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This summary is provided by the STA:
Need for cooperation dominates BSF debates on topical challenges
BLED - The 16th Bled Strategic Forum brought a number of discussions on topical challenges in Europe and the world, from the Afghanistan crisis and a potential new migration crisis to problems stemming from climate change, with the need to cooperate in addressing global issues being stressed at most of the debates. The need to draw lucid lessons from Afghanistan was emphasised at a panel on European defence, while the foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries urged against a repeat of the 2016 refugee crisis. A panel on cooperation in the Adriatic Sea revolved around the emerging exclusive economic zones and cooperation of the Slovenian, Croatian and Italian ports, while Slovenian officials used the opportunity of the two-day event for a number of bilateral meetings.
Opposition leader notes Eastern Partnership of key importance for Belarusians
BLED - Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Bled Strategic Forum to note the Eastern Partnership should be supported as a crucial instrument for helping the Belarusian people. She called for visa liberalisation and inclusion of democratic forces in European Partnership meetings. She called on the EU to suspend all consultations with Belarusian officials while they are still part of the oppressive state apparatus. Tsikhanouskaya also met PM Janez Janša, with the government saying they had talked about the state of democracy and human rights in Belarus, touching on the issue of political prisoners.
Borrell and Tonin urge strengthening EU's strategic autonomy
BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU defence ministers agreed the Afghanistan experience called for enhancing building the EU's defence and military capabilities with a view to ensure the bloc's strategic autonomy. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy, part of which would be a rapid reaction force, as he spoke to the press at the end of a two-day informal meeting as part of Slovenia's EU presidency. Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin said that to do that the EU would need political will for change, most notably to change the consensus-based decision making.
EU foreign ministers discussing relations with the Taliban
BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU foreign ministers discussed ways of engaging with the Taliban, in particular in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to people in Afghanistan who want to leave, as they began a two-day informal meeting as part of Slovenia's EU presidency at Brdo pri Kranju. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said the purpose of the meeting is to try to reach an agreement on coordinated engagement with the Taliban on the basis of certain conditions, and on the possibilities of cooperation with regional players. This does not mean recognition, he stressed. On Friday, the focus will be on EU-China relations, the EU's approach towards the Gulf countries and o EU cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.
Logar and Indian FM Jaishankar discuss cooperation
BLED - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum, with the pair expressing their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields, while Jaishankar also highlighted Slovenia's support for India's agreements with the EU. Jaishankar met President Borut Pahor, with meetings with PM Janez Janša and Speaker Igor Zorčič scheduled for Friday. This is the first official visit by an Indian foreign minister to Slovenia.
Hojs criticised in EU Parliament over statement on Afghanistan
BRUSSELS, Brussels - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs presented the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency in the area of internal affairs to the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He also received numerous criticisms over the recent joint statement of EU home affairs ministers on Afghanistan which called against an uncontrolled wave of illegal migration. Hojs responded by saying the advocates of an open door to Europe were louder and had more media space, and that the MEPs' criticism was a reflection of their pain at not being in charge of certain issues.
Opeka receives Bled Strategic Forum award
BLED - Slovenian priest and missionary Pedro Opeka is the recipient of this year's Distinguished Partner Award, an accolade bestowed at the Bled Strategic Forum. He was honoured for his humanitarian work and fight against poverty in Madagascar. During his thirty years at the mission, he has built 4,000 houses, sports halls, churches and schools, and provided jobs and education to more than 500,000 Malagasy. There are currently 14,000 children in schools built by his two humanitarian associations.
Slovenia red, with over 6,000 active coronavirus cases
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia turned red as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control updated its Covid-19 colour-coded map of Europe. The country recorded 666 positive coronavirus cases for Wednesday to push the number of active cases over 6,000. The 7-day average of new cases stands at 491 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents at 283. Covid-19 hospitalisations passed 160, including 40 ICU cases. The total death toll from Covid-19 reached 4,781.
Govt overhauls gaming legislation
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a set of changes to the 1995 gaming act that the Finance Ministry started drawing up in 2015. The changes lift most restrictions concerning casino ownership and introduce granting concessions which will be granted on the basis of newly introduced public tenders. The changes will create a legal framework to enable granting concessions for the ongoing operation of classic and special games of chance in a transparent way based on a public tender, the Government Communication Office said the government session.
SDS presents resolution to condemn all totalitarianisms
LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) presented a draft declaration with which the party would like the National Assembly to support the European Parliament's 2009 resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism, which condemns all totalitarian regimes. The resolution amounts to democratic development, while victims of totalitarian regimes deserved respect, MP Branko Grims told the press. The SDS said the draft declaration had not yet been filed to parliament as it was being harmonised with its coalition parters. This will be the fifth time the SDS files such a declaration, with its latest attempt turned down in the National Assembly in March 2019.
Another exception added to the rules for entering Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - The government changed the rules for entering Slovenia to allow crossing the border for emergency medical procedures without observing the PCT (recovered, vaccinated, tested) rule or having to quarantine. The other exceptins to the rule are international transport, transit, children under 15, landowners abroad, migrant workers, and the transport of a child under 15 for the purpose of education. The government was also expected to present a new traffic light system with tiers of restrictions which will be based on the number of hospitalisations, but the new system is still being coordinated and is expected to be adopted next week.
Qualified opinion for 2020 budget, positive opinion on closing account
LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit issued a positive opinion on the closing account of the national budget for 2020, but it issued a qualified opinion on the implementation of the budget itself due to a range of shortcomings. These included flaws in the payment of hazard bonuses in the public sector, in the allocation of social transfers, and in public contracting. Some shortcomings were related to Covid-19 relief measures.
Restrictions on profit distribution for banks ending
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank said it would not extended a requirement that banks, savings banks and leasing companies may not distribute profit beyond the end of September. Banka Slovenije nevertheless expects the financial institutions will apply a conservative approach while taking into account individual circumstances. The regulator said banks should not underestimate still high risks when planning distribution of profit.
Hisense Europe makes loss in 2020, profit in last 14 months
VELENJE - The Hisense Europe Group generated just under EUR 2 billion in sales in 2020, more than 97% of which came from home appliances. It ended the year with a loss of EUR 12.8 million, of which Slovenian household appliances and TV sets Gorenje's loss was EUR 11.5 million. Nevertheless, the group has been generating profit in the last 14 months, Gorenje said in a written statement.
Mercator debt-to-equity swap confirmed
LJUBLJANA - Croatia's Fortenova, the largest single shareholder of Slovenia retailer Mercator, will convert EUR 6 million in claims into equity under a decision confirmed at a shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The operation involves the issue of 166,667 new ordinary shares at EUR 36 apiece, whereby the existing shareholders will not have the right of pre-emption, only Fortenova will be entitled to the new shares, show minutes of the meeting. The EUR 6 million claim stems from a subordinated loan Mercator got from its former owner Agrokor in 2014. After Agrokor became insolvent, the claim was transferred to Fortenova.
