News roundup - Thursday, 18 July

Wildfire breaks out in Kras, still not under control

KOMEN - A large wildfire broke on Mount Trstelj, a 643-metre peak some ten kilometres southeast of Nova Gorica in western Slovenia in the morning to engulf some 150 hectares of forest, and is still not under control. The national Firefighters' Association expressed the hope that it will be tonight, or at least over the night, as additional firefighting forces are expected. There are some 350 firefighters on the ground, who are being assisted by two Air Tractor aircraft and army and police helicopters. No building is currently at risk, but the firefighting effort is being hampered by the heat and wind.

Slovenia signs security agreement with Ukraine

OXFORD, UK - Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bilateral security agreement as they met on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Political Community. With the agreement Slovenia commits that it will examine all options to continue providing security and defence support for Ukraine. Slovenia sent 13 shipments of military aid in 2022-2024 and plans to provide the same level of aid in the coming years. The agreement is proof of strong support for Ukraine, Golob said, while Zelensky said Slovenia will assist with training in the framework of the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine.

Top officials congratulate von der Leyen on re-election

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's top officials congratulated Ursula von der Leyen for getting elected for her second term as the European Commission president. President Nataša Pirc Musar said she was looking forward to close cooperation for the benefit of Europe and its people. Prime Minister Robert Golob said he looked forward to "our fruitful cooperation in tackling complex challenges Europe is facing", and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said she was looking forward to working together for the common good, economic and social prosperity, peace and fruitful cooperation in Europe and worldwide.

Slovenian MEPs expect von der Leyen to fulfil commitments

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenian MEPs were reserved or even harsh in their responses to Ursula von der Leyen securing her second term at the helm of the European Commission. They expect her to fulfil her commitments and say the European Parliament will keep a watchful eye on the work of the Commission. Notably, Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) wrote that von der Leyen "was never our choice", and Matjaž Nemec (S&D/SD), who did not endorse von der Leyen, either, said her re-election does not send an encouraging message.

Golob, Starmer affirm cooperation in fight against organised crime

OXFORD, UK - Prime Minister Robert Golob and his British counterpart Keir Starmer met on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Political Community where the pair advocated for the strengthening of cooperation in the fight against organised crime. Slovenia and United Kingdom will improve the exchange of knowledge and information. Slovenia is looking forward to strengthening relations with Great Britain, Golob said, while he and and Starmer in a joint statement expressed the commitment to cooperation in law enforcement and the fight against organised crime.

Mol welcomes increase in fuel margins, not completely happy

MURSKA SOBOTA - Fuel retailer Mol, the operator of Mol and Ina petrol stations in Slovenia, welcomed the government's decision to increase by two cents margins on petrol and diesel sold outside the motorway network. Mol said the increase makes business easier, but still does not create room for investing and does not account for the obligations of the distributors, above all the cost of advanced fuels to reach goals of renewables use in transport.

Bisol's revenue nearly halved, profit decimated by 2023 floods

LJUBLJANA - The photovoltaic panel maker Bisol saw its results for 2023 heavily marked by the devastating floods that hit Slovenia in August of last year. The company's sales revenue was down 40% over 2022 to EUR 56.8 million and net profit dropped by nearly 90% to EUR 1.4 million, CEO Uroš Merc told the STA. Production stopped completely for three and a half months after the floods. After that the production was gradually relaunched, first to 30% capacity.

Italian gets 23 years in prison for 2022 murder in Slovenia

KOPER - The Koper District Court sentenced 61-year-old Italian citizen Adriano Petelin from Duino to 23 years in prison for the April 2022 murder of Darjo Grmek from Kobjeglava in the Slovenian region of Kras, north of Trieste. Grmek was a drug dealer and Petelin was his customer, with several witnesses stating that Petelin allegedly owed tens of thousands of euros to the dealer, and that in the days before the murder, Grmek demanded to be repaid the debt. The ruling is not yet final.

French oenologist suggests refošk be planted in Bordeaux

KOPER - Refošk is a grape family that yields a popular red wine variety native to the Slovenian Primorska region. Now, the acclaimed French oenologist Nicolas Vivas suggests it could be planted in the famous French wine growing region of Bordeaux to help French producers cope with climate change. The suggestion to add refošk to the list of wine varieties allowed in the Bordeaux region was published in Decanter wine magazine, one of the most notable and influential publications in the field.