Slovenia News - October 2005

Slovenia News 25 October 2005

President Janez Drnovsek provoked loud reactions in Serbia with his statement that if certain conditions are met independence is "the only realistic option for Kosovo." The plan is "good, deliberated and to the benefit of both sides," he told the press on Monday. Pushing the problem aside would not benefit anyone, whereas "forced solutions where Kosovo and Serbia are in the same state would not be productive," as it would lead to tensions, he stressed. President Janez Drnovsek has spoken out in support of his beleaguered plan for Kosovo status talks. The plan is "good, deliberated and to the benefit of both sides," he told the press on Monday. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa told managers in Luxembourg on Wednesday that there is great potential for cooperation with Slovenia, in particular in financial services, the chemical industry, tourism and investments. Jansa and his Luxembourg counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker have urged the British EU presidency to double its efforts in ensuring that an agreement on the EU's 2007-2013 budget framework is reached at the December summit in Brussels. More » PM Janez Jansa is convinced that the "time is right" to carry out structural reform in Slovenia. According to him, the current economic stability is fertile ground for taking measures that will make Slovenia's economy better and prepare it for increasingly fierce global competition. More » Slovenia ranks 9th alongside the Czech Republic in the latest Worldwide Press Freedom Index, which is published annually by Reporters Without Borders. More » Measures that Slovenia has taken to fight the spread of avian influenza have been assessed by EU agriculture ministers as adequate, even stricter than in several other member states. More » A three-day international conference entitled eChallenges, launched on Wednesday in Ljubljana, discussed key issues in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at its plenary session. More » President Janez Drnovsek is concerned about the current situation in the EU, as there are no new ideas regarding the constitutional treaty. The ratification procedure should resume, whereby France and Netherlands should take a renewed vote, he told the press in Ljubljana on Wednesday. More » Marcel Koprol, the state secretary for European Affairs, said after talks with Belgian Secretary of State for European Affairs Didier Donfut in Brussels that Slovenia and Belgium agree EU budget talks should wrap up at the EU summit in December. More » Slovenj Gradec, the only Slovenian city to bear the name of UN Messenger of Peace, marked United Nations Day on Monday with a series of events that turned the entire city into a showcase of peace under the title "Let's Preserve Our Peace." More » Luka Spik and Iztok Cop are to be proclaimed the best rowing crew of 2005 at the World Rowing Forum, sources at the Slovenian Rowing Association said. More » Schedule of Events from 25 to 30 October More »

Slovenia News 18 October 2005

Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel last week answered Croatia's proposal for arbitration on the sea border between the countries, saying that the countries must establish trust before they can seek third-party assistance. In other news, Slovenia began stockpiling an antiviral drug as it stepped up preparations for a possible pandemic of bird flu. Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel replied to the proposal for arbitration sent last week by Croatian FM Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic by saying that arbitration can only be carried out if there is complete mutual trust. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel believes that countries of the Western Balkans should join the EU as soon as possible. Croatia, which recently started accession talks, "is only a part of the mosaic that we are completing to fill the gap between Slovenia and Greece," he said on Tuesday. More » Finnish President Tarja Halonen, told the press on Tuesday, 11 October, that reestablishing the trust in the EU, weakened after the double rejection of the European constitution, is now of key importance to its member states. More » Finland's ability to adapt to modern global trends presents an interesting role model for Slovenia, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said after meeting Finland's President Tarja Halonen in Ljubljana on Tuesday. More » The cross-border projects undertaken by Italy and Slovenia under EU's Phare programme of cross-border cooperation for 2002 were carried out successfully, head of the regional development agency for northern Primorsko Crtomir Spacapan said on Friday. More » Engrotus is the winner of the 2005 Golden Gazelle award for the fastest growing company in Slovenia. The Celje-based retailer received the prize on Wednesday as the fastest-growing retailer in the country, and the most rapidly expanding enterprise on the consumer goods market overall. More » Slovenian managers have endorsed the government's proposed package of economic and social reforms, according to PM Janez Jansa, who presented the reforms on Thursday. "They all supported the course of reforms, but there are various views on measures that have a different impact on different industries" Jansa told the press after the meeting. More » The 15th international eChallenges conference, taking place in the Slovenian capital from 19 through 21 October, will discuss modern information and communication technologies. More » In the first quarter of 2005, 48% of all Slovenian households had Internet access, with 50% of the population aged between 10 and 74 years regularly using the Internet, shows data released by the national Statistical Office. More » Slovenia supports the new initiatives for improved phasing of structural and cohesion funds, prepared by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, Minister of Local Government and Regional Policy Ivan Zagar said in Brussels on Tuesday. More » State Secretary for European Affairs Marcel Koprol told STA on Thursday he was happy with the work of Slovenian representatives in Macedonia on the twinning project to strengthen Macedonia's institutions and adapt legislation on the internal market. More » Addressing participants of the 12th summit of presidents of Central European countries in Zagreb on Friday, Slovenia's President Janez Drnovsek underlined the importance of further EU enlargement as a means of preventing new divisions. More » An exhibition of works by Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala, who is considered as the father of Finnish applied arts, opened at the Ljubljana Architecture Museum on Tuesday. More » A survey of values has shown that values in Slovenia are very similar to those of Germans and Scandinavians. "Our paradigms are the same as the dominant paradigms of European culture," according to the co-author of the book on the subject, Niko Tos. More » The number of children that learn Slovenian in the Austrian border province of Carinthia has grown considerably in the 2005/2006 school year, the region's education council said on Friday. More » Health Minister Andrej Brucan announced that Slovenia is in the process of creating a stockpile of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu that would suffice for about a quarter of the population in the event that the current strain of the avian flu virus mutates into a form easily transmitted between people. More » Schedule of Events from 18 to 23 October More »

Slovenia News 11 October 2005

The government released on Friday, 7 October, its blueprint for structural reforms which would affect practically all major sectors of the economy and society in general. In a bid to make the Slovenian economy more competitive and raise the standard of living, the proposed reforms, drafted by a government reform committee, include some 60 measures to implement Slovenia's Development Strategy, a document the govt adopted in June. The government reform committee outlined its proposals for economic and social reforms to the government at Thursday's cabinet session. According to the head of the committee Joze P. Damijan, the proposals are "a good basis for reforms aimed a boosting economic competitiveness and speeding up economic growth, while maintaining or even improving the welfare state and the security of workers". More » Soon after the Slovenian parliament unanimously passed a law declaring a protective ecological zone and continental shelf in the Adriatic on Tuesday, 4 October, Croatia officially proposed that an international body should make the final decision on the disputed maritime border in Piran Bay. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has not excluded the option that Slovenia might carry out activities towards a referendum on Croatia's EU membership if "Croatia continues with the negative politics towards Slovenia." More » Slovenia will help Pakistan, which was hit by a major earthquake on Saturday, with SIT 100m (EUR 420,000) in goods and money, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told the press on Monday. More » The government has adopted a staffing plan for Slovenia's EU presidency in 2008. The document, which was outlined on Thursday, says that existing employees have to be utilised as much as possible, whereas gaps will be covered by additional staff and experts from the outside. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa told parliament on Monday that the main objective of the 2006 and 2007 budgets is to create macroeconomic conditions which will allow Slovenia to adopt the euro 2007. More » The Finance Ministry and the central bank unveiled on Friday the layout of Slovenia's euro coins, which are due to become legal tender on 1 January 2007. What mainly sets them apart from the euro coins of other countries is the inscription "Slovenija" running in the circle along the outer rim of the coin. More » Camper and caravan maker Adria Mobil imarked its 40th anniversary by moving its production to a new, state-of-the-art plant, a EUR 35m worth investment. Company's manager Sonja Gole told that the past year was the most active yet for the firm. More » The government adopted a new wine bill last week which, according to Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Marija Lukacic, will boost the competitiveness of Slovenian wineries whilst also ensuring consumer protection. More » Under a reform of the health care sector, five doctors from Slovenia's leading hospital were awarded a state license to go private as of November, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. More » The Slovenian telecommunications market has a new Internet service provider, the Maribor-based company T-2, which is the first to offer the new broadband technology VDSL (very high speed digital subscriber line). More » Slovenia will coordinate the national reform package for the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy with the government's reform proposal before it submits the document to the EU. The paper will therefore be sent with a one-week delay on 21 October, according to national Lisbon coordinator Janez Sustersic. More » In addition to the EU framework programme on research and EU initiatives, Slovenia needs a carefully drafted state strategy for successful development of research, EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik said in his address Monday to the Ljubljana-based Jozef Stefan Institute. More » After the premiere at this year's Salzburg Summer Festival, the staging of "Alamut", a landmark 1938 novel in which Slovenian author Vladimir Bartol portrayed radical Islam, premiered before the home audience at the Ljubljana National Drama Theatre on Saturday. More » The major European network of arts festivals has selected the managing and artistic director of the Ljubljana Festival Darko Brlek its new president for a four-year term. More » An EU-sponsored project for the preservation of the brown bear population in Slovenia has wrapped up. The project defined "peace areas" that are crucial for the bears' survival in the animals' two largest natural habitats, the Kocevski Rog forest and the Sneznik mountain. More » Schedule of Events from 11 to 16 October More »

Slovenia News 4 October 2005

The cabinet finalised the budget bills for 2006 and 2007 at Thursday's session. Budget revenues for 2006 are projected at SIT 1,756.4bn (EUR 7.33bn). With expenditures at SIT 1,857.9bn (EUR 7.76bn), the projected deficit is at 1.4% of GDP. Senior coalition parties are pleased with the work they have done since they won the general election on 3 October last year. "The people as well as the business environment can be pleased," head of the Social Democrats' (SDS) deputy group Joze Tanko told the press on Monday. Senior coalition parties are pleased with the work they have done since they won the general election on 3 October last year. "The people as well as the business environment can be pleased," head of the Social Democrats' (SDS) deputy group Joze Tanko told the press on Monday. More » The new public broadcaster act will come into force between 10 and 12 November, Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti told the press on Tuesday. He also presented the final procedures regarding the new act, endorsed by a narrow majority in Sunday's referendum. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is upbeat about the prospect that membership talks with Turkey will start as planned. "I believe the Turkish story will have a successful ending," Rupel said on the margins of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. More » The cabinet finalised the budget bills for 2006 and 2007 at Thursday's session. It is now expected to send them to parliament for confirmation. More » The government has adopted the bill on Slovenians abroad, which deals with the jurisdictions of state authorities on cultural, economic and educational ties with Slovenians abroad, and includes provisions on repatriation. More » The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a loan of EUR 250m to Slovenia for the construction of a key motorway section in the northeast of the country. More » Slovenia's improved showing on the global competitiveness rankings of the World Economic Forum has been met with optimism. Yet economists and Economics Minister Andrej Vizjak have pointed out that more needs to be done, in particular as regards the labour market. More » The Slovenian economy is ranked the 32nd most competitive in the world in 2005, gaining one place over 2004, the World Economic Forum said in its global competitiveness report, released on Wednesday in Geneva. More » The government Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) has upped its GDP growth projections for this year by a notch to 3.9% in its Autumn Report. At the same time it downgraded slightly the projection for 2005, from 4.1% to 4%. More » Representatives of 32 Slovenian companies are to take part in a presentation of Slovenian companies on the Ukrainian market which is to take place from 4 to 7 October in Ukraine, the Chamber of Commerce (GZS) said on Tuesday. More » Andreja Kocijancic, who assumed the post of chancellor of the University of Ljubljana on 1 October, is starting her four-year term full of optimism. Four years from now, the university will be "shining" in terms of qualify of research and teaching, as well as student and teacher satisfaction, she said. More » Mihela Zupancic took over as head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia on Tuesday. Zupancic highlighted the European Commission's action plan on the implementation of the communication strategy as one of the key challenges in the coming period. More » The EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla told the STA on Friday that he thinks workers from the new EU member states do not present a threat to the labour markets of old members. More » An exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the first edition of Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes opened on Thursday at the Ljubljana-based National and University Library. More » The Slovenian capital will once again play host to a festival dedicated to women artists, the 11th City of Women festival. Starting on 7 October and lasting for a week, the event is to attract some 40 female artists from 18 countries. More » French Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Nelly Olin and her Slovenian counterpart Janez Podobnik have signed an agreement on the capture and transportation of five brown bears to the Pyrenees region. More » The Focus '05 fifth annual month of cultural, political and economic events representing Slovenian-Dutch cooperation began with the presentation of flower arrangements by Slovenian and Dutch florists. Numerous events will be held on various stages in Slovenia throughout October. They have been arranged by the Dutch Embassy, the Dutch Ministry of Finance, the Dutch EVD Agency of International Cooperation, the Slovenian Ministry of Finance and Finance magazine, which will issue a special supplement on Dutch-Slovenian business cooperation. More » Schedule of Events from 4 to 9 October 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