Schedule of Events for Tuesday, 9 December

ROME, Italy - Prime Minister Anton Rop is to meet his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi, who is currently presiding over the EU. The meeting, scheduled for 7 PM, is expected to focus on the intergovernmental talks on the EU constitutional treaty. Rop is expected to give a press statement at 8 PM. (STA)

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Europe Minister Janez Potocnik is to meet European Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen at 8.30 AM. Also on his agenda will be a meeting with Daniel Jacob, who heads the personel and administration department at the European Commission, at 1 PM. (STA)

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign ministers of the EU and the acceding countries, including Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel, are to discuss foreign affairs.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economics Minister Tea Petrin is to attend a conference on the challenges to European competitiveness organised by the European Commission.

LJUBLJANA - The parliament is to hold an extraordinary session at 2 PM to discuss the initiative for a referendum on the technicalities bill on the erased. The MPs will also be informed about the course of the EU intergovernmental conference by Prime Minister Anton Rop. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Deputy State Secretary at the Hungarian Defence Ministry Jozsef Bali will begin a two-day visit to Slovenia. He is to meet Defence Ministry State Secretary Milan Jazbec at 1 PM and hold a lecture on the cooperation of Hungarian armed forces in peace-keeping operations in Afghanistan at 1.15 PM.

LJUBLJANA - President Janez Drnovsek to receive the credentials of Tanzanian Ambassador to Slovenia Costa Ricky Mahalu at 11.00 AM and the credentials of the Tailand's Ambassador Somkiati Ariyapruchy at 1 PM. The Tanzanian ambassador is also to be received by Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar at 8.30 AM.

LJUBLJANA - The Mayor of Ljubljana Danica Simsic is to receive Ombretta Colli, the president of the Italian province of Milan, at 10.45 AM.

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Environment and Energy is to present to the press its 2003 report and the 2004 programme at 12.30 PM.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Export Corporation and the German credit insurer Euler Hermes are to sign a facultative post-insurance agreement.

LJUBLJANA - The assembly of the Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance is to hold a session at 9.30 AM.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Association of Free Trade Unions is to give a press conference at 11.00 AM at World Human Rights Day.

LJUBLJANA - A two-day international seminar "Women Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation" is to open at 9 AM.

LJUBLJANA - The Regional Environment Centre for Central and Eastern Europe is to hold a panel debate at 10 AM on the agreement on the Sava river basin, which was signed in December 2002 by Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and today's Serbia-Montenegro.

LJUBLJANA - Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek is to present to the press a publication on how to protect one's rights at 10 AM.

LJUBLJANA - LJUBLJANA - A public debate titled "Slovenian Journalism - a Disaster?" is to be held at 6 PM.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Writers' Association is to present the Jenko Award for the best book of poems published in the past two years at 8 PM.

RIJEKA, Croatia - The Slovenian women's handball team is to play with the Ukraine at 9.15 PM as the World Handball Championships continue in Croatia.

LJUBLJANA - Press review. (STA)

In case of further queries please contact duty editor at +386 1 241 0109:

8:30 AM to 3:30 PM: Ela Petrovcic
3:30 PM to 10:00 PM: Katja Kos

Comments and suggestions may be sent to: english@sta.si