Schedule of Events from 8 to 14 July

MONDAY, 8 July

BUCHAREST - Slovene President Milan Kucan is set to kick off his week-long three nation tour of SE Europe, with the first stop being a two-day visit to Romania. The president is to hold talks with his Romanian counterpart Ion Iliescu. The countries are set to sign three bilateral agreements, including one on the avoidance of double taxation. Kucan is also expected to take part in the laying of a foundation stone on the site where Slovene pharmaceutical company Lek is to build a new manufacturing plant.

REYKJAVIK - Slovene Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek is to launch a two-day official visit to Iceland, where he is to meet with Icelandic counterpart David Odsson, President Olafur Regnar Grimmson and the Speaker of Iceland's Parliament - the oldest in the world - Halldor Blondal.

LJUBLJANA - Russian Culture Minister Mikhail Shvydkoi is due to pay an official visit to Slovenia. Shvydkoi is scheduled to hold talks with Slovene host and counterpart Andreja Rihter, while he is also due to visit the lakeside resort of Bled and a number of Slovene cultural institutions as part of his stay.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will be paid an official two-day visit by a delegation of the Serbian Ministry for Transport and Telecommunications, headed by Minister Marija Raseta Vukosavljevic.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committee for Slovenes living abroad will stage the second meeting of Slovenes from around the world at Slovenia's parliament.

VRHOVO - Minister for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Janez Kopac, along with the general manager of the Holding Slovenske elektrarne Drago Fabijan, technical director of the Holding Ladislav Tomsic and the general manager of Savske elektrarne Borut Miklavic are to present the project of constructing a chain of hydro electric plants along the lower Sava river in SE Slovenia. The press conference is to be followed by the signing of a license agreement for the utilisation of the energy potential of the Sava river.

TUESDAY, 9 July

LJUBLJANA - The Slovene parliament is to convene for what is expected to be the last extraordinary session before legislators go on summer break. At its session, the parliament is to focus its work on harmonising Slovene legislation to European regulations, while a supplementary budget is also on the agenda.

BRUSSELS - The head of the Slovene parliamentary European affairs commission and the applicant countries' representative in the presidency of the European Convention on the future of the EU, Lojze Peterle is to participate in the four-day Youth Convention.

LJUBLJANA/GORNJI GRAD/LJUTOMER - Director General of the European Commission Directorate for Enlargement Eneko Landaburu is due to begin a two-day visit to Slovenia. Landaburu is expected to meet with Slovene Europe Minister Janez Potocnik. The European Commission official is also expected to sign the first part of the financial memorandum for the programme of pre-accession funds, Phare.

LJUBLJANA - Slovene Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek is to hold a press conference, touching on current issues and presenting the new image of the ombudsman's office.

DUBROVNIK - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Ignac Golob is to partake in the meeting of political directors of the four nations partnership - Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia.

WEDNESDAY, 10 July

KISHINEV - Slovene President Milan Kucan is to pay a two-day visit to Moldova, as the second stop of his three nations tour of SE Europe. The Slovene president is to meet with his counterpart and host Vladimir Voronin, Prime Minister Vasiley Tarlev and the Speaker of the Parliament Eugenia Ostapciuc. Kucan is also scheduled to address the Moldovan parliament.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovene non-governmental anti piracy association, BSE, is to hold a press conference at which it will present the activities of the last year.

THURSDAY, 11 July

LJUBLJANA - The Slovene government is to hold its regular weekly session.

BRUSSELS - The Slovene members are to attend a plenary session of the European Convention on the future of the EU, which is to focus on foreign, security and defence policy of the Union.

FRIDAY, 12 July

KIEV - Slovene President Milan Kucan is to pay an official visit to the Ukraine, the last stop of his three nations tour of SE Europe. Kucan is due to meet with his counterpart and host Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh and the Speaker of Parliament Vladimir Litvin.

LJUBLJANA - The inter-ministerial working group for Slovenia's co-operation with NATO is to hold a session.

VIENNA - Leading representatives of the Slovene minority in Austria's Carinthia province are to attend the second round of the conference on consensus, which is attempting to find a solution to the question of new bilingual signs in the province.

SATURDAY, 13 July

PARIS - The chief of staff of the Slovene Armed Forces Brigadier Ladislav Lipic is to begin a four-day visit to France.