Weekly Review of Events Involving Slovenia from 19 to 25 January

Ljubljana, 26 January - Slovenia last week got a new Minister of European Affairs, as Janez Potocnik, who heads Slovenia's negotiating team in the EU accession talks, was appointed to the post with overwhelming parliamentary support. The Slovene government last week appointed the first Slovene official to the European convention, which is to decide on further EU reforms. Thus, director of the government legislation office Matjaz Nahtigal will represent the government in this body, while two parliamentary representatives are yet to be selected during the January session in parliament.

Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen and U.S. General Montgomery Meigs, Commanding General of the U.S. Army in Europe visited Slovenia last week. The founding session of the Slovene NATO committee was held in Ljubljana, while President Milan Kucan and Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek held a reception for foreign diplomats to Slovenia.