Slovenia News - January 2006

Slovenia News 31 January 2006

President Janez Drnovsek stepped up his global peace drive this week, appearing on news network CNN to drum up support for his Darfur appeal and then holding a press conference to announce plans for a global altruistic movement. Meanwhile, the debates on plans to transform Slovenia's lone mutual insurer, Vzajemna, into a joint-stock company reached boiling point this week, with parliament deciding to block the re-incorporation by adopting an interpretive statement that makes any transformation subject to permission from the Insurance Supervision Agency. Speaking to the CNN about his Darfur initiative on Monday, Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek said that geopolitical interests of the UN Security Council's permanent members were the key reasons behind the powerlessness of the humanitarian efforts in the embattled Sudanese region. More » The US State Department has welcomed the recent initiative by President Janez Drnovsek on building a camp for 10,000 Sudanese refugees. More » Slovenia was very successful in revitalising and improving the cooperation within the OSCE, reads the final report on the country's 2005 stint as OSCE chair that the cabinet discussed on Thursday. More » MPs were virtually unanimous on Wednesday in adopting an interpretative statement of article 62 of the health insurance act, thus effectively preventing the re-incorporation of mutual insurer Vzajemna as a joint-stock company, which was scheduled for 1 February. More » Slovenia will change over to the common European currency as planned on 1 January 2007, with or without anybody else, Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk said at the fringes of a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday. More » According to unofficial results of a consultative referendum held in several different parts of the country, voters backed at least 12 new municipalities on Sunday on a turnout of around 60%. More » The European Commission has assessed Slovenian plans for implementing reforms related to the Lisbon Strategy as suitable in general, but with a number of flaws. More » Slovenia received EUR 59.37m from four cohesion funds in 2005, according to data published by the European Commission on Thursday. More » Two years after the decision on establishing sea motorways within the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the time has come to take concrete steps, European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot told the participants of the first conference on sea motorways in Ljubljana on Tuesday. More » Slovenia joined worldwide celebrations in honour of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on 27 January with a series of events featuring the works of this musical genius. More » A Slovenian physicist has accidentally come by a 440-year-old copy of Copernicus' most famous book in a library in Ljubljana. More » Anzej Dezan has won the EMA, the competition which decides Slovenia's entry for the European song contest, with a love song "Plan B". More » Schedule of Events from 31 January to 5 February More »

Slovenia News 24 January 2006

Controversy over the government's decision to send four military instructors to Iraq reached boiling point last week, as the current government traded blows with members of the previous cabinet over actions and agreements that have led to the deployment. Somewhat surprisingly, President Janez Drnovsek endorsed the decision as well, although he was busy with yet another international project: after arousing attention with his initiative for Kosovo status talks last year, he is now busy mustering support for a humanitarian action in Darfur. Controversy over the government's decision to send four military instructors to Iraq reached boiling point this week, as the current government traded blows with members of the previous cabinet over actions and agreements that have led to the deployment. More » The supervisory board of Slovenia's leading newspaper company, Delo, has named the former editor-in-chief of right-leaning weekly Mag, Danilo Slivnik, to head the company's management board. The appointment was made at the session of the supervisory board, the first since three new supervisors were elected to the six-member board in late December. More » In a surge of activity that left pundits puzzled, President Janez Drnovsek has been tuoring the globe seeking support for his initiative to end the dire humanitarian crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur. More » Turkish Ambassador to Slovenia Balkan Kizildeli has been voted foreign diplomat of the year 2005 in Slovenia for his contribution to openness and development in Slovenian society, Radio Slovenia International proclaimed on Friday. More » At a reception for diplomats and ambassadors at Brdo pri Kranju on Wednesday, PM Janez Jansa stressed that as an EU and NATO member, Slovenia would continue to support the open-door policy for all countries of the Western Balkans. More » The government has taken financial measures to optimise the phasing of EU structural funds. The reallocations and granting of additional phasing rights will result in SIT 11bn (EUR 45.9m) in extra funds. More » The government has adopted a decree implementing the agricultural policy measures for 2006, which serves as a basis for the phasing of SIT 31bn (EUR 129.4m) in funds for agricultural policy measures. More » Labour Minister Janez Drobnic said he hopes that a number of old EU member states would lift their restrictions for workers from new EU members as he attended an informal meeting of EU labour ministers in Villach on Friday. More » The Enterprise Fund has earmarked SIT 10.412bn (EUR 43.5m) for projects by small and medium sized business in Slovenia, officials told the press in Maribor on Friday. More » The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has said it was willing to invest several hundred million euros in privatisation projects in Slovenia, where is already has investments worth a total of EUR 588m. More » The jobless rate remained level in December 2005 compared to the month before, at 10.3%, according to the Statistical Office. The ILO standards-based unemployment rate was also level, averaging 6.3% in the last quarter of 2005. More » Household appliance group Gorenje, honey product maker Medex and Arcont, a manufacturer of doors and windows, have been named the top rated companies of 2005 by Slovenian rating firm I and its international partner Dun&Bradstreet. More » Slovenian and Croatian researchers are set to revive fig growing in the border region of Istria in a two-year project worth some EUR 195,000 that was presented to the press in the Slovenian city of Koper on Monday. More » The sailing yacht Shipman 63, made by the Slovenian company Seaway, has taken the European Boat of the Year honours at the nautics show in Duesseldorf. Another Slovenian boat, Elan's Impression 344, topped the competition in the category of boats up to 10 metres. More » Slovenia has greatly improved its capabilities to draw money from EU cohesion funds in 2005, becoming one of the most successful members of the bloc in doing so, Local Government and Regional Policy Minister Ivan Zagar told the press on Monday. More » The Slovenian Culture Ministry published a public tender on Friday for cultural projects that would promote Slovenian culture abroad in 2006. More » "Uglasevanje" (Tuning), the latest film by the up-and-coming Slovenian director Igor Sterk, premiered in Ljubljana after its world premiere in Karlovy Vary in July 2005 and several screenings at other film festivals abroad. More » Slovenia's Andrej Skufca and Katarina Venturini beat 226 other professional couples in Latin dances, winning gold at the UK Dance Open Championships that took place between 17 and 19 January in Bournemouth. More » The Olympic Flame made a stop in Slovenia for the first time in 22 years on Friday. Received first by Jure Franko, the first Slovenian to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, it later toured Ljubljana in the care 20 different torchbearers. More » With its abundance of snow, this Winter has produced a real wonderland perfect for the enjoyment of nature. It is attracting not just the locals but also people from countries with no snow to indulge in activities like walking, skating, Alpine and cross-country skiing. More » Schedule of Events from 24 to 29 January More »

Slovenia News 17 January 2006

The government made a great stir with a decision to send soldiers to Iraq to train Iraqi security forces there in a move seen by its opponents as a U-turn in Slovenian foreign policy. The decision overshadowed President Janez Drnovsek's efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis in Darfur, and stole some spotlight to the appointment of the governing and supervisory bodies of the public broadcaster, which was at the core of a controversy last year and resulted in a new RTV Slovenija act being put to a referendum. Slovenia supports the priorities of the Austrian presidency of the EU, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has told ambassadors from EU member states in Slovenia. More » "The crisis in Darfur is worsening, therefore I believe an international peace conference needs to be held to put an end to it," President Janez Drnovsek told the press on Thursday as he presented in more detail his recent appeal to stop the humanitarian crisis in this western Sudanese region. More » The government coalition proved a good manager of the country in 2005, PM Janez Jansa said on Tuesday as the coalition leaders met to review the implementation of the coalition agreement. More » The government discussed on Thursday Slovenia's priority tasks as the country prepares to take over EU presidency for the first time in the first half of 2008. More » The parliament appointed the majority of members of the RTV Slovenija's governing and supervisory bodies after the new law on the public broadcaster passed the test of a referendum in September and entered into force in November. More » "I'm not here to buy assets, but to support government decisions," head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Jean Lemierre said after meeting PM Janez Jansa and Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk in Ljubljana on Wednesday. More » The board of governors of the country's central bank agreed on Thursday that the current interest rate guarantees a stable tolar/euro exchange rate, while Slovenia also fulfiled all the euro convergence criteria. More » Slovenia has placed the 14th most innovative country among all 25 EU member states, according to the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), which was published on Thursday in Brussels. More » Broadband Internet access saw a true breakthrough in Slovenia in 2005, as the number of broadband connections was three times higher in the January-October period over the year before, the Agency for Post and Electronic Communications said. More » European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he welcomed all positive contributions of individual EU members regarding the future political status of Kosovo in a letter addressed to Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek. More » The government adopted a decision to send four Slovenian military instructors to Iraq, to help in NATO efforts to train Iraqi high and middle ranking officers. More » Slovenia's decision to send four soldiers to Iraq to train Iraqi security forces is "good news", NATO representatives told STA on Thursday. More » Slovenian theatre and film actress Iva Krajnc was chosen as one of Europe's "Shooting Stars" for the forthcoming 56th Berlin International Film Festival, the European Film Promotion network announced on Tuesday. More » The Ljubljana SNG Drama Theatre put on stage the adaptation of Lev Tolstoy's Anna Karenina in what is considered one of Drama's most demanding projects to date. The play, which was directed and adapted by Dusan Jovanovic, premiered on Saturday. More » The Slovenian National Opera and Ballet (SNG) and the Cankarjev dom arts centre will jointly stage Prokofiev's modern opera "The Love for Three Oranges", SNG acting director Kristijan Ukmar has recently told the press. The director is Vito Taufer and the conductor Dieter Rossberg. More » The management of the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) approved the operational plan for 2006. Of the SIT 2bn (EUR 8.34m) allocated for the organisation in 2006, STO plans to spend SIT 1.28bn (EUR 5.34m) on promotion. More » Schedule of Events from 17 to 22 January More »

Slovenia News 10 January 2006

Several new tax laws as well as the trade act limiting Sunday shopping entered into force on 1 January 2006. Meanwhile, the cabined adopted a bill on the chambers of commerce. Grabbing the headlines this week was the interruption in natural gas supplies from Russia, however, Slovenia's sole provider Geoplin managed to compensate by tapping into reserves before supply a day later. Natural gas imports, which dropped by a third on Monday due to a dispute between Russia and Ukraine, were fully restored by Tuesday, the Slovenian gas company Geoplin said. More » Slovenia will take over the presidency of the Human Security Network on 1 May 2006. For one year, the country will be in charge of this international group dealing with humanitarian issues which concern human security. More » The Slovenian cabinet adopted Thursday a decree on the Slovenian fishing area that encompasses the whole of the disputed Bay of Piran as well as open seas included in its protective ecological zone in the Adriatic. More » "I'm under no illusion that things would take care of themselves now," President Janez Drnovsek has said in reference to his initiative to help bring about an end to the crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur. More » PM Janez Jansa believes that if compared with other states which were to take on EU presidency for the first time, the pace of Slovenia's preparations for the task is adequate, he told a traditional meeting of Slovenian diplomats on Wednesday. More » The government adopted a draft resolution on the National Social Security Programme for the 2006-2010 period at its Thursday session. The document needs parliament's approval. More » The new management board of Slovenia's leading grocer, Mercator, met with the press on Wednesday in Ljubljana. According to chairman Ziga Debeljak, the company wants to remain the leader on the Slovenian grocery market by holding on to its 40% market share. More » Slovenia has gained seven places on the Index of Economic Freedom for 2006 to take 38th out of 157 countries surveyed by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank, and the Wall Street Journal. Slovenia received mixed marks in the 10 surveyed categories for a combined rating of "mostly free". More » Novo mesto-based carmaker Revoz had a record year in 2005, as it produced a total of 177,945 of Renault's popular Clio II compact model, which is 46,184 more than a year earlier. More » Slovenia has entered its last year with the Slovenian tolar (SIT) as legal tender. After the country has recently met the last convergence criteria by curbing inflation, it is clear that it is on course to introducing the euro with the onset of 2007. More » Slovenia's veterinary authority has decided to relax the ban on free-range poultry which it imposed in October 2005 after it was confirmed that the bird flu virus discovered in neighbouring Croatia was the lethal H5N1 strain. More » The evaluation of Slovenia's preparedness to enter the Schengen border regime will get underway in 2006, with the country hoping to enter the system in October 2007, State Secretary for European Affairs Marcel Koprol told STA recently. More » Ljubljana arts centre Cankarjev dom hosted on Thursday a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the literary journal "Sodobnost", one of the three oldest cultural publications in Europe. More » The person of the year 2005, as chosen by Slovenia's leading daily Delo, is the entrepreneur and CEO of Akrapovic izpusni sistemi (Akrapovic exhausts) Igor Akrapovic. More » Mojca Sencar, a long-serving anesthetist at the Oncologic Institute in Ljubljana, has been selected Woman of the Year by readers of one of the most popular Slovenian women's magazines, Jana. More » According to estimates by the Ljubljana Tourism Board, the number of overnight stays in Slovenia's capital rose 12% to 565,000 in 2005 compared to 2004. More » The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) plans to focus on a more concerted promotion of the country, with a TV spot to be aired on the CNN as one of the most costly projects planned for this year. More » Schedule of Events from 10 to 15 January More »

Slovenia News 3 January 2006

The last week in the year 2005 was marked by the holiday mood and heavy snows which covered practically the entire country. Another event, which made the Slovenian minority in Austria especially happy, was a ruling by the Constitutional Court under which the Slovenian name should be added to the German one in two villages in the province of Carinthia. PM Janez Jansa has wished Slovenian citizens a year full of peace, good health and safety as he addressed them in a New Year's message on Friday. Jansa said the country can look back on 2005 as a successful and peaceful year of solid economic growth and development. More » The Slovenian Foreign Ministry welcomed Austria's intention to revive the European economy, as Slovenia's northern neighbour began its six month stint as EU president on Sunday. More » The Austrian Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday, 28 Dec, that bilingual place signs should be erected in the towns of Ebersdorf (Drvesa vas) and Bleiburg (Pliberk) in the Austrian province of Carinthia. The Slovenian place name has to be added to the German by 30 June 2006 by the Voelkermarkt local authorities. More » Slovenia will complete its one-year stint as OSCE president as the year 2005 draws to a close, a year in which the country attempted to revitalise, reform and rebalance the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). More » The government adopted the 2006 active employment programme at Tuesday's correspondence session with which it wants to create 23,900 new jobs next year. More » The government intends to sell all of its below 50% stakes it holds in Slovenian companies by the end of 2007, as well as heed the advice of expert groups in selling the stakes in those companies where the government holds a majority stake. More » Slovenia's largest food company plans a breakthrough to new foreign markets, strengthen its production network and increase its market share in Southeastern Europe. More » After natural gas imports from Russia to Slovenia dropped by a third on Monday due to a dispute between Russia and Ukraine, the supply has been fully restored by Tuesday, Slovenian gas company Geoplin told STA. More » Slovenians greeted 2006 at traditional outdoor celebrations in all of the country's major cities, however, sleet and rain somewhat marred the spirit of the revelers. More » Schedule of Events from 3 to 8 January More »

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