient's abdominal fat. The tissue is then implanted and fix... More » |
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| Events |
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| Schedule of Events in the week for 18-24 April |
MONDAY, 18 April
- LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will begin a plenary with a session of MPs' questions to the prime minister and his cabinet.
- LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Ljubica Jelusic and Chief-of-Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Maj-Gen Alojz Steiner will ... More »
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Slovenia News 26 April 2011
Editorial
The government decided to donate EUR 27,400 to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The money will be provided by the Interior Ministry. As an advanced economy, Slovenia is intensively involved in the activities and projects of international development and humanitarian aid.
Slovenia reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 9.3% to 19.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the crisis year of 2009, compared to the year before, data from the Environmental Agency (ARSO) show. As a result of a slowdown in the economy, emissions from industry and transport fell the most, by 16.8% and 13.3%, respectively, while industrial processes emitted one third less carbon dioxide than in 2008. Emissions from households and other commercial use were down 3.3% and by 15% lower than projected.
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| Domestic Policy |
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| Government Introduces Preference Votes |
| Ljubljana - The government adopted amendments to the election legislation on Thursday that abolish electoral districts and introduce preference votes. According to Public Administration Minister Irma Pavlinic Krebs, such a system will give voters the constitutionally required decisive influence on w... More » |
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| Foreign Affairs |
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| Slovenian and Austrian Presidents Discuss Minority Issue |
| Brdo pri Kranju/Ljubljana - Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk met his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer on Tuesday, with the officials agreeing that the talks on the rights of the Slovenian minority in the province of Carinthia should produce a solution acceptable to all three sides - the Austr... More » |
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| Zbogar and Lavrov Discuss Further Boosting Relations |
| Ljubljana - The Slovenian and Russian foreign ministers, Samuel Zbogar and Sergei Lavrov met in Ljubljana on Thursday to share a view that two countries have good relations in many fields but intend to further boost them. Russia respects Slovenia's readiness to upgrade dialogue in practice, Lavrov s... More » |
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| International Organisations |
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| Slovenia Donates EUR 27,400 to UNHCR |
| Ljubljana - The government decided on Thursday to donate EUR 27,400 to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The money will be provided by the Interior Ministry. As an advanced economy, Slovenia is intensively involved in the activities and projects of interna... More » |
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| Economy & Finance |
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| Government to Earmark Over EUR 6BN for Reforms in 2010 and 2011 |
| Ljubljana - The government will earmark this year EUR 3.05bn for the National Reform Programme, a set of measures Slovenia will adopt to implement the EU's Europe 2020 strategy, and an additional EUR 3.15bn next year, Development and European Affairs Minister Mitja Gaspari told the press.
The pro... More » |
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| Environment |
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| Carbon Dioxide Emissions Down 9.3% in 2009 |
| Ljubljana - Slovenia reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 9.3% to 19.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the crisis year of 2009, compared to the year before, data from the Environmental Agency (ARSO) show.
As a result of a slowdown in the economy, emissions from industry and transport fell ... More » |
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| Education | Science & Technology |
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| Physicist Believes Space Travel Freed Humankind from Gravity |
| Ljubljana - Slovenian physicist Dusan Petrac, who has become one of the leading scientists working at NASA, said in an interview with the STA that humankind has liberated itself from the gravity when Yury Gagarin (1934-1968) flew into space 50 years ago.
The American Space Shuttles, which have be... More » |
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| Culture & Media |
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| World Book Capital to Stay with Ljubljana Beyond Stint |
| Ljubljana - Ljubljana has much to show after one year as the World Book Capital City, the head of the project said Uros Grilc before Ljubljana hands over the UNESCO title to Buenos Aires tonight. "Ljubljana is the tenth city to have assumed the title. Its goal was to take the project to a highe... More » |
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| Symphony of a Thousand to Lift Curtain on Ljubljana Festival |
| Ljubljana - The annual Ljubljana Festival will host 36 events and over 2,500 internationally acclaimed musicians and artists between 3 July and 7 September. "The Symphony of a Thousand" will provide for the grand opening.
The opening concert will be conducted by Valery Abisalovich Gergi... More » |
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| Sport |
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| Three Bronze Medals for Slovenian Female Judoists |
| Istanbul - Slovenian judoist Urska Zolnir won bronze at the European Judo Championships in Istanbul on Friday. In the battle for third place in the half-middleweight (63 kg) division, the 29-year-old defeated Yarden Gerbi of Israel.
This is the fourth medal at European Championships for Zolnir, w... More » |
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| Events |
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| Schedule of events in the week for 26 April to 1 May |
TUESDAY, 26 April
- LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of beverage company Pivovarna Lasko is expected to meet to decide whether Lasko would sell its 23% stake in retailer Mercator to Croatia's Agrokor.
- KLAGENFURT, Austria - Talks on German-Sloven... More »
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Archive
