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This summary is provided by the STA:
Janša, Orban call for closer cooperation
BLED - PM Janez Janša held talks with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban. They discussed "close all-around cooperation" between the two countries. The pair expressed strong support for the respective minorities on both sides of the border and called for stronger cooperation in a variety of bilateral projects. They also "highlighted the importance of strategic cooperation in the Central European area," Janša's office said. The meeting was held a day after Orban attended the Bled Strategic Forum, at which he participated in the leaders' panel along with Janša and several other Central and Eastern European leaders.
Croatian FM advocates bilateral resolution of open issues
BLED - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman called for the remaining open issues between Croatia and Slovenia to be resolved bilaterally as he was interviewed by the STA on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum. He noted that the EU Court of Justice advised Slovenia and Croatia to seek a bilateral solution. "Both sides need to come to terms that this is reality. There is no arbitration if there is no other side," he said. He also lauded bilateral cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.
Opposition committee members critical of PM's stances at EU summit
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee debated on Tuesday the positions Prime Minister Janez Janša advocated at the last EU summit, with the opposition MPs accusing him of supporting the alleged opposition of a group of countries to the idea to tie EU funds drawing with the respect of the rule of law. FM Anže Logar rejected the accusations, saying they were said it "typical fake, invented fake news". He noted that the session of the European Council had been held behind closed doors and that only the prime ministers knew what they had talked about.
Pivec deems boosting agricultural resistance key
KOBLENZ, Germany - The EU's agricultural ministers discussed the agricultural and food sector's resistance to the Covid-19 pandemic as they met in Germany's Koblenz. Slovenia's Aleksandra Pivec believes a further strengthening of the system's resilience to future outbreaks is key. Providing opportunities for the recovery of Europe's economy is equally important, she said at the two-day informal ministerial. The minister also highlighted the importance of immediate and joint efforts at the EU level in the event of such crises. Normal functioning of the markets and food supply chains as well as cooperation among member states are key for a stable food supply system in the EU.
Daily tally of coronavirus cases at 41 on Monday
LJUBLJANA - After a drop in new daily coronavirus cases attributed to reduced testing at the weekend, Slovenia recorded 41 infections from 1,415 tests on Monday. The overall case count hit 2,924, out of which 468 remain active cases. No fatalities were reported and hospitalisations remain stable at 25. Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said that only five of the latest cases had been imported, which showed Slovenia successfully contained the import of infections from abroad. Meanwhile, the national voluntary contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav (#StayWell), launched in mid-August for Android to help manage the epidemic, was also released for the iOS operating system.
DeSUS split over party council's powers
LJUBLJANA - After a split on whether its head Aleksandra Pivec should step down over suspicion of corruption, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) is now divided over the issue of which party body can dismiss the party president. While the commission for statute matters said on Monday that the party council has that power, a group led by Pivec begs to differ. The head of the party's council Tomaž Gantar said today that the commission's opinion would help the council make a decision next week. Pivec disagrees with the interpretation that the council can dismiss her, arguing this would mean that the party's top body, the congress, was not needed.
School year starts in-class amid warnings by experts
LJUBLJANA - The new school year started in-class for almost 191,000 primary and secondary pupils and almost 18,000 teachers. However, many precautions are in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including the wearing of face masks in common areas, which the public health authorities recommended for pupils of all ages. On the occasion, experts advised caution, saying that unlike earlier studies more recent ones show there was potential for children to not only spread coronavirus but become primary sources of infection in the family.
Loan guarantee scheme uptake at 1%
LJUBLJANA - Out of two billion euro in state loan guarantees offered to businesses as a stimulus measure passed in April to revive production in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, only about 1% have been used since the scheme became operational in mid-July. Data from SID Bank, the state-run export and development bank which manages the scheme, show a total of EUR 21 million worth of state guaranteed loans have been approved with contracts already signed for EUR 16.9 million worth of loans.
Ljubljana-Amsterdam air link suspended
BRNIK - The Dutch low-cost airline Transavia will put on hold its Ljubljana-Amsterdam service starting on 13 September due to Slovenia red-listing the Netherlands in terms of Covid-19 risk. The air route is supposed to be renewed on 29 October, online portal Ex-Yu Aviation reported. After Slovenia changed the status of the Netherlands some ten days ago, any arrivals from there regardless of their citizenship are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
Roglič and Pogačar secure historic double Slovenian stage win at Tour de France
BRIANCON, France - Slovenia's cycling star Primož Roglič won the fourth stage of the Tour de France, while Tadej Pogačar in second place helped secure a historic double win for Slovenia. Roglič, the Vuelta a Espana champion who is also among the prime candidates for final overall victory at the Tour, won the uphill sprint in Orcieres-Merlette in the Alps after 160.5 kilometres of racing. Roglič advanced to third place overall, three seconds behind Britain's Adam Yates and seven seconds behind French rider Julian Alaphilippe. 21-year-old Pogačar consolidated his fourth position overall and donned the white jersey of the best young rider.
Swim City initiative showcased in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - Swiss Ambassador to Slovenia Denis Knobel opened an exhibition themed Swim City at the Architecture and Design Museum (MAO) to present a Swiss initiative promoting swimming in city rivers as a new phenomenon in urban areas. The exhibition, set up by the Swiss Architecture Museum in 2019, highlights rivers as an important element of public space. Also on display will be a project highlighting the Ljubljanica river as one of the fundamental elements of the city of Ljubljana.
Slovenian Cinematheque paying homage to Morricone
LJUBLJANA - Film buffs are in for an exciting new season at the Slovenian Cinematheque, which strarted on Tuesday evening with a screening of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, scored by Ennio Morricone, who passed away recently. Apart from honouring the work of the famous Italian composer, Slovenska Kinoteka will also stage a retrospective of the iconic Swedish filmmaker Andersson this month, while an exhibition and film screenings will mark the centenary of Federico Fellini's birth from late October to December.
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