Schedule of Events from 12 to 18 January

MONDAY, 12 January

LENDAVA - Hungarian Minister for National Cultural Heritage Istvan Hiller is to pay a two-day working visit to Slovenia. On the first day of his visit he is to meet with representatives of the Hungarian minority in Slovenia.

TEL AVIV, Israel - Information Society Minister Pavel Gantar is heading a delegation on a two-day visit to Israel, on the invitation of Ehmud Olmert, the Israeli minister for telecommunications. Gantar will meet prominent Israeli politicians and will be received by Israeli President Moshe Katsav.

LJUBLJANA - The Agriculture Ministry will host agricultural attaches from EU member states in Slovenia as well as representatives of the EU delegation, Russia, the United States, Switzerland, Romania and Hungary.

DUBLIN, Ireland - State Secretary at the Foreign Ministry Andrej Logar will attend a two-day meeting of political directors from EU members and acceding countries.

LJUBLJANA - The City of Ljubljana city council will convene for an extraordinary session to discuss the construction of a new football field in Ljubljana.

MARIBOR - A press conference of the Slovenian Ski Association and the organisers of the 40th traditional Golden Fox skiing event.

TUESDAY, 13 January

LJUBLJANA - Hungarian Minister for National Cultural Heritage Istvan Hiller will meet Slovenian Culture Minister Andreja Rihter on the second day of his visit. He is also to confer a Hungarian award Pro Cultura Hungarica on Joze Hradil, the translator from Hungarian of the novel "Burnt-down Candles".

LJUBLJANA - The Pension Fund Management (KAD) will hold a press conference on the company performance in 2003 and plans for 2004.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Writers' Association will hold a post-New Year meeting. Prime Minister Anton Rop, Parliament Speaker Borut Pahor, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, Education Minister Slavko Gaber, Culture Minister Andreja Rihter are also expected to attend.

LJUBLJANA - President Janez Drnovsek will receive credentials of the newly appointed ambassadors of Norway and Morocco, May Britt Brofoss and Omar Zniber.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel will receive copies of credentials of Moroccan Ambassador Omar Zniber.

MORAVSKE TOPLICE - A press conference outlining the programme of the 10th international ballooning festival to be held between 16 and 18 January.

WEDNESDAY, 14 January

LJUBLJANA - Irish Ambassador to Slovenia Gary Ansbro and EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere will present the programme of the Irish presidency of the EU.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy committee will convene to discuss the bill on the ratification of the EU Accession Treaty and the ratification bill on the Vatican Agreement. Afterwards, the committee will and the Commission for European Affairs will meet to learn about the priorities of the Irish EU presidency until 30 June.

BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Janez Drnovsek and Prime Minister Anton Rop will give a reception for the diplomatic corps.

THURSDAY, 15 January

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian rating firm I and the international rating firm Dun&Bradstreet will hand out certificates for best rating to three Slovenian companies.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar will receive general director for European affairs at the Dutch Foreign Ministry Marnix Krop.

VIENNA, Austria - Chief of staff, Major General Ladislav Lipic will pay a three-day official visit to Austria. He will meet his counterpart Roland Ertl.

LJUBLJANA - The plan for the first Slovenian radio festival will be presented in a press conference.

LJUBLJANA - Regular weekly cabinet session.

LJUBLJANA - Basketball clubs Union Olimpija and Pau Orthez will play the 9th round of the Euroleague, group A.

TEL AVIV, Israel - Basketball clubs Maccabi Tel Aviv and Krka from Novo mesto will play the 9th round of the Euroleague, group B.

FRIDAY, 16 January

BERLIN, Germany - Agriculture Minister Franci But will attend the opening of the 67th international agriculture fair Gruene Woche.

VIENNA, Austria - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel will attend the troika meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

ZAGREB, Croatia - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel will pay a working visit to Croatia.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission probing into the attack on journalist Miro Petek will question two witnesses.

SATURDAY, 17 January

BERLIN, Germany - Agriculture Minister Franci But will take part in the 11th international forum on world trade in agricultural products on the invitation of the German Federal Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture Renate Kuenast.

SUNDAY, 18 January

PODGORICA, Serbia-Montenegro - Handball clubs Buducnost and Krim Eta Malizia from Ljubljana will meet for the 3rd round of group B in the Champions' League.