STA, 5 June 2019 - The United States is keen on selling Slovenia technology for small modular nuclear reactors, US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Wednesday as he made a stop in Slovenia for a summit of the Three Seas Initiative.

Related: Slovenia Hosts Three Seas Initiative Summit Wed, Thu (Background)

Slovenia is "an excellent potential market for this game-changing technology," said Perry. Asked why Slovenia, which is considering building a second reactor in Krško, should choose a US-made reactor over designs from France, China or Russia, Perry said "US nuclear technology is the best in the world" and "Westinghouse makes the best reactors in the world."

Perry noted that since the existing reactor in Krško had been build, the technology had changed, while adding that this was not only about the best technology but also about safety and non-proliferation.

"We want to be your partner. Slovenia may not show up on everybody's radar screen as the country you want to do business in, but for the United States it is an important country," he said, noting that the expansion of the Krško plant was "an opportunity for the US and US companies".

Perry also said that next month the first US-EU forum on small modular nuclear reactors will take place in Brussels and it will be a great opportunity "for the region to come together to hear some exciting things that are going on in the small modular reactor world."

Both President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec have been invited to the conference in bilateral talks earlier today and they are "both very interested," he said.

Pahor's office said the talks revolved around diversification of energy sources, which both said were important, while also highlighting the need for protecting the environment.

Šarec meanwhile stressed that Slovenia and the US were strategic partners which should continue deepening political, economic and security ties.

Cooperation in energy with the aim of providing "safe, sustainable and competitive energy" was also highlighted by Šarec's office, which quoted the prime minister as saying that nuclear energy was important for reliable energy supply in Slovenia.

Another major US interest, not just in the Three Seas region but also in Europe in general, is to export liquefied natural gas (LNG), which Perry framed as Europe's change to diversify energy sources and routes, and reduce its dependence on Russia.

As Perry pointed out, the US made 40 shipments of LNG to Europe in the first quarter alone, which is "an astonishing number". But the availability of US gas is also pushing down global prices, which is why the notion that US LNG cannot compete with Russian gas is not true.

He pointed out that the US is not saying Europe had to buy its gas, as countries such as Qatar and Australia can also act as suppliers. "The multiple supplier formula is very good for Europe," he said.

Another component of the US energy policy on Europe is opposition to North Stream 2, a new proposed gas pipeline from Russia into Europe.

The Trump administration is considering imposing sanctions on companies behind the project, which Perry confirmed was an option. But he was also quick to point out there is opposition to the project in Europe as well, since many countries "do not want to rely on a single source of fuel".

The website Ex-Yu Aviation, essential reading for anyone with an interest in reginal air transport, reports that Slovenia is continuing in its efforts to attract nonstop flights to the Gulf, with a focus on te United Arab Emirates. The efforts include moves by the Ministry for Economic Development and Technology, as well as the Slovenian Tourist Board, which is funding marketing activities to promote direct links to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Related: Slovenia to Subsidize Marketing Efforts to Encourage New Ljubljana Flights

The website notes that the UAE's Economy Minister, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, sees considerable potential for tourism between the two states, and that direct flights between Dubai and Ljubljana would open Slovenia to the more than eighty million passengers who pass through Dubai Airport each year.

Related: Ljubljana Airport Continues to Seek Direct Flights to the Middle East

At present the closest direct link is the deal that the Emirates has established with GoOpti, the Slovenian shuttle bus company, which enables Emirates customers to use the carrier’s website to book tickets from Ljubljana to Zagreb Airport.

All out stories on air travel are here

STA, 5 June 2019 - Slovenia ranks ninth among 22 EU member states that have statutory minimum wages in terms of the gross minimum wage rate. This year's increase of the country's figure to EUR 886.63 was among the modest ones, says the annual report on minimum wages in the EU and Norway, published by Eurofound on Monday.

The highest rate was registered in Luxembourg (EUR 2071.10), while Bulgaria has the lowest (EUR 286.33).

The report of the EU Agency for the improvement of living and working conditions placed Slovenia among the countries with the lowest share of minimum wage earners - 4.1%. The country ranked sixth in this category, with Czechia (2%) ranking the lowest and Poland ranking the highest (13.7%).

The survey registered big differences among all participating countries in this category, noting that in 2016 the average share of minimum wage earners in the EU was 7.2%.

Eurofund also pointed at considerable differences between the gross and net rates, saying that in Slovenia a share of 24.77% of the total minimum wage value is contributed to the social security system, including taxes and contributions. The country's share is among the higher ones in that respect.

The survey said that almost all countries, excluding Latvia, had increased the minimum wage rate since January 2018, with Slovenia raising it by 5.2% in nominal terms. The increase was quite modest, listing the country as third in the group of six countries with mid-level minimum wage rates - Slovenia ranked behind Malta (1.93%) and Portugal (3.45%).

The issue of minimum wage rate has been in the spotlight recently. The National Assembly adopted the Left's proposal for the minimum wage act in December 2018 despite employers' opposition, thus raising the rate.

The act stipulates that all allowances will be excluded from the statutory rates as of 2020 and will thus have to be paid on top. It also regulates the rate's lower and upper limit, setting the bar at at least 20% and top 40% above calculated minimum living expenses.

Employers argue that the adoption was rash and will have a detrimental effect on the whole society, while trade unions are willing to protect the act by any means necessary. Meanwhile, the government keeps insisting that the risks are manageable.

STA, 4 June 2019 - The shareholders of the chemical company Cinkarna Celje agreed at Tuesday's general annual meeting to allocate nearly the entire distributable profit for dividends at EUR 28.27 gross per share, or a total payout of EUR 22.8 million, the company's CEO Tomaž Benčina told the STA.

The shareholders also authorised the board to buy treasury shares in the total amount of up to 10% of the group's share capital, with the authorisation valid for a year. The buyback price was set between EUR 170 and EUR 270.

The shareholders had already authorised the management board to start implementing its buyback strategy last year, setting the price between EUR 250 and EUR 300 as proposed by the biggest shareholder, insurer Modra Zavarovalnica.

The insurer owns 20% of the group's shares, followed by the Bank Assets Management Company (12.83%) and Slovenian Sovereign Holding (11.41%). All of them agreed to amend the group's statute following last year's decrease in share capital.

The shareholders also took note of the resignation of supervisor Urška Podpečan, effective as of 1 April. She will be replaced by lawyer Luka Gaberščik from Ljubljana. The supervisory and management boards were granted a discharge of liability for the past business year.

Cinkarna Celje generated EUR 45.5 million in net sales revenue in the first quarter of 2019, a 13% decrease compared to the same period last year. Its net profit dropped by 64% to EUR 4.6 million. Despite the declines, both figures exceeded the group's expectations.

STA, 4 June 2019 - Modern Centre Party (SMC) president Miro Cerar has notified the party he founded in 2014 he would not seek re-election at the congress he called for autumn after SMC performed dismally in the election to the European Parliament.

Cerar made the announcement at the outset of a session of the party's executive committee on Tuesday, according to SMC's official Twitter profile.

He will stay on as foreign minister and "help the party remain a firm member of the coalition and an important factor in the Slovenian political arena," the party said.

The news comes after the SMC won less than 2% of the vote, by far the worst showing of any parliamentary party in the elections to the European Parliament.

The share of the vote is in stark contrast with almost 10% the party won in the general election a year ago and the nearly 35% it got just after it was founded in 2014.

Just days after the EU vote, Cerar announced a congress for autumn where he planned to "see whether I still enjoy the party's trust".

Cerar was prime minister in 2014-2018, a period of rapid economic growth. He has been credited with returning the country to calm after a turbulent crisis period, but the stint has also been described as a missed opportunity due to the absence of real reforms.

In the Marjan Šarec government, the party has had trouble finding its footing in the company of several coalition partners with similar, centre-left platforms.

It has also been plagued by corruption allegations going back to its stint running the government, which appears to have tarnished its image among voters.

Cerar's announcement comes just a day after Šarec proposed that Slovenian members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) join forces in order to prevent fragmentation.

While SMC was reserved about the proposal, Cerar's withdrawal might pave the way for a potential merger with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ).

The exit might also make Cerar a contender in coalition talks about Slovenia's candidate for EU commissioner, which are supposed to start in earnest next week.

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This summary was prepared by the STA

Cerar not to seek re-election as SMC president

LJUBLJANA - Modern Centre Party (SMC) president Miro Cerar notified the party he would not seek re-election at the congress he called for autumn after SMC performed dismally in the EU election. Cerar made the announcement at the outset of a session of the party's executive committee, SMC said on its official Twitter profile. He will stay on as foreign minister and "help the party remain a firm member of the coalition and an important factor in the Slovenian political arena," the party said.

MPs not done quizzing spies yet

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services interrogated two former directors of SOVA, Damir Črnčec and Stane Štemberger, over the national intelligence agency role in an eavesdropping scandal that undermined the Slovenia-Croatia border arbitration. Unable to draw firm conclusions, the MPs decided to now question junior SOVA officials. Commission chair Matej Tonin said the MPs wanted to talk to the agents assigned to the arbitration case to find out what kind of assurances Slovenian arbitration agent Simona Drenik got with regard to communications security.

Eurovote results complete, turnout at just below 29%

LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission released full results of the 26 May European parliamentary election in Slovenia, having added the vote from abroad. This did not affect the distribution of seats, but it did increase the turnout to 28.89%, a record for a Eurovote in the country. A total of 8,920 valid ballots were cast at Slovenia's diplomatic and consular offices abroad and mailed from abroad.

Darko Muženič takes over as head of NBI

LJUBLJANA - Darko Muženič, who formerly served as the head of the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering, took over on 1 June as the director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), according to an announcement by the Slovenian police. Muženič succeeds Darko Majhenič, who served until the end of May as the acting director after his five-year term at the helm of the NBI ran out at the end of 2018.

Slovenia working on expanding cooperation with Switzerland

BERN, Switzerland/LJUBLJANA - Economic cooperation between Slovenia and Switzerland has been gaining momentum for years, with trade exceeding EUR 2 billion for the first time last year. Ambassador Marta Kos told the STA that there was still a lot of potential, something Slovenia seems to be set to take advantage of with three high-level political trips planned this year, including President Borut Pahor's official visit planned in September.

Muslim community concerned about Islamophobia

LJUBLJANA - As Slovenian Muslims gathered to celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in Ljubljana, Mufti Nedžad Grabus expressed concern about what he said was growing Islamophobia in Slovenia. Addressing believers gathered for the Eid al-Fitr prayer, the leader of the Slovenian Muslim Community spoke about the "development of Islamophobia, which is being spread to Slovenia by means of extremist and nationalist platforms in Europe and which is manifested through certain media and political concepts in daily labelling and defining of Islam as a violent religion".

Environment Ministry proposes new EPR system

LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry is proposing overhauling the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system so that entities collecting and treating waste from certain type of products would be owned by manufacturers of these products. The new system is to become fully operational on 1 January 2022, ministry official Peter Tomše told an event at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) as he set out the corresponding amendments to the environmental protection act.

Ljubljana gets new Niš route, more frequent flights to Paris, London

LJUBLJANA - Air Serbia will launch a new route between Ljubljana and Niš in August, while Air France-KLM plans to increase flight frequency to Paris and British Airways will beef up flights to London, Ljubljana airport operator Fraport Slovenija told the press. During peak summer season, another airline will improve its connections with the Ljubljana airport - between 15 July and 2 September, British Airways will operate flights twice per week from London Heathrow to Ljubljana, on Mondays and Fridays.

Locals anxious as Maribor airport's fate remains uncertain

MARIBOR - With a month and a half to go before the termination of the lease for the Maribor Airport becomes effective, local businesses and politicians are sounding the alarm, demanding that the government come up with a solution to keep the airport alive. "Whatever decision they adopt to avoid shutting down the airport, this procedure needs to be wrapped up and a private partner found to develop the airport," according to Marko Soršak, the mayor of Hoče-Slivnica, the municipality where the airport is located.

Šoštanj power station deeper in the red

ŠOŠTANJ - The Šoštanj coal-fired power plant (TEŠ) sunk deeper into the red last year with unaudited results showing it posted a net loss of EUR 58.5 million on EUR 196.8 million in revenue. TEŠ incurred a net loss of EUR 32.6 million in 2007 on revenue that was EUR 8 million higher than in 2018. In 2016 the company posted a net loss of EUR 47.2 million.

Basketball clubs Cedevita and Olimpija announce merger

LJUBLJANA - The Croatian basketball club Cedevita from Zagreb and Petrol Olimpija from Ljubljana announced a merger, with the new club to be seated in Stožice Arena in Ljubljana and bring together the best available Slovenian players. The club will be called Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. According to Petrol Olimpija president Tomaž Berločnik, it would be a Slovenian club featuring "best Slovenian players", which would play in the national championship and become a top-level centre for the development of young players.

John Zorn, Snarky Puppy headline 60th Ljubljana Jazz Festival

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Jazz Festival will celebrate its 60th anniversary in two weeks with an all-star line-up that includes John Zorn and Snarky Puppy, in what promises to be one of the most high-profile jazz events in Europe this year. All in all, thirty concerts are scheduled at eight venues, making the Ljubljana Jazz Festival "one of the most high-profile jazz events in Europe," according to programme director Bogdan Benigar. There will also be several accompanying events

Nenad Firšt wins composers' award

LJUBLJANA - This year's Kozina Award, given out by the Slovenian Composers' Association, was conferred on Tuesday on composer Nenad Firšt, who currently chairs the association. Firšt was honoured for the music he has written for bowed string instruments. More than half of compositions by Firšt are for bowed string instruments, with the composer "using all of their colours and sound possibilities", the jury said. On top of many awards and recognitions, Firšt received the Prešeren Fund Award for artistic achievements in 2009.

Missing Brit found dead in Koritnica river

BOVEC - A Brit who went missing in the treacherous Koritnica gorge five days ago was found dead in the Koritnica river this morning, police confirmed. The body of the 23-year-old was spotted by a group of German kayakers some 300 metres downstream from Kluže Fort, an old military checkpoint positioned over the gorge, where the Brit dropped his phone into the gorge on Thursday. The five-day effort to find him involved specialised mountain police officers from three regions, a special diving unit, firefighters and the mountain rescue service.

Survey shows poor financial literacy in 25-34 age group

LJUBLJANA - A survey has shown that the financial literacy index among Slovenians is 14.5 on a scale from zero to 21. What stands out is that the population group aged between 25 and 34 has relatively poor knowledge of finance, the authors of the survey have pointed out. "Despite financial literacy not being exceptionally low in Slovenia on a European scale, we call for a systematic promotion of financial literacy in Slovenia," said Maja Krumberger of the Slovenian Insurance Association.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

STA, 4 June 2019 - A Brit who went missing in the treacherous Koritnica gorge five days ago was found dead in the Koritnica river on Tuesday, police confirmed today.

The 23-year-old was identified by his parents after his remains were retrieved from the river this morning, a police spokesman said.

The body was spotted by a group of German kayakers some 300 metres downstream from Kluže Fort, an old military checkpoint positioned over the gorge.

The man was visiting the fort when he dropped his phone into the gorge on Thursday. After realising he will not be able to reach the device from the fort, he and a friend drove about half a kilometre upstream, where the river is easier to access.

While the 23-year-old went to search for his phone, his 27-year-old friend waited in their van. After about an hour, police was contacted and a search and rescue mission was launched.

The five-day effort to find the man involved specialised mountain police officers from three regions, a special diving unit, firefighters and the mountain rescue service.

Water level was rather high when the man went missing, following a rainy spell. Today, the water level was about a metre lower, police spokesman Dean Božnik said.

STA, 4 June 2019 - Business cooperation between Slovenia and Switzerland has been gaining momentum for years, with trade exceeding EUR 2 billion for the first time last year. Ambassador Marta Kos told the STA that there was still a lot of potential, something Slovenia seems to be set to take advantage of with three high-level political trips planned this year.

President Borut Pahor has an official visit to Switzerland planned in September, with the trip geared toward boosting cooperation in science, Kos told the STA in a correspondence interview.

Moreover, Kos said that either Slovenia's Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Počivalšek would visit Switzerland this year or his Swiss counterpart will come to Slovenia.

Interestingly, no Slovenian economy minister has been to Switzerland or a Swiss counterpart in Slovenia since the latter gained independence in early 1990s.

Slovenia's Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek is also set to visit Switzerland this year. Only recently, the country's railways operator Slovenske Železnice signed the second half of a EUR 320 million deal with Swiss train maker Stadler.

In what is termed the biggest public transportation investment in Slovenia, Stadler is to deliver more than 50 new passenger trains by the end of 2021.

Kos said she had visited Stadler in May, learning that the company was looking for a business partner in Slovenia, focusing above all on companies involved in digital solutions for traffic signalisation.

Switzerland ranks third among foreign direct investors in Slovenia. By the end of 2017, foreign direct investments (FDI) from Switzerland reached EUR 1.425 billion in total, thanks in large part to the acquisition of the drug maker Lek by Novartis in 2003.

Since the takeover, Novartis's investments in Lek have already exceeded the total FDI figure, reaching EUR 2.3 billion. Its most recent investment is a EUR 38 million plant producing biologic active substances, which is soon to be launched in Mengeš.

Kos expressed satisfaction that Novartis is opening this new facility in Slovenia while undergoing a comprehensive reorganisation, as this means that the multinational is strengthening its presence in the country despite making big changes.

She noted, however, that the reorganisation halted a EUR 105 million investment in Prevalje, a plant whose purpose the drug maker is now reconsidering. "We are all in suspense and keeping our fingers crossed that Novartis will go on with the investment."

Meanwhile, the Swiss-based Lonstroff, a company of the Japanese Sumitomo Rubber group, is close to completing its new plant in Logatec, with Kos saying that this investment could lead to additional Lonstroff investments.

"At least that is the experience with Swiss investors: They are demanding, they do not make their decisions overnight but once they do, then good results are followed by new investments," said Kos.

This holds true for another Swiss investment in Slovenia. Lek and Novartis will soon store and distribute their products throughout the region from a logistics centre built by Swiss logistics holding Kuehne + Nagel near the Ljubljana airport.

The EU being Switzerland's biggest trade partner, Slovenia could attract even more Swiss investments, the ambassador believes. "Each day of the week, trade between Switzerland and the EU reaches EUR 1 billion," she said.

She warned, however, that doing business in Switzerland is not easy. "The Swiss let us know often that they are different. Also because they are not in the EU."

Slovenians doing business in Switzerland say that the only way to succeed is to adapt as soon as possible to the Swiss business culture and tradition, said Kos, adding that another thing to keep in mind was that Switzerland is not a single market.

The country with 26 cantons has just as many different economic and fiscal systems, Kos said, adding that Slovenian exporters who succeeded in Switzerland had to work hard for it.

Those dealing in food stuffs and wine need to rely on a Swiss-based intermediary, as their products are subjected to various quotas and tax rates because Switzerland is not an EU member, she noted.

But despite the challenges, trade is growing exponentially. Switzerland is currently Slovenia's 11th biggest trade partner and last year, trade in goods reached EUR 1.5 billion, a 50% increase over 2017.

Slovenia's exports to Switzerland accounted for EUR 727 million last year, while imports from Switzerland reached EUR 761 million.

"But we cannot ignore the fact that the goods trade is driven above all by an increase in chemical and pharmaceutical products of a single company," Kos noted.

STA, 4 June 2019- As Slovenian Muslims gathered to celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in Ljubljana on Tuesday morning, Mufti Nedžad Grabus expressed concern about what he said was growing Islamophobia in Slovenia.

Addressing believers gathered for the Eid al-Fitr prayer, the leader of the Slovenian Muslim Community spoke about the "development of Islamophobia, which is being spread to Slovenia by means of extremist and nationalist platforms in Europe and which is manifested through certain media and political concepts in daily labelling and defining of Islam as a violent religion".

He argued that manipulation of political concepts of multi-culturalism was giving rise to uncertainty among people and incited hatred, a serious problem for society.

"As European Muslims we are sensitive to any spread of hate speech, because we know from own experience it can lead to unwanted consequences as it did in the case of the Srebrenica genocide," Grabus said.

He urged those responsible to dedicate more attention to hate speech in society. "We are aware of the freedom of speech in a democratic society, but the freedom of speech cannot be an excuse to spread hate speech against others."

Grabus, who was addressing the believers at the Kodeljevo sports arena, expressed the hope that the next Eid al-Fitr prayer would be conducted at the mosque, whose construction is all but completed.

The mufti also called for modesty, spirituality and charity, warning against pride, which he said destroyed humaneness.

June 4, 2019

With the beginning of June the last of eight court decisions that prevented the city government of Ljubljana from taking control of the Rog bicycle factory turned squat were decided in the city’s favour, and thus the authorities are expected to begin their long-planned renovation process. However, even though the court ordered eight of the squatters to leave the land, there remain about a hundred other users who refuse to leave the premises.  

Some of the current Rog users, worried the city government might begin their work any time now, began building a barricade to prevent construction machinery from entering the main yard. In doing so they have entered into several conflicts, one with the police and two with the construction workers that are currently replacing pipes on Trubarjeva Road. The first incident occurred with workers walking into the Rog yard in order to inspect and start digging for the heating pipes there, the second when local citizens noticed how Rog users went into Trubarjeva Road in order to collect material from the construction site, presumably to be used in their barricade.

Although some of the self-styled representatives of the Rog squat are calling for more dialogue with the city government, in an interview for MMC from January this year Mayor Jankovič expressed frustration with the mediation process, stating that at a certain point the city was offering Rog users 500 sq metres of renovated properties to use. When this offer was rejected, he said that the city government lost interest in continuing talks with the squatters.

Last week the city government declared the beginning of the renovation works by choosing the  construction company that is going to build an access ramp for the underground parking garage that is planned at the site of the new Rog Centre project.

We are not sure how the construction of the ramp is going to be possible under the current circumstances, but can presume it will not be smooth, fast nor cheap.