Schedule of Events from 24 to 30 November

MONDAY, 24 November
LJUBLJANA - A Canadian government delegation headed by Assistant Deputy Minister for Europe Paul Dubois at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is to pay a visit to Slovenia as part of its tour of EU accession countries. Their agenda includes a meeting with Europe Minister Janez Potocnik and the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Slovenian Export Corporation and the Export Development Canada.

BARCELONA, Spain - President Janez Drnovsek is to pay a two-day visit to Spain, during which he will receive the Ramon Trias Fargas award and attend a luncheon given by the Spanish royal couple.

LJUBLJANA - An EU veterinary inspection team is to start a three-day visit to Slovenia to examine the veterinary services at Obrezje, an international border crossing with Croatia.

LJUBLJANA - Secretary General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Johannes Kyrley is to visit Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - Chief-of-Staff of the Greek Armed Forces Georgios Antonakopulos is to arrive for a three-day visit.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Dusan Mramor is to attend a meeting of the EU finance ministers, who are to carry out the final reading of the 2004 budget.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian Culture Minister Andreja Rihter is to join her counterparts from the EU and the acceding countries in discussions on the future cultural cooperation.

LJUBLJANA - The parliament is to begin its regular November session with as many as 40 items on the session's agenda.

BLED - The 18th traditional conference of the Slovenian agricultural counseling service on the future in the EU is to open.

RADENCI - The 13th Statistics Days are to open.

LJUBLJANA - The basketball club Union Olimpija is to give a press conference ahead of the fourth round of the Euroleague.

LJUBLJANA - A retrospective of Romanian films, which will run until 27 November, will open at the Europe Centre with the projection of the dark comedy "Furia".

TUESDAY, 25 November

VENICE, Italy - A Slovenian delegation headed by Agriculture Minister Franci But is to attend a two-day ministerial conference on the sustainable development of fisheries in the Mediterranean.

LJUBLJANA - State Undersecretary at the Italian Foreign Ministry Roberto Antonione is to visit Slovenia. He is to be received by Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Dusan Mramor is to join his counterpart from the EU member states and the acceding countries at a regular monthly meeting.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Education Minister Slavko Gaber is to attend a meeting of his counterparts from the EU member states and the acceding countries.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to receive Albanian Ambassador Daut Gumeni for a fare-well visit.

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports is to confer the Zois Awards, the highest national awards for achievements in science.

LJUBLJANA - The trade association of the Chamber of Commerce (GZS) is to discuss the Slovenian trade after EU accession and the plan of activities in 2004.

LJUBLJANA - Diners Club Slovenija is to hold a press conference presenting 2003 business results and plans for 2004.

LJUBLJANA - Business opportunities at EU enlargement will be the subject of a seminar held by the Small Business Development Centre and the Euro Info Center.

LJUBLJANA - The 19th Slovenian Book Fair is to be opened by Prime Minister Anton Rop at the Cankarjev dom arts centre.

WEDNESDAY, 26 November

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economics Minister Tea Petrin is to attend a two-day session of ministers from the EU and the acceding countries in charge of competition.

IG - The 9th international conference on unexploded killing devices is to open, attended by demining experts from NATO and Partnership for Peace countries and the countries active within the SE Europe Stability Pact.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to receive Norwegian Ambassador Jan G. Jolle for a fare-well visit.

LJUBLJANA - The economic and social council is to hold a session.

THURSDAY, 27 November

LJUBLJANA - Czech Defence Minister Miroslav Kostelka is to pay a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart Anton Grizold.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister State Secretary Samuel Zbogar is to receive Helga Konrad, the head of the SE Europe Stability Pact's task force on trafficking in people.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Rado Bohinc will attend a two-day session of the justice and interior ministers from the EU member states and the candidate countries.

LJUBLJANA - Brussels and the capitals of the ten acceding countries will hold the first tests for the recruitment of translators and secretaries for the work in the EU bodies.

LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session.

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) is to assess the macroeconomic and business environment in 2004 and discuss the measures necessary to improve the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy in the light of the Lisbon strategy.

RADENCI - A two-day conference on twenty keys is to open.

CATEZ OB SAVI - A three-day congress of Slovenian tax advisers is to open.

FRIDAY, 28 November

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Zbogar and Europe Minister Janez Potocnik are to receive Reinhard Priebe, Director for Western Balkans at the Directorate General for External Relations of the European Commission.

NAPLES, Italy - The foreign minister of the EU member states and the candidate countries, including Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel, will try to make a breakthrough in the intergovernmental talks on the constitutional treaty at a two-day meeting.

MUNICH, Germany - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar is to meet Bavarian State Minister for European Affairs and International Regional Cooperation Eberhard Sinner on the sidelines of the Europa Ball 2003 event.

LJUBLJANA - Austrian Agriculture Minister Josef Proell is to present the Austrian food industry at a press conference.

DUBROVNIK, Croatia - A Balkan conference on drugs will begin, organised by the Slovenian and Croatian offices fighting drug abuse. It will run until 30 November.

SATURDAY, 29 November

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian International Ladies Association will hold the traditional 10th charity bazaar.

SUNDAY, 30 November

LJUBLJANA - The 19th festival of gay and lesbian films will open.