Slovenia News - February 2005

Slovenia News 22 February 2005

While the domestic policy arena was dominated this week by economic issues, notably the Lisbon Agenda and the government's plans for this year, foreign policy pundits were busy promoting Slovenia's stance of the lately restless relations with Italy and Austria. In line with FM Dimitrij Rupel's statement that films should be judged by film critics, the government has so far refrained from formally commenting on a controversial Italian film about post-war killings, which has provoked widespread condemnation due to its biased view. Yet it has taken a firmer stance in relations with Austria, continuously rebuffing the statement of Austrian Parliament Speaker Andreas Khol that Slovenia is not, and cannot be, a party to the Austrian State Treaty. After prolonged controversy, the government decided last week to voice its opinion on the lately tense relations with Italy and Austria. The cabinet said that Italy may not forget the suffering that the Fascist regime caused. It also addresses the controversy regarding the Austrian State Treaty, stressing that Slovenia is a legal successor to Yugoslavia, although not a moral successor to the Communist regime. More » An international law expert, Miha Pogacnik believes that Slovenia could declare an ecological zone in the Adriatic quite swiftly, considering that it has a legal basis to do so in the amended maritime code. More » Topical issues concerning the OSCE and the EU topped FM Dimitrij Rupel's meeting with his German counterpart Joschka Fischer in Berlin on 18 February. According to Rupel, the talks with Fischer have been some of the most fruitful he has held since assuming the OSCE chairmanship. More » Responding to recent controversy about whether Slovenia is indeed a legal successor to the Austrian State Treaty, which was signed by Yugoslavia, international law experts Borut Bohte and Milan Brglez claim that Slovenia certainly has the right according to international law to succeed Yugoslavia's legal status in the treaty. More » Meeting convergence criteria for euro zone entry and ensuring efficient phasing of EU funds are the top priorities that the government has set in its 2005 programme, PM Janez Jansa said on Wednesday. The document contains 203 objectives which will require the government to draft 230 pieces of legislation, he explained. More » The government is pleased, overall, with the proposed reform of the Lisbon Strategy, as it agrees with the shift of focus to growth and employment. Yet it also wants greater integration with the various documents mentioned in the reform proposals, to ensure a balanced implementation of sustainable development measures, the government said after Thursday's session. More » The Ministry of Agriculture has set five priority objectives for this year, one of which is the drafting of a new development strategy for the sector. The document will provide the groundwork for new legislation and other key programmes, Agriculture Minister Marija Lukacic told the press Monday. More » EU ministers in charge of education, youth and culture, including Milan Zver, the minister of education and sport, on Monday reviewed the intermediate report on the Lisbon Strategy and debated the efficiency of education in Europe. More » Slovenia has joined a group of 16 EU member states in a forum where views are exchanged on the EU's next financial perspective, State Secretary in charge of European affairs Marcel Koprol said in Brussels on Monday. "This is an informal group, an open forum for exchanging positions," Koprol said. More » The government has approved SIT 24m (EUR 100,000) for the creation of NATO's fund for training Iraqi security forces. Moreover, the government took a decision to send weapons and equipment to the Iraqi security forces, although it refused to give details of the shipment. More » A series of black-and-white impressionist photographs of China won Jan Raposa the Photo of the Year award, conferred for the 11th time by the magazine Emzin. The award ceremony on Wednesday evening also launched the Emzin Photo of the Year 2003 exhibition at the Ljubljana arts centre Cankarjev dom. More » Slovenia donated EUR 2.8m in aid for the Asian countries hit by the deadly tsunami in December, which is EUR 1.5 per capita, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Bozo Cerar said in Luxembourg on Tuesday. Cerar said this was the total amount provided by the government and Slovenian humanitarian agencies. More » Rok Benkovic won gold on the small hill at the Nordic World Championships in Oberstdorf on Saturday, ahead of Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic and Finland's Janne Ahonnen. More »

Slovenia News 15 February 2005

Different interpretations of history caused tensions in the relations between Slovenia and its neighbours Italy and Austria last week. Relations with Austria were strained by statements made by a senior Austrian official, who said that Slovenia was not a party to the Austrian State Treaty. Italy, on the other hand, drew a sharp response of the Slovenian public over a controversial film about partisan atrocities in WWII. Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel meanwhile paid a visit to Belgrade as the OSCE chairman-in-office to discuss the future status of Kosovo. He also announced that Slovenia would increase its contribution for the stabilisation of Iraq at a NATO ministerial in Brussels. By claiming that Slovenia was not a party to the Austrian State Treaty Speaker of the Austrian Parliament Andreas Khol drew a sharp response from the Slovenian public and authorities. He said that Slovenia can act as the guardian of the Slovenian minority in Austria, but not on the legal basis of the Austrian State Treaty. More » Italy for the first time held a day of memory of partisan atrocities and the resettlement of Italian citizens from the Slovenian and Croatian coastal regions on 10 February. Earlier in the week, millions of viewers watched a film on Italian state television that graphically portrayed communist atrocities against ethnic Italians. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has pointed to the importance of reforms in the OSCE, the UN, NATO and the EU as he addressed the annual Munich Security Conference in his capacity as the OSCE chairman-in-office. More » The third rotation of Slovenian soldiers has left to participate in the international peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan. The 29-strong contingent includes a reconnaissance unit from the 10th motorised battalion, two veterinarians, four firefighters and a commanding officer from the 132nd mountain battalion. More » Car maker Revoz on Wednesday produced the two millionth Renault car since an agreement was signed with the French car maker in 1972. Through constant improvements in production, Revoz has become one of the most efficient plants in the Renault system, the company's chairman Marcel Brouiller said. More » Terme 3000, which operates five spa resorts, posted a net profit of 611m (EUR 2.5m) for 2004, up 20 percent over 2003, on the back of sales of SIT 8.7bn (EUR 36.3m), general manager Dusan Bencik told the press on Thursday. More » Slovenia is to spend between SIT 5.5bn and 10bn (EUR 23m to 42m) annually on efforts aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with its commitments stemming from the Kyoto Protocol. More » Slovenian households are to be receiving a pamphlet with important information about the EU constitution as part of the government's public awareness campaign on the constitution. More » Slovenia has announced that it will increase its contribution for the stabilisation of Iraq, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said after Wednesday's meeting of NATO foreign ministers which the US secretary of state described as "the best discussion of Iraq we have had as an alliance since the downfall of Saddam Hussein". More » Flautist Irena Grafenauer and painter Bogdan Borcic received the Preseren Awards, the highest national awards for outstanding achievement in arts and culture, at a ceremony held Monday on the eve of Culture Day. Grafenauer used the opportunity to voice an appeal for greater artistic freedom and the encouragement of young talents. More » The Cankarjev dom arts centre is hosting the international dance group En Knap in February with its production "Mozart - Hype as I Wanna Be", which focuses on the icon of classical music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. More » The 2nd festival of Slovenian contemporary dance will feature 12 productions on the main and another four on the fringe programme. "Gibanica" will be underway in Ljubljana between 23 and 27 February. Two awards will be presented to the best productions, one selected by the audience and the other by an international jury. More » The structural engineering company Ponting and partners DDC of Ljubljana and Centar za puteve from Serbia-Montenegro, have won a contract for the design of a major bridge over the Sava in Belgrade. The centrepiece of the 980-metre construction will be a 200-metre tower which Ponting believes will become a landmark of the city. More » Slovenian Unicef has raised some SIT 276m (EUR 1.15m) to help the victims of the December earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia, the charity organisation told a news conference on Monday. More » Kranjska Gora will once again be the venue of the Vitranc Cup event in the last week of February. While the slopes are being carefully prepared along with the infrastructure for the World Cup slalom and giant slalom, the organisers are set to bring the biggest Slovenian pop stars, Magnifico and Siddharta, to perform at the scene. More » Schedule of Events from 14 to 20 February More »

Slovenia News 7 February 2005

The parliament ratified the EU constitutional treaty in a landslide majority, despite concerns that the ratification might be too hasty and that citizens should be provided with better information before such an important document is confirmed. Slovenia has thereby become the third EU member to ratify the landmark document, setting itself as an role model for other countries where the constitution might find it difficult to muster the sort of majority that it had in the parliament. Slovenian veterans denounced a controversial Italian film about post-war killings of Italians as they held a remembrance ceremony on Sunday for soldiers who died during an 1945 attack by occupying forces on a small village on the Slovenian coast. More » Parliament ratified the European constitution with an overwhelming majority on Tuesday, with 79 votes backing the document and only four MPs voting against. Slovenia has thus become the third EU member state, after Lithuania and Hungary, to ratify the constitution. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, the OSCE chairman-in-office, held separate telephone conversations on Thursday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht on the open issues in the security organisation, including the current deadlock on the budget. More » The government has confirmed a document on Slovenia's priority tasks in the EU in 2005. Negotiations on the 2007-2013 budget, the implementation of Lisbon Strategy objectives and the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact have been put to the top of the agenda alongside preparations for euro adoption and EU presidency. More » The government has decided that Slovenia would introduce the euro on 1 January 2007 according to the "big bang" scenario - swift replacement of tolar notes for euros. More » The Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday presented a set of 12 regulations adopted by the government last week which provide the framework for the distribution of direct payments in agriculture and rural development aid worth a total of SIT 56bn (EUR 233.6m) this year. More » The national Institute for Nature Conservation has launched Slovenia's biggest nature protection project so far. Dubbed "Natura 2000 in Slovenia", the enterprise will be funded by the EU, the government and project partners. More » The European Commission has decided to open a formal investigation into Slovenia's system of preferential dispatching of electricity aimed at boosting renewable energy, to assess its compatibility with the EU's state aid rules. More » On the eve of Culture Day, the highest national awards for outstanding achievement in arts and culture will be given out at a special ceremony tonight. Artist Bogdan Borcic and flautist Irena Grafenauer are this year's Preseren Awards laureates. More » "Alamut" a landmark 1938 novel about radical Islam and political manipulation, has been adapted for theatre and will be put on stage for the first time on 28 July as part of the Salzburg Festival. More » Shrovetide festivities took place around Slovenia on Sunday, with the largest in Ptuj, NE Slovenia. More than 40,000 people turned out in this historic town to watch the colourful carnival procession. More » Schedule of Events from 7 to 13 February More »

Slovenia News 1 February 2005

Prime Minister Janez Jansa sparked controversy this week after meeting NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as he said Slovenia would consider sending troops to Iraq to train local security forces there. Although Jansa clarified the comments a day later, suggesting there was no change to current policy, he was criticised by the opposition. The coalition and opposition also clashed seriously on the home front. The apple of discord was the government's package of amendments to the public servants act that would enable it to dismiss undesirable public servants. More effort will be needed to produce the same results in Slovene tourism this year, since the competition is becoming much stronger. All countries are increasing their tourism marketing budgets and this will have to be done in Slovenia as well, says Bojan Meden, General Manager of the Slovenian Tourist Board. The organization will receive over two billion tolars (€ 8.4 m) for the promotion of Slovene tourism this year. More » The government's key priorities this year will be to meet the requirements for accession to the euro zone, and to secure a favourable support environment for economic growth and social stability. This is what PM Janez Jansa said after the first plenary meeting of the ruling centre-right coalition on Monday. More » On 25 January Prime Minister Janez Jansa payed an introductory visit to the EU and NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, where he discussed a number of topics regarding Slovenia's relations with the EU and NATO. More » "The train for the resolution of the Kosovo issue will depart this year," Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said after meeting on Tuesday with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European external relations commissioner. More » The special coordinator of the Stability Pact for SE Europe has made a request for continued Slovenian involvement in SE Europe as he met Prime Minister Janez Jansa on Wednesday in Ljubljana. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, the chairman-in-office of the OSCE, met NATO ambassadors at the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday to outline the priorities of Slovenia's stint at the helm of the OSCE. More » The government has decided to embark on a two-year public awareness campaign on the EU constitution. The Government PR and Media Office has been put in charge of issuing special publications, organising public debates and cooperating with NGOs. More » The government has put forward amendments to the public servants act that will allow it to pick civil servants for key positions in the state administration. Parliament is expected to pass the changes in a fast-track procedure. More » The National Assembly will convene this afternoon to ratify the EU constitutional treaty in a move that would make Slovenia the third EU country to do so. A two-thirds majority or 60 "yes" votes are needed for the document get the green light. More » The parliamentary EU affairs committee on Wednesday backed the government efforts for Slovenia to host the seat of the EU border management agency. The committee also backed the government standpoints to be represented by the interior and justice ministers at the informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg this week. More » The Defence Ministry will study the option of sending Slovenian army instructors to Iraq to participate in the mission of training local security forces. This is what Defence Minister Karl Erjavec told the press on Wednesday, adding that the decision depended on the Sunday election in Iraq. More » Five Slovenian companies have come in among top 100 firms from the ten EU newcomers. Slovenia's top company according to revenue is petrol retailer Petrol, which is 40th on the list. More » Economics Minister Andrej Vizjak has promised small-business owners that the government would address their greatest problems - tax legislation, inflexible labour market and red tape. "You can expect a favourable support environment for business, a stable legal framework and the promotion of conditions for economic growth," Vizjak told the Chamber of Trade on Wednesday. More » The government has adopted a package of measures relating to the regulation of agricultural markets in 2005, which set the total of direct payments for this year at SIT 24.3bn (EUR 101m). Along with other measures adopted on Thursday, the government earmarked more than SIT 56bn (EUR 233.6m) for agriculture, Minister Marija Lukacic said after the session on Thursday. More » The Environment Protection Institute on Thursday inaugurated a new management model and information system, the first phase of the largest environmental project so far in Slovenia. More » Most EU member states have voiced their readiness to conclude the negotiations of the the Community's financial arrangements between 2007 and 2013 as planned by June, a Slovenian official said on the sidelines of EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday. More » Slovenia should have no problem in finding its place in the strategic objectives adopted on Wednesday by the European Commission for its five-year term, Slovenia's Commissioner Janez Potocnik has said. More » Four Slovenian projects have been approved for funds from the European Union's Cohesion Fund until the end of the current EU budget period, which ends in 2006. The total value of EU funds for these projects is EUR 81m. More » Just like several other EU members, Slovenia made only limited progress in carrying out employment priority tasks in 2004, says a report released by the European Commission on Thursday. More » A total of 60% of Slovenians are in favour of the European constitution, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey released on Friday. The poll has established that despite their high public support, Slovenians know little about the document itself. More » Schedule of Events from 1 - 6 February More »

Archive

year month 2008 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2007 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2006 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2005 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2004 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12

© Government Communication Office, Gregorčičeva 25, SI-1000 Ljubljana
tel.: +386 1 478 2600, fax: +386 1 251 2312, www.ukom.gov.si/eng/, e-mail: gp.ukom@gov.si