Schedule of Events for Friday, 9 December

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Jansa is to hold a press conference at 11 AM to outline his government's work in its first year in office. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Parliament's EU affairs committee is to debate Slovenia's positions for the upcoming EU summit, as well as a position on the REACH directive, among other topics. Chair Anton Kokalj to speak to the press after at 9:45 AM.

PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro - Interior Minister Dragutin Mate and police chief Joze Romsek are to meet officials of international police forces, representatives of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Slovenian police officers serving in the province.

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly is to continue its extraordinary session discussing the budget bills for 2006 and 2007.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Statistical Office (SURS) is to present preliminary figures of the country's GDP in Q3 at a news conference scheduled for 10:30 AM.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Food company Droga Kolinska is to lay the foundation stone for a pate factory, a EUR 20m investment scheduled to open in the autumn of 2006. A press conference at 1:30 PM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - The Association of Free Trade Unions (ZSSS) is to stage a press conference upon World Human Rights Day at 11 AM, followed by a rally in front of the parliament to symbolically highlight that labour rights are also human rights. A ZSSS delegation to be received by Speaker France Cukjati.

BLED - An ICT test centre is to open at noon as part of the Sintesio fundation, co-founded by the European Telecommunication Standardisation Institute, the Slovenian Metrology Institute and company Iskratel.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU health ministers, including Slovenia's Andrej Brucan, are to discuss ways of improving the coordination between EU members in case of a bird flu pandemic.

VIENNA, Austria - Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti will be on an official visit to Austria to discuss with Franz Morak, the state secretary at the office of the Austrian chancellor, Austria's media policy, Austria's EU presidency in 2006 and Slovenia's in 2008 as well as different forms of bilateral cooperation in arts and culture.

NOVA GORICA - The 6th Pixxelpoint, one of the most notable festivals of digital art in Slovenia, is to open tonight. It will last until 16 December.

LJUBLJANA - Press review. (STA)

In case of further queries please contact duty editor at +386 1 241 0109:

8:30 AM to 3:30 PM: Eva Horvat
3:30 PM to 10:00 PM: Gorazd Jukovic

Comments and suggestions may be sent to: english@sta.si