Schedule of Events from 9 to 15 February

MONDAY, 9 February

STUTTGART, Germany - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to wrap up a two-day working visit to the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. He is due to meet the federal state's Europe Minister Christoph E. Palmer, First Minister Erwin Teufel and Speaker of State Parliament Peter Straub, and visit the Stuttgart Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

VIENNA, Austria - Agriculture Minister Franc But is due to attend the winter meeting of Austria's farming sector at the invitation of his Austrian counterpart Josef Proell. Other participants include European Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler and Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Czech agriculture ministers.

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands - Parliament Secretary General Jozica Veliscek is to attend a regular annual conference of secretaries general of national parliaments from EU member and acceding countries. The meeting will concentrate on preparations for a conference of European parliament speakers to be held in the Hague from 1 to 3 July.

LJUBLJANA - Radio Slovenija is to start broadcasting a 25-part series of Jon Milton's "Paradise Lost". The radio play has been directed by Gregor Tozon and translated by Marjan Strojan.

LJUBLJANA - Danish Week is to open as part of the exhibition "Ljubljana Through European Eyes".

TUESDAY, 10 February

LJUBLJANA - Parliament is to convene for an emergency session to set a new date for a referendum on the technicalities act on the erased. The referendum is expected to be called for 4 April. MPs are also expected to take a decision on the constitutionality of a recent initiative given by two opposition parties to call a referendum on the systemic bill on the erased.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Dusan Mramor is to join the session of EU ministers for finance and economy.

LJUBLJANA - Swedish Defence Ministry State Secretary Jonas Hjelm is to visit Slovenia at the invitation of the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration. Meetings with Defence Minister Anton Grizold and other officials are scheduled (through 13 February).

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Kramar, the new chairman of Slovenia's largest bank, Nova Ljubljanska Banka, is to meet the press after assuming office on 1 February.

SEZANA - Minister of Regional Development Zdenka Kovac is to meet heads of the two umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Italy, the Slovenian Cultural and Economic Association (SKGZ) and the Council of Slovenian Organisations (SSO), Rudi Pavsic and Sergij Pahor.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Zbogar is due to meet Executive Director of War-torn Society Project Matthias Stiefel.

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Health is to stage a press conference to outline a new model for the allocation of funds for hospitals.

LJUBLJANA - The Association of Free Trade Unions is to hold a press conference to mark one year since the employment act took effect.

LJUBLJANA - A seminar on capital takeovers in the EU.

MARIBOR - Amnesty International Maribor is to hold a round table debate on violence against women and their position in the society.

WEDNESDAY, 11 February

LJUBLJANA - Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), General James L. Jones is to pay a two-day visit to Slovenia. He is scheduled to hold meetings with FM Dimitrij Rupel, Defence Minister Anton Grizold, Chief-of-Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Maj. Ladislav Lipic and head of the parliamentary defence committee Rudolf Petan, and give a lecture on the transformation of NATO.

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

LJUBLJANA - The opening session of a simulated UN General Assembly meeting is to be held at the Faculty of Social Sciences with the opening address to be delivered by FM Dimitrij Rupel.

LJUBLJANA - Secretary General of the government Mirko Bandelj and Head of the Government Informatics Centre Marin Silic are to talk to the press about the development of e-administration in Slovenia.

CELJE - A public panel on Slovenia's future in the EU is to be attended by head of the European Commission delegation to Slovenia Erwan Fouere and Minister of Education, Science and Sports Slavko Gaber.

KLAGENFURT, Austria - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar is to take part in a session of the joint committee of Slovenia and Austria's province of Carinthia.

LJUBLJANA - Citypark, the company running one of Ljubljana's shopping centres, is to talk about its business results and plans for this year at a press conference.

ATHENS, Greece - Slovenia's Union Olimpija will take on AEK in the 13th round of Euroleague.

THURSDAY, 12 February

TRIESTE, Italy - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar is to attend on behalf of Slovenia the first round of three-way talks with Italy and Croatia on the controversial Croatian declaration of a protective fisheries and ecological zone in the Adriatic.

LJUBLJANA - Regular weekly session of the cabinet.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy committee is to hold a session, partially closed to the public.

LJUBLJANA - FM Dimitrij Rupel is to meet Harald Kreid, Director General of Central European Initiative Executive Secretariat.

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry is to outline the strategy of the promotion campaign to attract people to become professional soldiers.

PORTOROZ - A two-day meeting of economists and business people in the trade sector is to kick off.

BLED - Environmentalist NGOs are to stage a panel on the Triglav National Park as part of the public debate on the proposed amendments to the act on Slovenia's only national park.

LJUBLJANA - The Emzin Photo of the Year 2003 exhibition is to open with awards ceremony.

NOVO MESTO - Slovenia's Krka is to play Lithuania's Zhalgiris in the 13th round of Euroleague.

FRIDAY, 13 February

SKOPJE, Macedonia - FM Dimitrij Rupel is due to visit Macedonia.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Zbogar is scheduled to meet head of the Turkish parliamentary European integration committee Yasar Yakis.

LJUBLJANA - Open house at secondary schools and faculties offering information for would-be students (also Saturday).

SATURDAY, 14 February

LJUBLJANA - The Catholic secondary school is to host a two-day international panel on the "Identity of Catholic School in 21st Century Europe".

PTUJ - The largest carnival event in Slovenia, featuring the traditional Slovenian figures, the kurenti, is to kick off.

SUNDAY, 15 February

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's song for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest is to be selected.