Schedule of Events from 19 to 25 January

MONDAY, 19 January

LJUBLJANA - Latvian Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete is to arrive for a one-day visit in Ljubljana, where she is to discuss with her Slovenian counterpart Dimitrij Rupel bilateral cooperation and EU issues. Kalniete is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Anton Rop and Parliament Speaker Borut Pahor.

LONDON, Great Britain - Transport Minister Jakob Presecnik is to start a two-day visit to Great Britain, during which he is to meet British Transport Minister David Jamieson and officials of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

LJUBLJANA - Finance Minister Dusan Mramor is to meet the visiting Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Wolfgang Roth. The pair is expected to discuss Slovenia's cooperation with the EIB.

LJUBLJANA - Nova Ljubljanska banka (NLB) is to sign the first of two agreements with the European Investment Bank (EIB), which approved to Slovenia's leading bank a EUR 100m credit line. Signing the deal on behalf of the EIB will be its Vice-President Wolfgang Roth.

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Justice Minister Ivan Bizjak is to pay a visit to the Court of Justice of the European Communities. His agenda includes meetings with the Court's President Vassilios Skouris and President of the Court of First Instance Bo Vesterdorf.

LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Anton Grizold and Chief-of-Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Major General Ladislav Lipic are to speak to the press about the ministry's priorities in 2004.

LJUBLJANA - General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie, a retired British army general who has assisted Slovenian military in its key projects, is expected to pay a visit to the Defence Ministry and the Slovenian Armed Forces from 19 to 22 January in what will be his last visit ahead of Slovenia's NATO accession.

NOVO MESTO - The pharmaceutical company Krka is to hold a press conference presenting its 2003 business results and plans for 2004.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Railways are to hold a five-day conference for more than 90 companies associated in the Forum Train Europe (FTE) which are to discuss the timetables in passenger traffic in 2005.

LJUBLJANA - The Cankarjev dom arts centre will premiere Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida".

LJUBLJANA - A German week will kick off at the Ljubljana Municipal Museum as part of the exhibition "Ljubljana in the Eyes of Europe", featuring photographs of Regina Schmeken.

TUESDAY, 20 January

NOVO MESTO - A public debate on Slovenia's future in the EU is to be organised by the Novo mesto municipality and the European Commission delegation in Slovenia. The participants are to include Mayor Bostjan Kovacic, EU Ambassador to Slovenia Erwan Fouere, Regional Development Minister Zdenka Kovac, CEO of the car manufacturer Revoz Michel Bouton, and assistant to the Krka CEO Darinka Miklavcic.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Dusan Mramor is to attend a meeting of EU finance ministers, who are to be joined by counterparts from the acceding countries as observers.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Human Rights Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek is to hold a press conference on current issues and ahead of a visit of the European ombudsman to Slovenia.

KLAGENFURT, Austria - A United List (ZLSD) delegation headed by its President Borut Pahor is to attend a meeting on regional policy hosted by President of the Austrian Social Democrats (SPOe) Alfred Gusenbauer as part of regular meetings of Social Democrats from Austria, Italy and Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committee for agriculture, forestry and food is to hold a session to discuss the National Council demand that the parliament take another vote on the game and hunting act. The agenda is to include the 2004 - 2006 rural development programme.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission for relations with Slovenians living abroad is to discuss problems faced by publishers issuing magazines for Slovenians living abroad.

LJUBLJANA - "The Erased Responsibility" is the title of a panel debate to be organised by the Forum for the Left, an informal group of left-wing intellectuals.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference on the national survey about the reading habits of Slovenians.

PTUJ - The poultry producer Perutnina Ptuj is to present to the press the 2003 business results.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Tourist Board is to hold a press conference.

WEDNESDAY, 21 January

DAVOS, Switzerland - President Janez Drnovsek is to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos from 21 to 24 January.

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Zbogar is to attend political consultations in Bulgaria as part of Slovenia's preparations to assume the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2005.

LJUBLJANA - A forum on the free flow of labour after Slovenia's EU accession is to be held by the Labour Ministry as part of the preparations for EU membership. Opening addresses are to be held by Labour Minister Vlado Dimovski and EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere.

LJUBLJANA - The Institute for Market and Media Research Mediana is to give a press conference.

NOVO MESTO - The Slovenian basketball club Novo mesto is to play against CSKA Moscow in the 10 round of the Euroleague, group B.

THURSDAY, 22 January

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Zbogar is to receive Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy Gerard Stoudmann.

DUBLIN, Ireland - The interior and justice ministers, Rado Bohinc and Ivan Bizjak, are to attend a two-day informal meeting of EU interior and justice ministers, who are to be joined by their counterparts from the acceding countries as observers.

LJUBLJANA - A public presentation of opinions on the 2004-2007 national culture programme resolution is to be held in parliament.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission supervising the budget and public finances is to hold a session.

LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session.

LJUBLJANA - The council of the national RTV Slovenija broadcaster is to discuss the programme and business plan for 2004.

MARIBOR - The daily Vecer is to reveal the statement of the year 2003.

CELJE - The European Handball Championship is to kick off with opening matches in Ljubljana, Celje, Velenje and Koper.

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Slovenian basketball club Olimpia is to play with Ulker Istanbul in the 10 round of the Euroleague, group A.

FRIDAY, 23 January

LJUBLJANA - Neil Kinnock, the European Commission vice-president in charge of administrative reform, is to pay a visit to Slovenia. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Anton Rop, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, Europe Minister Janez Potocnik and Interior Minister Rado Bohinc.

LJUBLJANA - The Transport Ministry is to hold a press conference presenting a meeting of transport ministers of Slovenia, Italy, Hungary and Croatia scheduled for 26 January in Slovenia.

GORIZIA, Italy - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to meet the heads of the two umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Italy Sergij Pahor and Rudi Pavsic. He is also to attend an event titled "On the Threshold of a New Europe- Slovenia in the EU".

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission investigating the attack on the journalist Miro Petek is to hold a session.

SATURDAY, 24 January

MARIBOR - The Slovenian ski resort of Pohorje is to host the women's World Cup giant slalom competition.

SUNDAY, 25 January

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The trade ministers from the EU and the acceding countries, including Slovenia's Tea Petrin, are to attend a dinner with European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy.

MARIBOR - Women's World Cup slalom competition is to be staged at Pohorje.