News roundup - Monday, 24 June, until 3pm

Bilateral security agreement with Ukraine still being coordinated

LJUBLJANA - The security agreement with Ukraine is still in the negotiation phase, as Kyiv had reservations about the draft due to its lack of concrete commitments, the office of Prime Minister Robert Golob confirmed for the STA. While President Nataša Pirc Musar announced earlier she would sign the agreement in Kyiv this week, time constraints make this unlikely. The agreement must first be approved by the government and then by the Foreign Policy Committee.

Kresnik Prize goes to Anja Mugerli for Expectations

LJUBLJANA - Anja Mugerli has won the latest Kresnik Prize for novel of the year for Pričakovanja (Expectations), which deals with inability to have children and infertility treatment. Mugerli is the fifth woman author who has won the accolade, which is conferred by the newspaper publisher Delo and comes with a EUR 7,000 cheque. She drew on her personal experience to open up a discussion on an issue that is present in society but perhaps not so visible.

POP TV poll: Prebilič most popular politician

LJUBLJANA - Newly elected MEP Vladimir Prebilič, who has so far served as Kočevje mayor, has unseated President Nataša Pirc Musar to top the politician popularity ranking in the latest Mediana poll for commercial broadcaster POP TV. His non-parliamentary party Vesna has gone up in the approval ratings to place fifth, where the Democrats (SDS) continue to lead at 22%. The government's rating slightly improved to 34.4% compared to the previous poll, but nearly 48% are still unhappy with its work.

Allied countries exercise cybersecurity cooperation in Postojna

POSTOJNA - A hundred members of armed forces from the region and the United States launched a regional security cyber cooperation exercise in Postojna, the biggest such exercise in the country. The aim of the ten-day Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation Exercise (ARSC2EX 24) is to improve competences in active monitoring and response to cyber threats, and improve cooperation between allies in the protection of cyberspace.

Energy sector companies dominate Delo's top 300 list

LJUBLJANA - The list of the top 300 companies in Slovenia in terms of revenue, compiled by the newspaper Delo, is topped by companies from the energy sector, which Delo partly attributes to the high energy prices. On top of the rankings is the fuel retailer Petrol, with almost EUR 5.6 billion in annual revenue, followed by the power utility HSE and the emission coupons trader Belektron.