News roundup - Saturday, 26 October

It's not time for Ukraine to join NATO yet, says Fajon

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia can do a lot for EU enlargement, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon told the newspaper Večer in an interview on Saturday. She is also confident the country's candidate for EU enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, will successfully pass the November hearing in the European Parliament. As for Ukraine's NATO membership, Fajon said the preconditions are meeting membership criteria and leaders agreeing to the membership. "We've always advocated an open door policy for countries that are prepared. This time has not come yet, and there is no consensus within the alliance either. But the door is open," said the minister.

Golob highlights role of military in Sovereignty Day address

ŠEMPETER PRI GORICI - PM Robert Golob highlighted the role of the military as one of the key pillars of Slovenia's statehood as he addressed a Sovereignty Day ceremony on Friday evening. "That's why it is right that in the years to come we increase more decisively the funds for modernisation of both the military and all aspects of civil protection. In this way, this will not only be an investment in security and sovereignty, but we will benefit as a society as a whole." Sovereignty Day is marked on 25 October remembering the day in 1991 when the last Yugoslav soldiers left Slovenia after a ten-day war in July in which the country defended its independence.

Dozen Modiana clothes shops closed due to dispute with Mercator

LJUBLJANA - Mercator, a Slovenian retailer owned by Croatia's Fortenova, and Modiana, a chain of clothes shops, are in dispute over the latter's failure to pay rent and operating costs for its clothes shops located at Mercator's premises. Modiana, owned by Montecristo SL, said earlier this week its shops at Mercator centres will be temporarily closed, and today Maximarket, a shop selling clothes, shoes and cosmetics in the centre of Ljubljana, also closed, except the grocery shop in the basement. Mercator told the news portal Siol it was forced to take action as Modiana's debt at Fortenova level topped EUR 3.5 million. Montecristo's lawyer Marko Zaman said that Mercator had continued to charge higher rates despite a new contract being reached in October 2023, which is why they stopped paying the bills.

Sip Šempeter's revenue, profit down

ŠEMPETER V SAVINJSKI DOLINI - Sip Šempeter, a company developing and manufacturing farm machinery, generated EUR 42.1 million in net revenue in 2023, down 17% from 2022, while its net profit halved to EUR 2.2 million. Director Uroš Korže described 2023 as one of the most difficult years in recent times. The company had around 280 workers and sold 3,700 agricultural machines, of which 94% under its own brand. Its products are sold on more than 40 markers.

Island of Love gets new floating mill and ferry

BELTINCI - A new floating grain mill and a traditional ferry were inaugurated on the Mura River in the northeast on Friday, a EUR 450,000 project that is expected to attract more visitors to the Island of Love near the village of Ižakovci. The island, created by river erosion, was very popular among tourists already before the old mill collapsed in 2022. A new mill was built as part of ReKult, a project of upgrading the river's cultural heritage on the Island of Love in the region of Prekmurje. It was co-financed with EU funds and the funds the municipality of Beltinci won in a Ministry of the Economy and Tourism open call.