News roundup - Tuesday, 18 July

Foreign Ministry urges Moscow to return to grain deal

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry urged Russia to reconsider its decision to suspend the international agreement that allowed Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, warning that the decision will impact on the most vulnerable people in Africa. In a Twitter post the ministry also pointed out that Slovenia is actively contributing to the Black Sea Grain Initiative with a donation of EUR 1 million. It is moreover preparing a new aid package.

Slovenia to open consulate general in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Slovenia will open a consulate general in the Philippines, Foreign Ministry secretary general Renata Cvelbar Bek announced during her visit to the country, the ministry said in a press release. Cvelbar Bek met senior representatives of the Philippines in Manila to discuss ways to enhance political and economic cooperation between the countries. The Filipino officials said they were happy with Slovenia's decision to open a consulate general in their country, and agreed that this is an important step towards enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Anti-graft official under fire over Facebook comment

LJUBLJANA - Simon Savski, one of the deputy heads of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, has come under fire over a comment in a closed Facebook group in which he suggested that former Prime Minister Janez Janša and former Interior Minister Aleš Hojs were to blame for public distrust of police as manifested in growing violence against police officers. President Nataša Pirc Musar described the communication as inappropriate, while Savski's boss Robert Šumi will summon him over the matter.

Slovenia wins EUR 67m in damages over stake in Bosnian power plant

LJUBLJANA - Delo and Dnevnik reported that a Belgrade arbitral tribunal awarded Slovenia's energy group HSE EUR 67 million in damages in a long-running dispute over a Bosnian power plant's failure to supply it with electricity in exchange for the Slovenian energy industry's investment in the plant's construction in the 1980s. Apart from launching arbitration against the Ugljevik mine and thermal power station, Slovenia also took Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Washington International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes almost a decade ago. Including default interest, the damages claims now top one billion euros.

Damjan Petrič appointed new head of criminal police

LJUBLJANA - Acting Police Commissioner Senad Jušić has appointed Damjan Petrič, who served as the interim head of the Ljubljana Police Directorate since March 2022, to the helm of the criminal police administration at the General Police Department. This is the latest in a series of changes in leading positions of the police force in recent days. On Monday, Jušić appointed Beno Meglič the director of the Maribor Police Department, while last week Igor Juršič was appointed the head of the Novo mesto Police Department and Alenka Korošece Peruzin the head of the Koper Police Department.

Profitability of banks in Slovenia accelerates further

LJUBLJANA - Banks in Slovenia generated a pre-tax profit of EUR 437.7 million in the first five months of this year, 151.7% more than in the same period last year. Net profit was up 149.8% to EUR 384.4 million, the Bank of Slovenia reported. The year-on-year growth in profitability thus accelerated further amid favourable interest rate developments. Net interest income from the beginning of January to the end of May amounted to EUR 540.9 million, an increase of 101.7%, while non-interest income was up 20% to EUR 269.8 million. Gross income, at EUR 810.7 million, was 64.4% higher than in the first five months of last year. Net income, meaning income without expenses, which rose by 17.5%, was up 141.4% to EUR 450.8 million.

Just over EUR 13bn spent on social security programmes in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Fresh data from the Statistics Office (SURS) show Slovenia used EUR 13.1 billion on social security expenses in 2021, up by almost 7% on the year before. Social contributions collected reached EUR 8,7 billion, with the highest share of the funds going towards old age and healthcare expenses. Despite social protection expenditure growing in nominal terms, its share in GDP decreased, mainly due to higher nominal growth of GDP. The largest share of GDP was spent on old age schemes (9.5%), followed by illness and healthcare (8.3%), family and children (1.9%) and unemployment (1.7%).

Agriculture minister discusses sustainable fisheries in Spain

VIGO, Spain - Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko attended an informal session of the EU ministers in charge of the fisheries sector, with investments for the sustainable orientation of the sector towards decarbonisation being in the forefront of the debate and visits on the ground, the ministry said. It noted that the topic related to the package of measures at the EU level published this spring, adding that the fisheries sector had been affected by many changes and events in the last decade within the EU and internationally.

Salus acquires 49% of Croatian Medorion

LJUBLJANA - Salus, a wholesaler of medications and medical equipment, completed the acquisition of a 49% stake in Medorion on Monday. This gives Salus control over the Croatian company, which holds a marketing authorisation for treatments of rare diseases. In June Salus entered into a sales contract with Rastislav Baričevac, Medorion's only shareholder, to buy up to 100% in Medorion over the next four years. The acquisition will allow Salus to branch out into rare diseases.

Slovenia among top four EU member states in financial literacy

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is among the four member states where more than a quarter of residents display a high level of financial literacy, showed the first standard Eurobarometer survey on financial literacy. Only 18% of EU citizens have high financial literacy, which covers financial knowledge and conduct, 64% have medium financial literacy, and the remaining 18% have low financial literacy the survey shows. In addition to Slovenia, the other three member states where more than a quarter of residents display a high level of financial literacy are the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

President for more food self-sufficiency, less red tape in climate measures

KRŠKO - President Nataša Pirc Musar called for improving self-sufficiency in food, and reducing red tape for measures designed to prevent the increasingly frequent extreme weather events, as she visited fruit and vegetables producer Evrosad in Krško, east. She stressed that extreme weather events were not a matter of the future. Given all the natural disasters taking place, action is needed now. The president said that more should be done in Slovenia to tackle climate change and announced that overly bureaucratic procedures for the introduction of these measures will be discussed at her forum in October.

Temperature exceeds 37C on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Monday was the hottest day of the summer in Slovenia with temperatures rising as high as 37.2 degrees Celsius near Črnomelj in the south-east, according to the Environment Agency. However, metrologist Blaž Šter told the STA that the third heat wave of the summer was likely past its peak, forecasting that temperatures will fall below 30 degrees Celsius in the coming days, except for the western Primorska region. Moreover, storms with hail, strong winds and rain hit northern Slovenia and are also expected tomorrow.

WWII bomb found in Nova Gorica, deactivation likely on Sunday

NOVA GORICA - A 250-kilogram aerial bomb from World War II was discovered near the Slovenian-Italian border in Nova Gorica on Monday. Preparations were launched for its removal, which will likely take place on Sunday. The deactivation will be coordinated with Italy because nearby residents will have to be evacuated. The bomb contains around 100 kg of explosive and is currently secure, Darko Zonjič, head of the national unit for the protection against unexploded ordnance, told the press.

NGO sees room for improvement in national energy and climate plan

LJUBLJANA - The environmental NGO Focus finds that a second draft of the updated national energy end climate plan, which the government approved at the end of June after a public consultation, contains several positive amendments and is a step in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement. The targets set out in the latest draft are not enough to keep global warming at a 1.5-degree Celsius threshold, Focus said in a written statement.

State to spearhead restoration of storm-hit WWII hospital museum

CERKNO - Culture Minister Asta Vrečko visited the open-air museum Franja Partisan Hospital to announce a state-led effort to renovate this key symbol of the World War II resistance movement in Slovenia, which was severely damaged in a storm last week. Franja will remain closed during the entire tourist season.

Maribor getting IB-certified primary school

MARIBOR - Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, is launching the first International Baccalaureate (IB) primary education programme in this part of the country, joining another primary school in Ljubljana in catering to the needs of internationally mobile families with school children in Slovenia. English language classes will start in September. All undergraduate levels of education from pre-school to secondary school, that is for children aged 3 to 17, are planned. However, current needs show that only primary school children from grades 1 to 5 will be enrolled in the 2023/24 school year at Leon Štukelj Primary School.

Ljubljana to host world's first official water volleyball tournament

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana will host the world's first ever official water volleyball tournament on 12 and 13 August. Following two successful promotional events, real volleyball showdowns are now on the programme as part of the re:do Volleyball on Water Ljubljanica 2023 tournament, the Slovenian Volleyball Federation announced. The tournament will feature eight pairs each in the women's and men's competitions. It will take place on a court set up on the Ljubljanica next to Novi Trg square.