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This summary is provided by the STA
Yaskawa inaugurates first robot factory in Europe
KOČEVJE - The Japanese robot manufacturer Yaskawa inaugurated its new robot factory in the southern Slovenian town of Kočevje, in what is its first such facility in Europe and outside Asia. Test production at Yaskawa Europe Robotics, which is to manufacture different types of six-axis robots, was launched at the end of January. The new facility has almost 10,000 sq. metres of usable premises. By 2023 it should employ some 200 workers and annually put out 6,000 industrial robots.
Cerar expects short Brexit extension
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar expects another extension of Brexit, but he would prefer it to be short and to motivate the UK to do what it had committed to. Another extension would be sensible only if it leads to the confirmation of the Brexit deal in the UK, that is to an orderly Brexit to the benefit of both sides. A very clear reason would be needed to justify a longer extension, Cerar told the STA as he attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Cerar says Slovenia right to support Venezuelan President Guaido
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia is on the right side of history in supporting Venezuelan President Juan Guaido to carry out a new presidential election, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said in a statement for the STA as he attended an EU foreign affairs ministerial. The crisis in Venezuela was at the top of the ministerial's agenda, with Cerar describing the discussion as very serious and long. He believes it is key that provision of humanitarian aid is de-politicised.
Slovenia opposes extension of border checks by Austria
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar said there were no reasons for Austria to extend control on the borders with Slovenia and Hungary, as announced by his Austrian counterpart Herbert Kickl in a recent letter to the European Commission. "This measure is unwarranted and disproportionate, and there is no reason for it," Poklukar said, adding that Slovenia was protecting the Schengen border well and effectively.
Petišovci refinery gets green light but fracking permit still pending
LJUBLJANA - In the latest development in the controversial gas extraction project in Petišovci (NE), UK investor Ascent Resources has obtained the permit for a planned gas processing plant. However, according to Delo, things are not looking good for the investor in the separate permit procedure for hydraulic fracturing. The decision by the Environment Agency, which Delo says was issued on 28 March, comes after the original permit for the refinery, issued in 2015, had been successfully challenged by environmentalists.
C-bank governor appeals to PM over bail-in recourse
LJUBLJANA - Boštjan Vasle, the governor of Slovenia's central bank, addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Marjan Šarec arguing that the bill designed to provide recourse for holders of subordinated bank liabilities who were wiped out in the 2013 bank bailout should make it clear the central bank was not liable to pay damages. The letter comes after the government started debating the bill last week. The Finance Ministry did not say whether it had taken into consideration any of the remarks submitted by the stakeholders.
Croatia reportedly tried to prevent arbitration wiretapping story
LJUBLJANA - POP TV reported that the Croatian government had used an intermediary to try to prevent the commercial broadcaster's news portal from revealing that the Croatian intelligence agency SOA was behind the tapping of the phone calls between Slovenia's judge and agent in the border arbitration. POP TV journalist Jure Tepina said today that a day before the portal planned to publish the name and a photograph of the Croatian operative behind the recording, a phone call came from a person asking the portal not to run the story.
Joint SDS and SLS EU election slate in the lead in Parsifal poll
LJUBLJANA - A survey by the pollster Parsifal published by Nova24TV on Monday showed the joint list of the opposition Democrats (SDS) and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) leading the race ahead of the May EU election, polling at 14.2%. Second placed is the coalition Social Democrats (SD), polling at 7.3%, and the ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) came in third at 6.4%. More than 27% of respondents said they would not go to the polls.
Tushek Supercars presents lightest hybrid car
SLOVENJ GRADEC - Austrian-Slovenian company Tushek Supercars presented the world's lightest hybrid car, TS 900 Apex sports car, in Slovenia, planning to launch a small-scale production in 2020. Tushek Supercars, based in Austria's Graz, has already received 12 orders for the car, mostly from Europe but also the Middle East and China. Its price is estimated at 1.2 million euro. The company has been developing the hyper car for 12 years, creating a vehicle that "does not follow the trends but sets them", said company co-founder and the hybrid's constructor Aljoša Tušek, a former Slovenian racer.
Revoz, Lek, Krka and Gorenje top exporters
LJUBLJANA - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car maker Renault, continues to top Delo's list of Slovenia's largest exporters, followed by pharmaceutical companies Lek and Krka, and the household appliances maker Gorenje. The quartet contributed 17.4% to Slovenia's overall exports as they peaked at EUR 30.9bn last year, 9.2% up from 2017. The newspaper also said that despite the global economic slowdown, Slovenian exporters were not pessimistic. Many report having difficulties keeping up with the orders because of staff shortages.
Pošta reportedly buying 72% stake in Intereuropa
MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA - The national postal company Pošta Slovenije has agreed with the sellers of Intereuropa to buy a 72% stake in the Koper-based logistics company for around EUR 105m, according to reports by the newspaper Večer and web portal Siol based on unofficial information. The media reported that Pošta Slovenije had agreed the deal with the banks SID, NLB, Gorenjska Banka, SKB and Intesa Sanpaolo. The postal company reportedly outbid the British freight forwarder Xpediator.
Sava increases its stake in Hoteli Bernardin
PORTOROŽ - The tourism company Sava has increased its stake in hotel operator Hoteli Bernardin from 55.77% to 80.81%, while the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) reduced its share from 25% to zero, Hoteli Bernardin said. Sava became the majority owner of Hoteli Bernardin, which owns six hotels on the coast, three apartment complexes and a campsite, in mid-February. The takeover is seen as a step in the consolidation of state-owned tourism companies.
Profit of Slovenian Carthago branch doubled last year
ODRANCI - Carthago Odranci, a subsidiary of German mobile homes maker Carthago, generated almost EUR 203m revenue in the financial year that ended on 31 July 2018, up 13% year-on-year. Profit jumped from EUR 7.8m to EUR 14.7m. The company employed 774 people at the end of July, which is 30 more than the year before, shows data from the Agency for Public Legal Records (AJPES). The company is looking for more staff, so it expects the number of employees to exceed 800 soon.
Energy poverty increasing in Slovenia, panel hears
LJUBLJANA - A panel on energy poverty and air quality heard that energy poverty in Slovenia is increasing. The statistics show that the spending by the poorest segment of the population is on the increase compared to their total disposable income in the recent years, while it has remained almost unchanged for the rest of the population. The poorest fifth of the population spent 13.1% of their disposable income for energy in 2002, while the share increased to 17.7% in 2015. In the same period, this share for the richest fifth was down from 4.4% to 4%.
Gazvoda's new play and "no title yet" win Slovenian theatre festival
KRANJ - Nejc Gazvoda's Silent Breath (Tihi Vdih) received the Slavko Grum Prize for best new Slovenian play which has not yet been staged, as the 49th Slovenian Drama Week closed with the awards ceremony in Kranj. The drama about an average Slovenian family which is slowly becoming marginalised was chosen by a jury from 42 plays that had been entered for the annual competition. The production no title yet (še ni naslova) was meanwhile declared the best show of the festival, winning the Šeligo Prize. It is Simona Semenič's take on the myth of Don Juan which Tomi Janežič directed for the Mladinsko Theatre from Ljubljana.
Slovenian ballet dancers win first prizes in Hungary
MARIBOR - Asami Nakashima and Yuya Omaki, Japanese-born ballet soloists of the SNG Maribor theatre, won the first prizes at the Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, the Slovenian national theatre said. SNG Maribor announced that Slovenian ballet lovers would be able to see both winners in Ludwig Minkus's Don Quixote next week. The competition dedicated to legendary Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993), was held from 30 March to 5 April.
Slovenian artists and innovators join STARTS Initiative
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian artists Miha Turšič, Špela Petrič and Zoran Srdić have been chosen to take part in an artists' residency of the European STARTS development platform, which fosters understanding and collaboration between artists and their partners from science and technology. Becoming.Eco(logical) by Turšič and Petrič, and Biobot by multimedia artist Srdić were among the 21 projects selected by an international jury from 165 entries, and granted up to EUR 30,000 in funding.
