Schedule of Events for Thursday, 26 February

HELSINKI, Finland - President Janez Drnovsek is to conclude a three-day official visit to Finland by meeting Speaker of the Parliament Paavo Lipponen and attending a forum on science, knowledge and competitive ability of small countries. The forum is also to be attended by Slovenian Education and Science Minister Slavko Gaber and Economics Ministry State Secretary Renata Vitez. (STA)

MOSTAR, Bosnia-Herzegovina - PM Anton Rop is to attend the International Conference on Investments in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Apart from speaking at the conference, Rop is to hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with Croatian PM Ivo Sanader and the three-member presidium of Bosnia-Herzegovina. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - A press conference is to be given at noon on the second and last day of the visit by Francoise Le Bail, director for SE Europe, Russia and Ukraine at the Directorate General of Trade of the European Commission. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Two members of the Swedish parliamentary foreign policy committee, Kenneth Forslund and Kent Haerstedt, are to begin a two-day working visit to Slovenia. After a meeting with chair of the Slovenian foreign policy committee Jelko Kacin, a statement to the press is scheduled for 11.45 AM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Parliament is to discuss changes to the act on the elections to the European Parliament in emergency procedure; the bill on the Slovenian capital city is to be debated in third reading. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - The government is set to hold its weekly session to discuss changes to the media act (first reading) and several economy-related pieces of legislation, including changes to the act on preventing monopolies. Changes to the act on European arrest warrant are also to be debated. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - A press conference is to be held at 9.30 AM ahead of the opening of the Austrian Institute (Oesterreich Institute) in Ljubljana, a language institute. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Central Europe and the enlarged EU are to be debated in a panel organised by the Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office Ljubljana, in collaboration with the Culture Forum of the Austrian Embassy; at 7 PM. (STA)

MARIBOR - An Interreg project promoting tourism is to be presented by the Institute of Regional Development of the University of Maribor at 9.30 AM. "European Spa World" aims to unite Slovenia, Hungary and Austria's Styria in developing tourism. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - As the erased and groups supporting them are staging "The Week of the Erased" to mark 12 years since their erasure from the population registry (26 February 1992), the Association of the Erased is to gather for an assembly at 11 AM. (STA)

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Minister of Education, Science and Sport Slavko Gaber is to attend a meeting of ministers from EU member states and acceding countries. Adjusting education programmes to the EU's goal of becoming the world's most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010, will be a major topic.

PORTLAOISE, Ireland - Minister of Structural Policy and Regional Development Zdenka Kovac is expected to attend a two-day meeting of ministers from current and future EU countries responsible for regional policy. The recently released cohesion report by the European Commission is to be discussed.

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Minister of Information Society Pavel Gantar is expected to attend a two-day conference of European information society ministers. The minister is to be accompanied by State Secretary Jozsef Gyoerkoes and Joze Gricar of the University of Maribor. Gantar is also to meet Bulgarian Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Vassilev.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's leading retailer Mercator is to hold a press conference on its 2003 business results and 2004 business plan at 1 PM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - The Government Drugs Office is to speak to the press at noon.

LJUBLJANA - Marking 40 years of the studies in journalism, the Faculty of Social Sciences is to stage a panel on Slovenian journalism.

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: Katja Kos
3:30 PM to 10:00 PM: Eva Horvat

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