STA, 14 June 2022 - A recently-found manuscript from the 12th century has turned out to be the second-oldest known document in Slovenian after the famous Freising Manuscripts. In a surprising twist, it was confirmed that the numerals from one to ten are written in the early Slovenian language, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported on Sunday.

Apart from the Freising Manuscripts, which date back to the period around 1000 AD, the early forms of Slovenian have so far been documented through geographical and personal names.

The analysis has confirmed that the recently-discovered Heiligenkreutz manuscript, which is kept at the monastery of the same name in Austria, can now join the company of these documents in what was a surprise for the local linguists in Austria.

It all started last year when a Polish scientific journal published an article on numerals from one to ten written in a Slavic language that had been found in the Latin manuscript.

Slovenian linguist Matej Šekli then confirmed that the language used was early Slovenian, which was typical for the area between the eastern Alps and the Danube river at the time.

Slovenian linguist Marko Snoj told TV Slovenija that "every such finding is surprising and delightful because you can see that Slovenian was indeed once quite a big European language". At the time of Protestantism, Slovenians were 14th in Europe with a Bible translated into their language and 9th with their own grammar.

A scribe who wrote down the numerals wrote three other manuscripts at the monastery as well as manuscripts at the Rein Abbey, which had close contacts with the Stična monastery in Slovenian lands. It is for this reason that they could have been written down by a Slovenian scribe from Stična, the public broadcaster said.

The Freising Manuscripts, kept at the Bavarian State Library in Germany, remain the oldest Slovenian language text and the first Latin-script text in any Slavic language.

Taking up nine pages of a larger Church codex written in Latin, they feature three complete liturgies written in the Slovenian as spoken at the time. Two texts are translations of Old High German Confession formulas and the third is a sermon on sin and penance.

STA, 14 June 2022 - President Borut Pahor bestowed on Tuesday state decorations on lyricist Elza Budau, choreographer and dancer Edward Clug and conductor Ervin Hartman.

Budau, a poet who penned the lyrics of over 1,000 popular Slovenian songs, including some of the most memorable ones from the golden period of Slovenian chanson, was honoured with the Silver Order of Merit.

"Her texts, together with the melodies of the greatest Slovenian composers of so-called easy going notes, created works of art that have survived for decades and and are today part of the treasury of the nation's collective memory," the president's office said.

Clug, the Romanian-born Slovenian dancer and choreographer, whose works have sold out the Bolshoi Theatre and London Coliseum, also received the Silver Order of Merit.

pic.twitter.com/MGHq2EjJLk

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) June 14, 2022

Clug started making waves as the main name of the SNG Maribor Ballet company in the 1990s to be appointed the ensemble's artistic director in 2003.

Pahor's office said Clug, the recipient of a number of prestigious international awards, helped SNG Maribor Ballet conquer the world.

Hartman, who has conducted a number of wind orchestras in Slovenia and abroad, was conferred the Medal of Merit for his contribution to the development of wind orchestra music and music culture in Slovenia.

He is the author of the first Slovenian manual for leading a wind orchestra in motion and is credited with the first performances of many Slovenian composers. In 1990 he founded a music publishing house which has published more than 300 mainly novel Slovenian pieces for wind orchestras.

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Slovenia's efforts shift to humanitarian, development aid to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon indicated the country's efforts regarding Ukraine would shift to the provision of development and humanitarian aid, after the previous government focused on sending military aid. "We have projects such as demining with which Slovenia can help Ukraine," she said in the aftermath of two conflicting high-profile public letters questioning Slovenia's positioning on Ukraine. Since the start of the war Slovenia has provided Ukraine humanitarian assistance worth EUR 3.2 million and around EUR 7 million worth of military aid, according to the Foreign Ministry.

New, cross-partisan appeal on Ukraine policy addressed to govt

LJUBLJANA - A new appeal about Slovenia's stance on Ukraine has been sent to PM Robert Golob and FM Tanja Fajon by a number of public figures, including several ex-ministers. The cross-partisan appeal says peace in Ukraine can be achieved only through decisive support for Ukraine's defence, not with a format of talks that led to the Minsk Agreements, as the signatories rejected the idea expressed in a letter last week co-signed by two former presidents that argues for appeasement with Russia. The coalition Freedom Movement and the Left expressed reservations about this and the previous letter.

Slovenian ambassador back in Kyiv

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Ambassador to Ukraine Tomaž Mencin returned to the capital Kyiv, having left the city at the outset of Russia's invasion, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said, describing the move as "an important message to Ukraine." "I am satisfied that our ambassador returned to the Slovenian embassy in Kyiv today," she told the press after talks with Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

SDS proposes resolution on prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) proposed a resolution in support of a resolution by the European Parliament that is dedicated to the fight against impunity for war crimes in Ukraine. MP Branko Grims said the crimes that were committed there showed clear signs of genocide, adding that this "naturally cannot remain without response or consequences". The party has requested an extraordinary session of parliament on the matter.

Constitutional Court promised parliament's help in boosting rule of law

LJUBLJANA - Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič pledged to advocate for Constitutional Court rulings to be put into effect as she received the court's president Matej Accetto. The institution, which tells the other branches of government whether they have acted in compliance with the constitution, must be respected and protected, she said. Accetto said the court expected mutual cooperation from the legislature aimed at enhancing the rule of law.

Ethnic Slovenian elected mayor of Duino-Aurisina

AURISINA, Italy - Igor Gabrovec was elected mayor of Duino-Aurisina/Devin-Nabrežina, a municipality north of the city of Trieste bordering Slovenia, in Italian local elections on Sunday. He has become the seventh ethnic Slovenian mayor in Italy, the Trieste-based Slovenian newspaper Primorski Dnevnik reported.

Second-oldest known document in Slovenian found

LJUBLJANA - A recently-found manuscript from the 12th century has turned out to be the second-oldest known document in ancient Slovenian after the famous Freising Manuscripts. An analysis confirmed that the numerals from one to ten are written in an early Slovenian language, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported. The recently-discovered Heiligenkreutz manuscript is kept at the monastery of the same name in Austria.

Sexual abuse in focus as Catholic dignitaries visit Vatican

VATICAN CITY, Vatican - The leadership of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference met with Pope Francis during their visit to the Holy See. Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was one of the main points of discussion in their meetings, including the one with the Pope. Apart from zero tolerance to sexual violence, the interlocutors also expressed the belief that victims should be in the focus of efforts, the Bishops' Conference said.

AmCham debate finds private practitioners can upgrade public health system

LJUBLJANA - Private practitioners and concessionaires should not be seen as a threat to the public health system but rather as an upgrade, heard a debate hosted by AmCham Slovenija and featuring representatives of the corporate sector. Quality of services is what they said mattered more to patients than the ownership of health providers.

Patient organisations form union to promote their rights

LJUBLJANA - More than 20 patient associations have joined forces to establish the Union of Patient Associations of Slovenia choosing Štefanija Lukič Zlobec as the chair. "Our aim is to engage in dialogue and work with all stakeholders to improve the situation," said the head of Spominčica, an association helping out with dementia.

Akrapovič posts over EUR 20m in 2021 profit

IVANČNA GORICA - Exhaust systems maker Akrapovič recorded EUR 150 million in revenue and EUR 20.1 million in profit in 2021, surpassing its pre-pandemic business results. Although the war in Ukraine still affects its business, the Ivančna Gorica-based company plans to expand production in Črnomelj, south-east.

Another Slovenian satellite ready for launch

KOUROU, French Guiana - The latest Slovenian satellite to be sent into space, the Trisat-R, has been delivered from Maribor to French Guiana, where it is scheduled to be launched on a VEGA-C rocket on 7 July. Its main purpose are measurements of ionising radiation in the medium Earth orbit to model the magnetospheric environment and better understand space weather.

Three artists receive presidential decorations

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor bestowed state decorations on lyricist Elza Budau, choreographer and dancer Edward Clug and conductor Ervin Hartman. Budau and Cug received the Silver Order of Merit, and Hartman the Medal of Merit for his contribution to the development of wind orchestra music and music culture in Slovenia.

New documentary on leprosy in Sudan to bring about change

LJUBLJANA - A film about leprosy in Sudan by Slovenian human rights activists Tomo Križnar and Bojana Pivk Križnar premiered in Ljubljana on Monday. In an ensuing debate, the chair of the WHO executive board and a Foreign Ministry official commented on the failure of institutions to tackle the issue, arguing for cooperation between authorities and NGOs.

No excessive lead values found in gypsum-polluted soil

SLOVENJ GRADEC - A chemical analysis of soil treated with waste gypsum showed no excess values of heavy metals, the Agricultural Institute said. While the values of heavy metal in soil remain within the legal boundaries initial chemical analyses of the gypsum showed lead values that were 40 times higher than allowed. The results come three months after it was reported that farmers in Koroška had been misled to believe that the white matter sold to them was lime.

STA, 14 June 2022 - Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has indicated the country's efforts regarding Ukraine would shift to the provision of development and humanitarian aid, after the previous government focused on sending military aid.

"We have projects such as demining with which Slovenia can help Ukraine. I hope we can find a common alliance when it comes to post-war rebuilding," she said after talks on Tuesday with Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

"Both countries are very strong when it comes to humanitarian aid, development aid," she said.

Since the start of the war Slovenia has provided Ukraine humanitarian assistance worth EUR 3.2 million and around EUR 7 million worth of military aid, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Fajon's comments came in the aftermath of two conflicting high-profile public letters written by intellectuals and former politicians questioning Slovenia's positioning on Ukraine.

She announced the formation of a strategic council that would debate both letters. The authors thereof will be invited to the debate.

In a subsequent press release, the Foreign Ministry said the minister had also set up a coordinating group that will cover Ukraine and propose solutions for how to help the country.

Slovenia is moreover making efforts through various diplomatic channels to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

The ministry condemned the numerous attacks on Russian civilian population and infrastructure and called for an independent inquiry by the International Criminal Court.

Overall, the war in Ukraine and the prospects of giving the country a path to EU membership topped the Fajon-Asselborn talks today.

Both ministers said Ukraine was a sovereign country with internationally recognised borders that is free to choose its security arrangements and alliance.

They said the country should continue to receive development and humanitarian aid, while warning that the conflict was a major challenge with consequences for the whole world.

Both endorsed sanctions against Russia, with Asselborn noting that the sanctions were urgent since they weakened Russian President Vladimir Putin, helped Ukraine and protected European values.

As for the EU membership prospects of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, which will be the topic of the next EU summit, they expressed support, even as they pointed out that criteria cannot be ignored.

"We'll see in the coming days what the European Commission's recommendation will be regarding Ukraine's EU membership prospects. But notwithstanding the Commission's decision, Ukraine can always count on Slovenia's support when it comes to the prospects for membership," Fajon said.

STA, 14 June 2022 - The Ljubljana Jazz Festival will see its 63rd iteration between 15 and 18 June, bringing a total of 30 concerts, including the first appearance by Tunisian oud player and composer Anouar Brahem. The highlights also include American percussionist Hamid Drake and the Big Band of the Slovenian Armed Forces.

Bogdan Benigar, the festival's programme manager, said that some of the performers were a "debt" from 2020, when the festival was held in a hybrid form due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and some of the performers had also been hosted last year.

The festival will be opened by Hamid Drake, who is returning to Ljubljana with a tribute to Alice Coltrane after the show premiered in Paris in February.

Another big name, Anouar Brahem, will present his mastery on the oud, who has been putting the ancient tradition of Arabic music in various contexts for four decades.

The Big Band of the Slovenian Armed Forces, under the baton of Izidor Leitinger, will perform his suite called Ushai, written precisely for the occasion of the Jazz Festival Ljubljana.

The concerts will take place in various venues in and around the Cankarjev Dom arts centre, including on the platform in front of it and two stages in the nearby Council of Europe Park. Most concerts will be free of charge.

Benigar said that some of the concerts will be a blend of jazz and other art forms, like the Red Rocket project by Maja Osojnik and Matija Schellander and a new music and dance project by Kristijan and Žigan Krajnčan.

Pianist Miha Gantar, the artist in residence who has recently recorded five albums, will perform three concerts - as a soloist, with singer Marta Arpini and as part of a quartet.

In addition to numerous Slovenian musicians, the festival will feature some more international appearances, including by Irreversible Entanglements of the US with guitar player Ava Mendoza, Bosnian pianist Adis Sirbubalo, Norwegian and Belgian guitar players Kim Myhr and Bert Dockx, the French-Italian trio Abacaxi and the Austrian quintet Chuffdrone.

The festival will be accompanied by a jazz fair, a concert for children by Boštjan Gombač and Sašo Vollmaier and performances by various groups from the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music.

Learn more at the official website

STA, 13 June 2022 - The government could present measures to mitigate the rising cost of living as soon as Wednesday, Prime Minister Robert Golob told the press as he visited Maribor on Monday.

If all goes to plan, the first batch of measures may be presented on Wednesday, said Golob, also expressing confidence that the measures to tackle the rising cost of energy and food will be drafted by the end of the month at the latest.

Golob also said that the government will approach the issue in stages, starting with petrol and diesel, followed by electricity, food and gas at the end.

Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer meanwhile said today that the task force of several government ministers led by Golob had had "a rather busy working weekend, working intensively on different scenarios and measures".

Attending a ceremony marking the break-through of the first of several tunnels on the new Koper-Divača railway track, Kumer told the press that the next meeting of the task force is scheduled for tomorrow. "We will discuss all possibilities, measures and combinations thereof."

Meanwhile, public broadcaster Radio Slovenija reported that Golob will meet stakeholders in the energy market tomorrow, to present to them the array and the possible combinations of measures. The Delo newspaper also reported that a meeting with grocers and oil traders is scheduled for Wednesday.

Apart from Golob and Kumer, the task force also includes Economy Minister Matjaž Han, Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko, Labour Minister Luka Mesec and Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič. The task force held its first meeting last week.

The government has said it would tackle the rising cost of energy and food in two steps. First, it will try to agree with stakeholders to share the burden. If this fails, price regulation will follow. Moreover, energy vouchers for the poor and fiscal interventions could be among the measures applied by the government.

STA 13 June 2022 - Prime Minister Robert Golob visited Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, on Monday, underlining that the only right way forward for the country is polycentric development. He believes the eastern half of the country needs a capital that would equal Ljubljana, adding that Maribor has a lot to offer.

The prime minister believes that Maribor may develop better in the future and that the city will gain back "some of its former splendour".

Pointing out an example of good practice of a decentralised state, Golob talked about the Energy Agency, which is based in Maribor.

"This is one of the few, I'm afraid even the only state institution which has been based in Maribor ever since it was established. It is independent and doing a very good job."

The prime minister believes that Maribor has enough human resources and expertise for an institution of such a calibre.

He believes that decentralisation must be based on advantages of individual areas. One cannot expect that all regions will develop equally in all fields, he said, adding that north-eastern Slovenia had the most potential in agriculture.

Predsednik vlade ?? dr. Robert Golob obisk v Mariboru zaključuje v Ljudskem vrtu, kjer je od predsednika @nkmaribor Draga Cotarja prejel dres 16-kratnih državnih prvakov v nogometu. pic.twitter.com/E9m6XgOBaG

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) June 13, 2022

Golob was accompanied on his working visit by Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh and Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Irena Šinko.

Among other things, they visited the Energy Agency and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, discussing government's priorities, including green transition, food, agriculture and self-sufficiency.

Maribor University Rector Zdravko Kačič welcomed Golob's decision to make Maribor the destination of his first visit in his role as prime minister.

"His words show support for our efforts and understanding of the situation in which Maribor and the entire Eastern Cohesion Region have found themselves" as regards unfavourable trends in people commuting daily from Slovenia's border areas to Austria for work, said Kačič.

Golob also met Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič. The latter told the press they discussed a number of topics, including regional development and de-bureaucratisation, as well as elderly care, youth and work force drain.

"We also agreed that greater support will be needed for the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy ... to boost the success of drawing funds from direct operations, not only for projects aimed at closing development gaps between regions," said Arsenovič.

When asked whether Golob and Arsenovič discussed possible cooperation for the upcoming local election, the mayor said "not in the least", while Golob said his Freedom Movement would have its own candidates contend in all urban municipalities. Slovenia has 212 municipalities, of which 12 have urban municipalities.

Golob said he would visit Maribor again soon alongside Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan to discuss health care. He said the Health Ministry had started working on a Covid exit strategy.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia's stance on Ukraine war to be discussed in parliament

MARIBOR - Slovenia's stance on the war in Ukraine will be shaped by the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, PM Robert Golob said during his Maribor visit in response to a letter by several prominent academics and politicians urging the new government to take a stance encouraging Ukraine and Russia to engage in serious peace talks. His goal is to have Slovenia's position shaped by the time he will be leaving for the EU summit late next week. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon told public broadcaster RTV Slovenija that getting Russia back to the negotiating table remained the common goal. "Slovenia's foreign policy should focus on humanitarian and development aid," she added.

First of seven Koper-Divača rail track tunnels broken through

DIVAČA - The first of the seven tunnels on route of the new, 27-km railway linking the port town of Koper with the Divača railway junction was broken through. The hole-through ceremony for the Mlinarji tunnel was attended by the Slovenian and Turkish infrastructure ministers as the track is being built by Slovenian company Kolektor CPG in cooperation with two Turkish partners. Slated for completion in 2025 and due to open in 2026, the new track is valued at almost EUR 1 billion, but officials indicated today that its price tag could increase by up to EUR 100 million due to rising prices.

PM Golob indicates polycentric development of Slovenia

MARIBOR - PM Robert Golob visited Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, underlining the only right way forward for the country is polycentric development. He believes the eastern half of the country needs a capital that would equal Ljubljana, adding that Maribor has a lot to offer. He singled out the Energy Agency, which is based in Maribor, as an example of good practice of a decentralised state. Golob was accompanied on his first working visit to any Slovenian town as prime minister by Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh and Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Irena Šinko.

Speaker calls for respect of supervisory institutions

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič called for respecting the credibility and independence of supervisory institutions as she received Court of Audit President Tomaž Vesel. If this respect is undermined, democracy and its immune system are undermined, she warned and announced greater cooperation with the Court of Audit. Vesel, who is leaving as the court's president after nine years this week, welcomed the openness to new forms of cooperation.

Coalition says it's ready to realise plans, opposition pledges constructive but firm action

LJUBLJANA - The new centre-left coalition expects the political situation to de-escalate now that the new parliament has started its work, and the level of the debate to be raised. Coalition deputy groups noted for the STA the importance of cooperation in tackling challenges and stress they are well prepared and will work together to implement their plans. The two conservative parties that moved to opposition after the 24 April general election have meanwhile promised not to abuse parliamentary tools at their disposal, but will use them when necessary, also to fight against the coalition's "misconceptions".

Minister continues to trust state secretary Skočir

LJUBLJANA - Environment Ministry State Secretary Matej Skočir, who was mentioned in a media report as a key player at the Economy Ministry in controversial purchases of ventilators at the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, continues to enjoy the trust of Environment Minister Uroš Brežan, the ministry told the STA. This is after Tarča news show revealed on Thursday parts of the criminal complaint filed against former Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek. Skočir said in writing for Tarča that he "did not have a major or decisive role" in the matter.

ECB session drives up yield on Slovenian 10-year bond to nearly 3%

LJUBLJANA - Thursday's session of the European Central Bank and the announcement of the first interest rate raising after 11 years has also pushed up the yield on the Slovenian 10-year bond - to 2.92%, a new high after the 2013 and 2014 banking system bailout. The secondary market yield on the Slovenian 10-year bond was hovering between 2% and 2.30% in recent weeks in the face of high inflation in the EU and the prospect of monetary policy restrictions.

Slovenia failed to notify Brussels of pandemic-related border checks

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The European Court of Auditors has found in a special report that Slovenia did not inform the European Commission of the introduction of border checks on EU borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 and spring of 2021 and the Commission did not check compliance with Schengen rules. The report on the right of free movement in the context of the Covid crisis says that EU countries submitted 150 official notifications of border checks within the EU between March 2020 and June 2021, with 135 of them relating exclusively to the pandemic.

Freedom Movement makes gains in Delo poll

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement gained 4.6 points to 31% in the June poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo to extend its margin ahead of the Democrats (SDS) to 9.5 points, despite the opposition party reaching its high watermark. The SDS gained 3.4 points from May to 21.4% in what is the highest showing for Janez Janša's party since the 2018 election. Delo says that future polls will show whether the polarisation around the biggest two parties has become a trend. The Robert Golob government was meanwhile given a positive score by 28% of those questioned, against 37.3% who disapprove of its job.

No Covid-19 deaths since Friday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 209 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Slovenia over the weekend, a 30% increase over the weekend before. No patient with Covid-19 has died since Friday, according to the Health Ministry. The ministry does not release fatality or hospital figures at the weekend, but data released today shows 21 patients were hospitalised for Covid-19 as their main condition this morning, including three in intensive care. Data from the National Institute of Public Health shows the 14-day incidence per 100,000 people is at 174, one down from a week ago, as the 7-day average case count rose by 43 to 281.

Prekmurje village with ties to Primorska marks its centenary

LENDAVA - Benica, a village in the north-eastern region of Prekmurje were people from the coastal Primorska region were relocated in the 1920s to consolidate the Hungary-Slovenia border, is marking 100 years of its founding. The locals have also marked 80 years since people from the village were sent to a concentration camp in Hungary during WWII. The anniversary events were hosted on Saturday in Pince Marof by the Primorska and Istrian People in Prekmurje Association and the Pince Marof-Benica Local Community.

Exhibition in Ljubljana marks Srebrenica genocide anniversary

LJUBLJANA - A video exhibition in which the survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide tell their stories is being launched at the Ljubljana Muslim Cultural Centre to kick off a month-long programme commemorating the 27th anniversary of the massacre. The exhibition Srebrenica - Our Story, Oral History is part of the permanent collection of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre. The opening ceremony will feature the author of the exhibition Hasan Hasanović and three young people from Srebrenica.

Slovenia draw with Serbia to wrap first part of Nations League

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian men's football team drew 2:2 with Serbia wrapping up the June slot of the Group 4 play in League B of the UEFA Nations League in Stožice Stadium on Sunday evening. Slovenia have two points from four matches and are on the bottom of the table ahead of the final two encounters in September. Slovenia will play at home against Norway on 24 September and will be hosted by Sweden on 27 September. The last-placed team in the group will be relegated to the third-tier League C.

STA, 13 June 2022 - The first of the seven tunnels on route of the new railway linking the port town of Koper with the Divača railway junction was broken through on Monday with officials telling the ceremony they could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

The hole-through ceremony for the Mlinarji tunnel was attended by the infrastructure ministers from Slovenia and Turkey as the track is being built by the Slovenian company Kolektor CPG in cooperation with its Turkish partners Yapi Merkezi and Özaltin.

Slated for completion in 2025, with the track due to open the following year, the project is valued at little below one billion euros in total, but officials today indicated its price tag could increase by up to EUR 100 million due to rising prices.

In his address, Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer recalled the long history of the project, expressing pleasure at being able to be present at such an important milestone.

The new track, taking a completely new route to the existing railway between Koper and Divača, is to increase the maximum throughput capacity from 94 to 212 trains daily and the transport capacity from the current 14 million to 36.9 million tonnes a year.

"The distance will be cut from 44 kilometres to 27 kilometres. Travel times and the impact on the environment and local population will be reduced," Kumer said.

Minister za infrastrukturo Bojan Kumer je poudaril, da je preboj predorske cevi Mlinarji izjemno pomemben mejnik v dolgotrajnem projektu izgradnje 2. tira žel. proge Divača – Koper. Kot je dejal minister, je tokrat res primerna prispodoba, da končno »vidimo luč na koncu predora«. pic.twitter.com/ILfmGZYrjZ

— Ministrstvo za infrastrukturo (@mzi_rs) June 13, 2022

He pledged for the new government to fast-track the implementation of a double-track line, which will allow for even more traffic and let the people living along the existing railway live a safe and peaceful life.

Pavle Hevka, the CEO of 2TDK, the state-run company managing the project, said the work on the track was 43 days ahead of the schedule, and in the case of the Milinarji tunnel 10% below the budget of EUR 7 million.

Just days ago they had excavated five out of a total of 37 kilometres of tunnels. "We're still looking at many challenges and concerns ahead, from rising prices of materials to difficulties getting work permits, but I'm confident we’ll beat them off on time."

Hevka said 2TDK was facing demands for annexes to contracts due to rising prices. The proposal was for the contracting authority to cover price hikes above 10%, which would now need to be discussed by the Infrastructure Ministry.

He also announced an update of the investment plan with the rough estimate being that the cost of the project could increase by EUR 100 million. However, he also pointed to "huge savings" that had been made.

The minister said he had been assured by the Turkish contractors they had everything under control and supplies guaranteed. "It's true that prices are going up. We'll see what it means for the investment going forward."

Kumer would not talk about potential replacements at the helm of 2TDK beyond saying the state of play would be reviewed.

The ceremony also featured Alenka Bratušek, a state secretary at the ministry and a former infrastructure minister, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoglu and representatives of the contractors.

registered formal civil unions. August was the most popular month for a wedding, data from the Statistics Office shows.

Compared to the year before, the number of couples who got married increased by 13% to 5,916 whereas the number of those who got a divorce rose by nearly a third (31%) to 2,322.

Most couples got married in Gorenjska and Central Slovenia (three per 1,000 of the population) and the fewest in Goriška in the west (two per 1,000).

Most couples tied the knot on 21 August; as many as 209, which compares to 16 on an average day. August was also the only month to see more than a thousand couples get marry (1,030).

July, June and September are also quite popular to get married, against January, which is the least popular with only 149 couples picking the month to get marry.

Saturday is the most popular wedding day of the week with 59% of all couples wedded on that day last year.

Bridegrooms were on average 36.8 years old and brides 34.3, but those who got married for the first time were a bit younger, at 32.6 and 30.7, respectively.

For 89% of the brides and as many bridegrooms it was their first marriage and for 82% of all couples it was the first time for both of them.

In 78% of the marriages both the bride and the bridegroom were Slovenian citizens; in 9% the bride was a foreigner and in almost as many the bridegroom came from abroad. In both cases the foreign partner most often came from Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 4% of the cases both couples were foreign nationals.

Same-sex civil unions were registered by 58 couples, of which 31 were male and 27 were female unions.

Of the couples that got divorced last year, 53% had 1,999 dependent children. Most of the children were assigned to the mother (59%), 6% to the father and 32% to both.