Schedule of Events for Wednesday, 18 January

NEW YORK, US - President Janez Drnovsek is scheduled to outline his Darfur appeal in a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy committee is to debate the government's decision to send four Slovenian soldiers to Iraq; at 8:30 AM. (STA)

BEIJING, China - A Slovenian delegation headed by Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Franc But is to take part in the final day of a two-day international conference on the avian flu.

STRASBOURG, France - The "optanti" (in Italy, "esuli") - Italians who left territories of the former Yugoslavia following World War II - are to hold a rally in front of the European Parliament to demand their property back.

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Jansa is to address the New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps in Slovenia; at noon.

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the Hungarian parliamentary friendship group with Slovenia is to begin a three-day visit to Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Janez Podobnik and his associates from the Environment Ministry are to speak about the operations of the Slovenian Eco Fund in 2005 and plans for 2006.

LJUBLJANA - The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) is to hold a press conference to outline operations in 2005 and plans for 2006; at 11 AM.

TRIESTE, Italy - Director general of the Slovenian Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, Bojan Zmavc, and Regional minister for Civil Protection in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Gianfranco Moretton, are to sign a protocol on cross-border cooperation.

VELENJE - The Liebherr Slovenian Table Tennis Open is to get underway with the opening day of qualifiers.

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: Sebastijan Macek

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