Schedule of Events from 1 to 7 March

SYDNEY, Australia - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to meet with New South Wales Prime Minister Bob Carr and other officials from the state as part of his three-day visit to Australia, which he started on Sunday.

ERFURT, Germany - Europe Minister Janez Potocnik is to attend a conference on EU enlargement, its opportunities and challenges. He is scheduled to hold a lecture on Slovenia's role in the EU.

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SDS) are to hold a press conference explaining the reasons for the interpellation motion against Interior Minister Rado Bohinc.

LJUBLJANA - President Janez Drnovsek is to host talks on the future of Slovenia with representatives of the business and academic spheres. Addressed, among others, by Economics Minister Tea Petrin, the meeting is to focus on the competitive potential of Slovenia's economy and society.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committee on finance and monetary policy is to continue its emergency session to produce the final document for Tuesday's extraordinary session of the parliament concerning the disputed sale of the bank SIB.

WARSAW, Poland - Transport Minister Jakob Presecnik is to start a two-day visit in Poland at the invitation of Poland's Deputy PM, Minister of Infrastructure Marek Pol. Talks will focus on bilateral cooperation, the implementation of the EU body of laws, EU funds and related issues.

LJUBLJANA - Finance Minister Dusan Mramor and Economics Minister Tea Petrin are to hold a press conference on the interest of Slovenian companies regarding Russia's debts to Slovenia.

DOMZALE - The management of Nova Ljubljanska banka (NLB), Slovenia's leading bank, are to present the 2003 business operation of NLB and its group, and its 2004-2006 strategic guidelines.

LJUBLJANA - A meeting of the Slovenian Council for Environmental Protection is to discuss a bill on environmental protection and a draft resolution on the national energy programme.

LJUBLJANA - The week of the fight against cancer is to kick off. Several Slovenian associations and the Ljubljana Institute of Oncology are launching a series of initiatives to inform the public about ways of preventing cancer.

DUBLIN, Ireland - Culture Minister Andreja Rihter is to attend an informal three-day meeting of the EU council for audio-visual policy.

TUESDAY, 2 March

LJUBLJANA - Lawmakers are to convene for an extraordinary session to examine reports by several institutions and agencies on the involvement of public office holders in the disputed sale of the bank SIB.

LONDON, UK - Europe Minister Janez Potocnik is to start a two-day visit to the UK. He is scheduled to meet with his counterpart Denis MacShane.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economics Minister Tea Petrin is to attend a business conference of the European Commission.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's state secretaries Marko Slokar and Radovan Tavzes are to attend a meeting of ministers of environment from EU members and acceding countries.

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's central hospital, Klinicni center, is to hold a press conference as part of the week of fight against cancer.

PORTOROZ - A two-day panel on Slovenia's cooperatives and the EU is to kick off. The event will be organised by the Cooperative Union of Slovenia and will focus on the country's agriculture policy upon EU accession.

MARIBOR - Plinarna Maribor, a company trading in industrial gasses within the Istrabenz group, is to present its business results and future plans.

GORNJA RADGONA - 14th international fair of packaging, packing technology, graphics, logistics and transport (INPAK) is to kick off. The event wraps up on 5 March.

WEDNESDAY, 3 March

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to pay a two-day visit to New Zealand. He is scheduled to meet with senior officials and hold a lecture at and institute for international relations.

LJUBLJANA - A panel on the prevention and repression of organised crime in the EU and Slovenia is to be held.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is to take part in the NATO crisis management exercise CMX '04. The project wraps up on 10 March.

TRIESTE, Italy - The umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Italy are to hold a press conference on the minority's cross-border projects.

NOVO MESTO/KRSKO - Interior Minister Rado Bohinc is to inspect the police administrations of Novo Mesto and Krsko in eastern Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - A parliamentary commission is to hold a meeting behind closed doors to ascertain the responsibilities related to the acquisition and sale of electric energy that supposedly led to a significant deficit.

LJUBLJANA - At the initiative of the employers' association, the council for economic and social affairs is to hold a meeting on the implementation of the social agreement for the period 2002-2005.

LJUBLJANA - PM Anton Rop and economics Minister Tea Petrin are to attend the ceremony of the awards for business achievement in 2003, conferred on the most successful organisation of the year.

LJUBLJANA - The 43rd international furniture fair is to kick off in Ljubljana, wrapping up on 7 March.

THURSDAY, 4 March

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Minister of Labour Vlado Dimovski is to attend a meeting of EU ministers of labour and social affairs.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committee for infrastructure and the environment is to hold a meeting, focusing on several relevant bills.

FRIDAY, 5 March

MARIBOR - Austrian Defence Minsiter Guenther Platter is to visit Slovenia, and is scheduled to meet with his Slovenian counterpart Anton Grizold.

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Rado Bohinc is to meet with Ljubljana Mayor Danica Simsic. The pair will discuss, among other issues, the act on local self-government, and Ljubljana's police.

NOVA GORICA - Minister of Structural Policy and Regional Development Zdenka Kovac is to meet with businessmen, mayors and heads of development agencies from the region of Primorsko, on the border with Italy,

LJUBLJANA - The awards of the Scientific Research Centre (ZRC SAZU) are to be conferred.

SATURDAY, 6 March

SALZBURG, Austria - President Janez Drnovsek is to be given the honorary title of senator of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts at a ceremony of the Salzburg-based academy.