News roundup - Monday, 24 June

Bilateral security agreement with Ukraine still being coordinated

LJUBLJANA - President Nataša Pirc Musar was supposed to sign a security agreement with Ukraine during her visit to Kyiv on 27 June, but this will not happen. The security agreement is still in the negotiation phase because Kyiv had reservations about the lack of concrete commitments, the office of Prime Minister Robert Golob told the STA. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon confirmed that the agreement will not be ready for signing this week.

Slovenia seeks regular EU-Western Balkans dialogue

LUXEMBOURG - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon told the EU's Foreign Affairs Council that the EU should set up a "regular political dialogue" with Western Balkans countries. While the bloc must get ready for enlargement by 2030, "we expect our partners in the region to support key EU values, including common foreign and security policy, and a clear commitment to implementation of reforms and constructive resolution of challenges," she said.

Šarec visits troops in Kosovo

PRISHTINA, Kosovo - Defence Minister Marjan Šarec wrapped up a two-day visit to Slovenian troops in Kosovo, where he also held talks with the commander of the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR), Özkan Ulutas. Ulutas presented the current security situation, highlighting the excellent cooperation with the Slovenian Armed Forces and the high motivation of troops, the Defence Ministry said. Šarec said the troops were doing a great job and were appreciated both by the locals and the KFOR command.

Slovenia supports continuation of missions in Somalia

NEW YORK, US - Slovenia expressed its support for the continuation of the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the African Union's Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) at a UN Security Council session. "As ATMIS continues its planned drawdown, we need to avoid a security vacuum. Slovenia supports in principle the plans for a new multilateral AU-led mission to replace ATMIS," Ambassador Samuel Žbogar said.

President sees strong community as bulwark against adversity

LJUBLJANA - President Nataša Pirc Musar underlined the need for Slovenian society to build a strong and inclusive community, telling the national Statehood Day ceremony that this is the way to prepare for and survive "dark clouds on the horizon". In a sweeping speech that covered issues such as taxation, strike in the public sector, poverty, nuclear energy and post-war killings, Pirc Musar said these were not easy times due to the "shadow of doubt in the permanence of what we have achieved".

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.

Small parties make inroads in latest Vox Populi poll

LJUBLJANA - Voter sentiment does not appear to have changed much after the EU election, according to the latest Vox Populi poll, one notable exception being two non-parliamentary parties that did well two weeks ago and have now registered significant gains. The People's Party (SLS) and Vesna polled at 2.7% and 2.4%, respectively, after having been barely detectable in the previous month's poll, shows the survey released by Dnevnik.

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.

European prosecutors indict two Slovenians of fraud

LJUBLJANA - The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Ljubljana filed an indictment at the Ljubljana District Court against two individuals and one association for subsidy fraud, abuse of office, and aiding and abetting. The suspects are believed to have defrauded the EU of EUR 100,000 in a project that aimed at developing innovative partnerships in sustainable tourism.

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.

Dončić joins the national team for Olympic qualifying

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian basketball star Luka Dončić ended weeks of uncertainty over whether he will join the national team for the Olympic qualifying tournament by showing up for team practice. It remains unclear for now when exactly Dončić will hit the court, this week during friendly games or next week at the Olympic tournament.