Slovenia welcomed a peace plan for the Middle East presented to the leaders of the MED9 group in Paphos, Cyprus, on Friday, by Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, Prime Minister Robert Golob said in a joint statement following the group's annual meeting. Slovenia also supports France's initiative to halt the sale of arms to the region.

After the Slovenian subsidiary of Mahle said on Thursday it plans to lay off more than 600 workers, Economy Minister Matjaž Han said on Friday that he had already warned about the structural challenges, including high energy prices and the geopolitical situation, in the past. He will meet with Mahle management on Monday.

Nuclear arms are once again becoming a threat, not only to global peace and security but to the existence of civilisation itself, defence expert Klemen Grošelj, a former MEP, said on Friday by way of commenting on the pick for this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group lobbying against nuclear arms.

A precious Renaissance painting of Mary with the Child by Venetian artist Vittore Carpaccio was unveiled at the Koper Cathedral on Friday after five years of painstaking restoration. Measuring four by two and a half metres and made in 1516, the painting has been returned to the side altar of St. Roch.

The Slovenian men's national football team suffered a 0:3 (0:1) defeat against Norway in its third UEFA Nations League Group B3 match in Oslo on Thursday. Slovenia are now third in their group following a draw in the opener against Austria and a win over Kazakhstan.

Prime Minister Robert Golob will attend on Friday a summit of the MED9, an alliance of Mediterranean and Southern European EU states, in Cyprus. The meeting will focus on the situation in the Middle East, migration, and EU policy priorities in the Mediterranean. Golob will also hold talks with Jordanian King Abdullah II.