Slovenia News - May 2007

Slovenia News 29 May 2007

Nearly two years after the last visit, Prime Minister Janez Jansa and his cabinet toured the mid north-east region of Savinjsko-salesko on Tuesday, 22 May, and Wednesday, 23 May. The prime minister said the region could become "one of the most successful in the country". Jansa based his forecasts on his visits in the local companies, which have, according to him, set ambitious development plans. The economy in the region is doing relatively well and unemployment was down by 20% in the past two years, he said. After Prime Minister Janez Jansa said that SOVA, the security and intelligence agency, had illegally established a company, the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services visited on Tuesday, 22 May, SOVA headquarters. The commission chair Dusan Kumer said then that things were "not as horrible as interpreted by those who are investigating". More » The search for the governor of Slovenia's central bank continues as former finance minister Dusan Mramor turned down President Janez Drnovsek's offer to stand for the post of Banka Slovenije governor. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and George V. Voinovich, Ohio's senator of Slovenian descent, discussed the issue of Kosovo, Slovenian EU presidency in the first half of 2008 and bilateral relations. More » Slovenia wants to retain the key elements of the EU constitutional treaty, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said in Portoroz on Thursday. Europe is in the middle of a transformation, with discussions on the treaty playing a key role, Rupel said at the opening of the Slovenian days of political sciences. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said on Thursday there was a trend in the EU to preserve as much as possible from the constitutional treaty, but at the same time the solution would have to step back from the original treaty. This is a very difficult task, he told the parliament's Foreign Policy Committee. More » The government adopted on Thursday three laws dealing with the powers, structure and financing of provinces, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ivan Zagar told the press. More » The government confirmed on Thursday a report on preparations for the Slovenian EU presidency in the first half of 2008. The report says the preparations between November and April were carried out in accordance with the time-line and would intensify in June, when the final phase begins. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Wednesday that the government had fulfilled its promises given to the mid north-east region of Savinjsko-salesko when it first visited it two years ago. "We have discovered that all the promises, bar the ones that require a longer completion date, have been met," Jansa told the press in Mozirje. More » Slovenian protection and rescue agencies staged a sea rescue exercise entitled Morje 2007 on Saturday. The scenario simulated a crack leaking oil in the hull of a ship on fire, with three wounded people on board. Defence Minister Karl Erjavec labelled the exercise as successful. More » Municipality of Destrnik in northeast Slovenia signed a letter of intent with Austrian companies Health Care Company and HGI Beteiligungs. The companies will acquire a stake in company Terme Gaja, which will build a spa complex, Terme Janezovci. The works on the EUR 60m spa complex are to begin next year, Destrnik Mayor Franc Puksic said on Saturday. More » Last week, several Slovenian companies published their Q1 results, most of them posting fair increases in profit. More » Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak came out of Slovenian-Russian trade commission meeting on Friday saying that economic cooperation is increasing through considerable trade growth and mutual investments. The coming years seem even brighter due to Russian investments as part of its clearing debt repayment, he told the press. More » Pharma company Krka was awarded as the company that employed the highest number of experts in 2006 at a two-day international forum of excellence in Otocec on Friday. More » The public approval rating for the Janez Jansa centre-right government has hit the lowest point so far, while President Janez Drnovsek enjoys more confidence among the public than the prime minister, a Ninamedia poll has shown. More » The overwhelming majority of Slovenians (93%) support a ban on smoking in indoor public spaces, including restaurants and bars, according to the results of an Eurobarometer survey on tobacco, published in Brussels on Tuesday, ahead of the World No Tobacco Day. More » The IEDC - Bled School of Management has established the Slovenian UN Association for Sustainable Development aimed at raising social responsibility of leaders who would in turn promote sustainable development, the IEDC said in a pres release on Tuesday. More » Austrian Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer and Slovenian officials discussed cooperation in the EU and bilateral ties during Molterer's visit here on Friday. Slovenian preparations for the EU presidency in the first half of 2008 and top issues facing EU finance ministers was the focus of Molterer's meeting with Slovenian counterpart Andrej Bajuk. More » EU ministers responsible for spatial planning adopted on Friday the EU Territorial Agenda. Slovenia supports the document which brings spatial aspects to European policies, Slovenia's Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry has told STA. More » The ballet ensemble of the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet House and ballet dancer Tijuana Krizman received on Thursday the Slovenian Association of Ballet Artists' awards for outstanding achievements in 2006. More » EU member states on Thursday adopted the Leipzig Charter on sustainable European cities, which has been hailed by Slovenian Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Janez Podobnik as an "additional motivation for an integral approach to urban development." More » Slovenian MEP Romana Jordan Cizelj has been appointed the coordinator of the European People's Party (EPP), the biggest group in the European Parliament, in the parliament's newly-created Climate Change Committee. More » British Minister of State for Europe Geoff Hoon praised on Wednesday Slovenia's preparations for its upcoming stint as EU president. He said that the country's spell would result in shifts in important EU issues as he met EU Affairs State Secretary Janez Lenarcic. More » Slovenian MEPs have welcomed the new EU directive aimed at bringing down mobile phone roaming charges, which was adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Major Slovenian mobile operators meanwhile say the directive is strict, but they intend to respect it as it agrees with their business policy. More » To mark the 90th anniversary of the ceasefire at the Isonzo front, the Tolmin Museum will launch on Saturday the exhibition "Isonzo Front 1915 - 1917" to shed new light on one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War. More » An exhibition showcasing architects who learnt their art from the best known Slovenian architect Joze Plecnik and then went on to study with Le Corbusier will open in Ljubljana on Tuesday in what is a tribute to both architects in the jubilee year. More » The 25th anniversary of Nova revija, an intellectual journal that played an instrumental role in Slovenia's struggle for independence, was marked on Monday with the release of the 300th issue. More » Archaeologists have unearthed a grave containing bronze jewelery and ceramics from the late 7th century B.C. at a site near Novo Mesto in what is deemed one of the most important archaeological finds in Slovenia in recent years. More » Francesco Frangialli, secretary general of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), said on Thursday that maintaining the competitive ability of tourist destinations required innovation and cooperation on the global and regional levels. More » Interior ministers of nine Schengen zone candidate countries agreed in Warsaw on Saturday that the preparations of the 2004 EU newcomers for entering the passport-free zone were going according to the plans, Interior Minister Dragutin Mate said. More » Schedule of Events for 29 May-3 June More »

Slovenia News 22 May 2007

A week full of events saw Slovenia receive the invitation to join the OECD, a World Bank conference at Bled and allegations aimed misuse of intelligence agency's funds. The coalition parties and two opposition groups signed an agreement on cooperation in the run-up to and during Slovenia's presidency over the EU. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer visited Slovenia and presidential candidate Alojz Peterle received support from the senior coalition Slovenian Democrats (SDS). Portugal could greatly assist Slovenia with its experiences and Slovenia could also aid Portugal in tackling important challenges, Slovenian and Portuguese foreign ministers, Dimitrij Rupel and Luis Amado, agreed as they discussed the upcoming EU presidency stints of the two countries. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel met on Thursday his Costa Rican counterpart Bruno Stagno Ugarte. The pair, meeting at the sidelines of the 9th ministerial of the Human Security Network, discussed bilateral relations and the EU-Latin America summit in May next year. More » The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Thursday in favour of Slovenia's bid for a seat on the UN Human Security Council. Slovenia got 167 votes of the necessary 97 in its second attempt to secure a seat on the body. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa and visiting Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer expressed optimism on Friday about a solution for Slovenian-German city limits in the Austrian province of Carinthia. It is too early as yet to talk about a result, but one "cannot exclude the possibility" that an agreement will be reached by the summer, Gusenbauer told reporters. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel reacted on Monday to the recently-published map of Croatian shellfish farms that places the maritime border between the two countries in the middle of the Bay of Piran, saying that this is another in the line of Croatian provocations regarding the border between the two countries. More » Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Janez Podobnik and his Czech counterpart Martin Bursik agreed on close ties between experts, especially as part of the preparations for the two countries' EU presidencies, as they met in Prague on Monday. More » The Slovenian-Austrian commission for cooperation in culture, education and science adopted on Wednesday in Ljubljana the second programme for cooperation between the two governments for the 2008-2012 period. More » The cabinet adopted on Thursday a draft national higher education resolution for the 2007-2010 period. The aim of the document is to create a single higher education and research area and increase the funds for higher education studies and research to 5% of GDP. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa believes that the Slovenian Armed Forces have managed to keep honour as one of their most important foundations. Jansa, speaking in Ljubljana on Tuesday at the ceremony marking Slovenian Armed Forces Day, added that the army has faced tough work since Slovenia's independence. More » The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) invited on Wednesday Slovenia - along with four other nations - to join the organisation, fulfilling the country's decade-long foreign policy goal. More » Trade between India and Slovenia totalled only EUR 85m last year. According to Tarun Das, chief adviser to the Confederation of Indian Industry, an increase in trade is a precondition for more Indian foreign investment in Slovenia. More » The increasing clout of the private sector in development topped the agenda as a World Bank conference on development economics got under way at Bled on Thursday. Three or four decades ago the World Bank did not pay much attention to the private sector, now everyone is betting on it, Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk said in his keynote address. More » Slovenia earmarked EUR 7.8m for foreign direct investment (FDI) incentives in 2007 and 2008, Jan Stanovnik of the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments told the press in Ljubljana on Friday. More » Energy group Petrol topped the list of biggest Slovenian companies in terms of revenues in 2006, while pharmaceuticals company Lek, part of the Novartis group, topped the list in terms of profit, shows a survey of the 300 biggest Slovenian companies published by daily Delo. More » The number of university degrees obtained rose by 8.6% to 17,145 in 2006, data from the Statistics Office shows. The biggest rise over 2005 was seen in the number of post-graduate degrees, which increase 25% to 1,899. More » The presidents of the four coalition parties (Slovenian Democrats (SDS), New Slovenia (NSi), People's Party (SLS) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS)) and the opposition Social Democrats (SD) alongside the group of unaffiliated MPs signed an agreement on cooperation in the run-up to and during Slovenia's EU presidency in the first half of 2008. More » The state is intent on encouraging young people to make innovations because that is what it pays most, an official said on Tuesday at an event aimed at promoting innovation. More » The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) sees climate change as an opportunity for Slovenian companies which develop new technologies, which is why it staged a conference in Ljubljana on Wednesday to push for changes that would encourage the corporate sector to go green. More » The EU presiding trio, among them Slovenia, on Tuesday signed a declaration calling for gender equality in the EU. The document encourages all 27 member states to do away with sex-based stereotypes in all areas. More » "Opa, Evropa", a book aimed at promoting the EU among the young, was presented in Ljubljana on Wednesday. European Affairs State Secretary Janez Lenarcic said that the book - a translation of the Austrian book "The EU for you!" - presented the EU in a comprehensible way without the European lingo. More » President Janez Drnovsek, the commander-in-chief of Slovenian Armed Forces, visited on Tuesday Slovenian soldiers serving in the KFOR mission in Kosovo. The mission in Kosovo is proof that the Slovenian army is becoming increasingly professional and well trained, Drnovsek said in his speech. More » Slovenian flag carrier Adria Airways has announced it is resuming regular flights from Ljubljana to Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin. The company plans to carry 16,000 passengers on the three lines over the summer. More » High-school graduates from Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Croatia broke on Friday noon a new Guinness world record in mass quadrille dancing, as the total of 42,060 graduates in 45 cities danced to the tune of Strauss' quadrille from the opera "Bat". More » The 60th anniversary of legendary Italian carmaker Ferrari prompted the sports car manufacturer to put together a caravan of its vehicles to transverse the globe. A part of the caravan, twelve Ferraris in all, stopped in Ljubljana on Saturday to a welcome by Italian Ambassador to Slovenia Daniele Verga and Mayor Zoran Jankovic. More » A Slovenian maker of motorcycle exhausts has reportedly struck a deal with sports car maker Porsche. Daily Dnevnik has reported that the expansion into the car exhaust segment is the next step in the development of Akrapovic. More » Around 250 people gathered in Tivoli park in Ljubljana on Sunday to meditate as part of a global initiative. The organiser of the event in Slovenia, Nina Thalan, said the goal of the meeting was "to bring the spiritual world closer to the people". More » Slovenia's Ambassador to the United States Samuel Zbogar successfully completed his first full marathon in Cleveland on Sunday after having run half-marathons in Texas, Tennessee and Washington DC in a bid to raise money for the Slovenian-run International Trust Fund for Demining (ITF). More » Slovenia was marking on Saturday Lipizzaner Day, dedicated to honouring the famous white horses that are bred at the Lipica Stud Farm in the southwest of the country. As part of celebrations, the Lipica Stud Farm is to bring several of its horses to Ljubljana, where a number of events are to be held, including free coach rides, said Kobilarna Lipica, the institution running the stud farm. More » Slovenia is to host this week in Bled a three-day meeting of the Regional Commission of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for Europe, with the discussion focusing on innovation and adjustment to changes in tourism, head of the Tourism Directorate at the Economy Ministry, Marjan Hribar, told the press on Monday. More » The government will make an effort to facilitate crossing the border with Croatia for the local population, alongside their main tasks, protecting the Schengen border in line with EU standards, Interior Minister Dragutin Mate said on Wednesday at a panel hosted in the border town of Podcetrtek. More » Schedule of Events for 22-27 May More »

Slovenia News 15 May 2007

Nova Kreditna banka Maribor (NKBM), is to be listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange before the year ends. According to Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk, 49% of Slovenia's second largest bank will be floated while a banking and insurance holding would be created around the NKBM in a year and a half. The holding is to include insurers Zavarovalnica Maribor, Tilia and reinsurer Pozavarovalnica Sava and will be based in Maribor. Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel visited Israel, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia and Egypt between 5 and 9 May in order to exchange information and positions before Slovenia's begins its spell as EU president in the first half of 2008. Rupel said that the visit gave him a fairly complete picture of the situation in the region. More » Slovenia has been invited to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a 30-member rich countries' club. Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who revealed the news on Monday, said Slovenia waited ten years for the invitation. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on Monday said that EU foreign ministers would give democratic and pro-European forces in Serbia a positive signal regarding the formation of a new government. However he was quick to point out that the process at the UN Security Council regarding the status of Kosovo needed to be kept in mind. More » The Chinese Embassy in Ljubljana held on Friday a reception marking the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Slovenia. New Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Zhi Zhaolin said on the occasion that the two countries had established strong foundations for cooperation and friendly relations. More » Institute 25 June, an outfit with links to the coalition People's Party (SLS), unveiled on Monday a new map of Slovenia which details eight "problem spots" on the border with Croatia in a bid to bolster Slovenia's arguments in the border dispute and assist negotiators. More » Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and his Italian counterpart Massimo D'Alema signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in numerous fields, in particular energy, the environment and transport. This is a sign of the "high quality of bilateral relations," Rupel said in Brussels. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Monday that Slovenia and Poland had "similar views" on EU matters, including the currently topical issues concerning the future institutional make-up of the bloc, the fate of the constitutional treaty and enlargement. More » The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee marked Europe Day on Wednesday with a festive session at which speakers highlighted achievements as well as challenges facing the EU 57 years after Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, paved the way for the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor to today's EU. More » After being presented the annual report on the preparedness of the Slovenian Armed Forces, President Janez Drnovsek said on Thursday he was satisfied with the progress in the Slovenian army. More » Slovenia will earmark EUR 720,000 for the protection of its armed forces in three years, Defence Minister Karl Erjavec said in Brussels on Monday after he and 18 of his counterparts from the EU and Norway agreed a defence, research and technology joint investment programme on force protection. More » The Slovenian Armed Forces will celebrate on Tuesday its 16th anniversary as an independent military force. The main event will take place at the Cankarjev dom conference centre in Ljubljana, with the keynote address by Prime Minister Janez Jansa. President Janez Drnovsek will meanwhile be visiting Slovenian soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. More » The Celje-based company Maksim has won a public tender for the purchase of 5.6 hectares of industrial land in Indjija, in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, where it intends to build a hot-dip galvanizing plant. More » An economic think tank said on Thursday that Slovenia's economy would expand by 4.7% this year, contradicting the recently downgraded forecasts by the European Commission. The government Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) said its data was based on upbeat reports from the first four months of this year. More » Nova Kreditna banka Maribor, Slovenia's second largest bank, is to be listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange before the year end, Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk told the press in Ljubljana on Friday. According to Bajuk, 49% of the bank will be floated and is expected to land in the hands of institutional investors. More » Hidria Automotive, a division of the Hidria industrial conglomerate, has signed a strategic supply contract with car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen which it hopes will boost the sales of its automotive division from EUR 40m to EUR 100m in three years. More » Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak promoted Slovenia as having great potential for incoming foreign direct investment (FDI) as he addressed a Slovenian-Polish business conference in Warsaw on Monday. There is great untapped potential for bilateral cooperation in this field, Vizjak told executives. More » The increasing frequency of droughts and warnings of climate change are causing a rise in the need for irrigation systems in Slovenia. According to the Agriculture Ministry, some 15,000 hectares of land are irrigated in Slovenia, while the country would need twice the amount. More » The biggest educational institution of the Slovenian minority in the Austrian province of Carinthia, the Slovenian Gymnasium, celebrated in Klagenfurt on Wednesday its 50th anniversary. The school is of exceptional importance for the existence of Slovenians in Carinthia, principal Miha Vrbinc pointed out. More » Jure Zupan, the science, technology and higher education minister, presented on Monday a EUR 1.3m project that has brought fast internet access to all Slovenian student dorms. This means that over 9,000 students got internet access, Zupan told the press in Ljubljana. More » The heads of coalition parties and the opposition Social Democrats (SD) endorsed on Friday, 11 May, an interim solution that will give the former MPs of the opposition Liberal Democracy (LDS) back the seats in parliamentary working bodies that the 12 deputies lost after leaving the party more than two months ago. More » The 35th International Days of Minerals, Fossils and Environment (MinFos), one of the biggest events of the kind in Europe, opened in the northwestern town of Trzic on Friday evening. The main part of the event was an exhibition featuring 70 exhibitors from the EU, Croatia, Serbia and Australia. More » Ljubljana was treated to a magnificent display of fireworks on Tuesday night ahead of double holiday. While Slovenia is marking Europe Day along with all other members of the EU, Ljubljana remembers the day when the victory over the Nazis was declared back in 1945. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa believes that political and economic situation is favourable for solving the EU's crisis. Slovenia wants the breakthrough to come this June as that would make its six months at the helm of the EU in the first half of 2008 much easier, the prime minister said in Sintra on Saturday. More » Bulgarian Transport Minister Peter Moutafchiev visited Slovenia on Tuesday in what his Slovenian counterpart Janez Bozic labelled as the beginning of cooperation between the countries in transport. More » Serbian flag carrier JAT will launch on 23 June weekly flights between the Serbian capital of Belgrade, the Slovenian coastal resort of Portoroz and the Italian capital of Rome, the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) said on Wednesday. More » The French pioneers of electronic tango Gotan Project and Portuguese fado diva Mariza are the highlights of this-year's Druga godba festival of world music, to be held in Ljubljana between 21 and 28 May. More » A mas was celebrated on Sunday by Ljubljana Archbishop and Metropolitan Alojz Uran to mark the 300th anniversary of the consecration of the Ljubljana cathedral. More » Idrija, a town in northern Slovenia known for one of the world's biggest mercury mines, has joined efforts with Spain's Almaden, Huancavelica in Peru and San Luis Potasi in Mexico in what will be the first ever serial intercontinental bid for a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing. More » The Slovenian extreme swimmer Martin Strel returned to Slovenia on Friday, a month after he completed his record-breaking swim of the Amazon. The Amazon swim was very dangerous, even life-threatening, however, the project was very successful, since it drew a lot of public attention, Strel said at a press conference at Ljubljana's Brnik airport. More » The traditional 51st hike around Ljubljana brought over 6,000 people to the path that follows the track of the barbed wire which enclosed the city during WWII, the organising company Timing Ljubljana told STA on Saturday. More » Writer Boris Pahor, a member of the Slovenian minority in Italy, was awarded the Legion of Honour (Legion d'honneur), the highest French state order, the Trieste-based paper Primorski dnevnik writes on Saturday. More » The hills below Mt Golica in northern Slovenia were again covered with white mountain daffodils this year. Indeed, the early spring caused the flowers to blossom some three weeks earlier than usual, however, intensive farming and lack of mowing are endangering the landmark plants. More » Slovenia cannot compete with big airports abroad. However, it can become a regional centre and starting-point for flights to Central, East and South-East Europe, the members of the Slovenian Tourism Council agreed at their meeting on Tuesday. More » The Slovenian EU presidency in the first half of 2008 dominated Friday's meeting between European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou and his host, Health Minister Andrej Brucan. More » Schedule of Events from 15 to 20 May More »

Slovenia News 7 May 2007

In a slow week for news due to Labour Day, the European Commission issued a report labelling Slovenia's euro switch a clear success and in certain aspects even surpassing the performance of the member states that adopted the euro in 2002. The big-bang approach works and can be a valuable example to other continues that are still to take over the joint currency, the Commission says. It adds that the Slovenian experience illustrated once more that perception, expectation and reality with respect to price evolutions do not "necessary go together". Prime Minister Janez Jansa said it was time for the Slovenian nation to move into adulthood following its democratic transition and called for Slovenians to join forces in using the opportunities that statehood has brought as he addressed the main ceremony on Resistance Day. More » The report on global freedom of the press, published by the Freedom House organisation on Tuesday, placed Slovenia on 39-45th spot out of 195 countries worldwide. Media in Slovenia were assessed as free, and the country was ranked on 17-20th spot among EU members. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa has promised Slovenia's full support to Cyprus in its efforts to join the eurozone as he met visiting Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos. In a dinner meeting on Thursday, the pair spoke about bilateral relations and topical international issues. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel exchanged views on the options for the revival of the Middle East peace process with Israeli officials on Sunday as he began his tour of the region ahead of Slovenia's spell as EU president in the first half of 2008. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa has hailed Nicolas Sarkozy's victory in Sunday's presidential runoff in France, saying it presages positive moves in France's position on some key aspects of the European future. More » Labour Ministry State Secretary Marko Strovs says that amendments to the pension act which the ministry is currently working on will not change retirement conditions. However, the motion is designed to induce people to retire as late as possible. More » Labour, the Family and Social Affairs Minister Marjeta Cotman has said in an address ahead of Tuesday's International Labour Day that she wished Slovenians felt good at their work place and that their work be a source of satisfaction and happiness. More » Slovenians can proudly say today that their homeland is making rapid progress, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Monday in his address ahead of International Labour Day. He added that today's quickly changing and developing world also called for the nurturing of human values and solidarity between people. More » The German retail clothes chain C&A plans to open branches in four Slovenian cities. The first store is scheduled to open in the NE city of Maribor on 30 August. More » Beverage group Pivovarna Lasko managed to acquire just under 50% of the outstanding shares of publisher Delo, increasing its stake to 94.09% in a takeover bid that expired on 3 May. Lasko spent just over EUR 45m on the acquisition and labelled the bid a success. More » The number of people living in Slovenia decreased by 1,237 (0.06%) in the last quarter of 2006, putting the country's population at 2,010,377 at the end of last year, the Statistics Office has said. More » Prices of goods and services in Slovenia amounted to 75% of the EU average in 2004 and 2005, the head of the Statistics Office Irena Krizman told the press on Friday. While commodities were 16% cheaper on average, services cost more than 30% less, she said. More » The construction of a new conference centre at the Brdo pri Kranju diplomatic protocol complex which is to host all main events during Slovenia's presidency over the EU next year is progressing according to schedule. Nine months after the construction was launched the officials in charge say the centre will open on time to host some 150 events planned. More » A majority of Slovenians believe the country is well-prepared to preside over the 27-nation bloc in the first half of 2008 so that its stint will be a success, a poll published on Saturday suggests. More » Slovenia joined the EU exactly three years ago in the largest round of EU enlargement to date. During its EU membership the country managed to adopt the euro, it is looking at joining the Schengen no-border zone by the end of the year and will become the first 2004 newcomer to preside over the bloc in the first half of 2008. More » The European Commission presented on Friday its report on the euro changeover in Slovenia, labeling it a clear success and in certain aspects even surpassing the performance of the member states that adopted the euro in 2002. More » Europe Week, to be held between 5 and 12 May, will be packed with a diverse set of activities throughout Slovenia. As organisers told the press in Ljubljana on Friday, the festivities will foremost mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has called for NATO to aid countries from the Western Balkans in order to ensure their speedy integration into the alliance. Rupel issued the call at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo. More » The Parisian tango outfit Gotan Project, cult metal band Cradle of Filth, and modern roots' Gentleman and the Far East Band are just some of the big names that will appear at music festivals throughout the country during the open-air concerts season which will start in May in Ljubljana. More » Like many parts of Europe, Slovenia is currently basking in unusually high temperatures for this time of the year. The high temperatures and lack of rain over the past three weeks have people talking about the effects of global warming. More » The Liberation Front was established in Ljubljana on 26 April 1941 in the house of writer and literary critic Josip Vidmar, only two weeks after Slovenia, then a part of Yugoslavia, was occupied by Nazi Germany and ten days after the Yugoslav authorities surrendered in Belgrade. More » Posocje, a mountainous border region in northwest Slovenia where some of the fiercest alpine battles took place in WWI, extended its tourist offer on Wednesday with a renovated Austro-Hungarian artillery fort. The fort will be one of six open air museums in the region, Zdravko Likar of the Poti miru foundation, which helped to renovate the building said. More » Smokers in Slovenia are facing tighter restrictions this summer as the National Assembly is expected to pass amendments to the anti-smoking act in the first half of this year. The amendments which were adopted by the government in the end of April envisage further restrictions of smoking in all indoor public and work places. More » Slovenia's Mitja Petkovsek topped the parallel bars competition at the European Gymnastics Championships in Amsterdam on Sunday, bagging his second consecutive European gold. Aljaz Pegan meanwhile took silver on the high bar, coming second only to Germany's Fabian Hambuechen. More » Marko Baloh, one of best extreme cyclists in the world, broke the world record in 12-hour cycling on Tuesday. Covering 458,8 km, Baloh improved the record set by American Tom Nieman by 30 km. Baloh managed to break two more world records during this venture, with which he marked the World Asthma Day. More »

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