Slovenia News 30 January 2007

The government adopted at its session on Thursday a draft declaration outlining Slovenian activities in the EU for the period between January 2007 and June 2008. According to the document, the main priority in 2007 will be preparations for the EU presidency. The declaration, and the report on Slovenia's activities in the EU for the previous year, are amongst the most important documents the government adopts every year. According to the document, the key issues facing Slovenia's presidency include the strengthening of the European area of freedom, security and justice and the debates on the future of the EU, the European constitution, enlargement and the Schengen zone. President Janez Drnovsek and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed in New Delhi on Monday that the world is unbalanced and lacks global leadership, the president's office has said. In their opinion this is increasing the tensions between the rich and the poor. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said in Ljubljana on Wednesday that the situation in Kosovo was "relatively stable, yet fragile" and added that the province needed a clear political situation to facilitate investment. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said in Brussels on Friday that Slovenia would "continue with its military contribution in Afghanistan and also consider other aspects of support, including non-military aid, as stability cannot be attained merely through the use of military means". More » Kosovo is experiencing "the beginning of a key period, when a solution to its status is almost in sight", Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel said after meeting fellow foreign ministers from NATO member states in Brussels on Friday. According to Rupel, the solution for Kosovo needs to be adopted as soon as possible. More » The Croatian Foreign Ministry criticised on Monday a recent Slovenian diplomatic note in which Slovenia protested Croatia granting concession to the country's INA energy company to explore oil and gas sites in the Northern Adriatic. More » The government of Cyprus decided on Wednesday to open an embassy in Slovenia, the Cypriot press agency CNA reported citing government spokesperson Christodoulos Pashiardes. More » The EU presidency in the first half of 2008 is the biggest project of independent Slovenia to date and the country is actively preparing for the occasion, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Wednesday at a traditional reception for ambassadors accredited to Slovenia. More » The government adopted at its session on Thursday a draft declaration outlining Slovenian activities in the EU for the period between January 2007 and June 2008. According to the document, the main priority in 2007 will be preparations for the EU presidency. More » Oil refinery Nafta Lendava and its Austrian partner CMB Maschinenbau & Handels announced on Thursday they would build the biggest biodiesel refinery in Slovenia and one of the biggest refineries of the kind in Europe. More » The government confirmed on Thursday an agreement on Russia's clearing debt to Slovenia, under which Russia is to settle the US$ 129m debt in goods and services over three years. The deal is now in the hands of the finance and economy ministries. More » Iskra Avtoelektrika, the Sempeter pri Gorici-based maker of electronic components for the car industry, opened on Thursday a new factory in Rzhev, Russia. The Pramo Iskra venture company has a share capital of US$ 200,000 and will manufacture starters for cars, mainly for the Russian market. More » Home appliance group Gorenje is to open a factory in Stara Pazova in northern Serbia in the beginning of February to produce electric water heaters. The new factory will contribute to bolstering the company's foothold in Southeast European markets, the company told STA on Friday. More » The Public Administration Ministry concluded a EUR 6.8m deal with US software giant Microsoft at the end of 2006. The three-year contract involves licenses for Microsoft software, the ministry has told STA. More » The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) estimates that Slovenia's economy expanded by 5.1% in 2006, up from its original forecast of 4.5%, on the back of strong investment and growth. More » The European Commission said on Tuesday that Slovenia's programme for keeping public finances stable in the period 2006-2009 was plausible but lacked ambition. Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk did not agree with the part about not being ambitious enough. More » Less than half of Slovenians (48%) believe that people of different ethnic origin enrich the culture of the country, while the EU 25 average stands at 65%, revealed Eurobarometer survey presented by the European Commission on Tuesday. More » Slovenian literature will be in the spotlight at the Leipzig Book Fair, the oldest book fair in Europe, which will be open between 21 and 25 March, fair director Oliver Zille told the press in Ljubljana on Tuesday. More » The home theatre ensemble will lift the curtain on the annual festival of comedy at the Celje theatre house tonight. Running until 18 February, Days of Comedy will feature eight productions in the competition programme. More » Slovenian ultra-marathon swimmer Martin Strel is embarking on his latest venture, making an attempt at setting a new long distance world record by swimming 5,430 kilometres of the world's greatest river, the Amazon. Strel will begin his adventure in Peru on 1 February and hopefully conclude it in Belem, Brazil on 11 April. More » Some 60 politicians, diplomats and company executives met on Saturday at the Pokljuka plateau for the 15th cross-country race. The track was completed the quickest by former labour minister and an MP of the ruling coalition New Slovenia (NSi) Janez Drobnic. More » A remembrance ceremony was held in Ljubljana on Sunday to mark the 62nd anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz, with the key-note speakers pointing out that the memory of the horrors of this camp, which is estimated to have caused the deaths of more than 1.5 million people, is fading away all too quickly. More » Slovenia woke up on Thursday morning to discover that the entire country was finally covered in snow, the first time this winter. Ski lift operators sighed with relief as snow finally coated Slovenia. According to a website providing information on snow at Slovenian ski resorts the layer of snow is 15-170-cm thick. More » Slovenia attracted 2.5 million tourists last year, a 4% increase year-on-year, which means that the Tourism Board (STO) can be pleased with its activities, STO chairman Dimitrij Piciga told the press in Ljubljana on Friday. More » The first vegetarian hotel in Slovenia opened last week in Rogaska Slatina, a town in northeastern Slovenia known for hot springs. Hotel Manzato will offer its visitors vegetarian food as well as complementary medicine and spirituality services, according to the hotel's website. More » Schedule of Events from 30 January to 4 February More »

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