Schedule of Events for Monday, 8 March

LJUBLJANA - The Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly is due to hold a session in the parliament building in the morning. The session will open with an address by committee's chair Roman Jakic, who also heads the Slovenian parliamentary delegation to the Assembly, and addresses by Speaker of Parliament Borut Pahor and Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. Pahor and Rupel will also be holding separate meetings with CoE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, who is also due in Ljubljana. During the part of the session that will be closed for public, members of the committee are expected to endorse a report by Cypriot rapporteur Kristos Porgurides about the freedom of the press in Belarus and a report about the role of UN by Italian rapporteur Tana de Zulueta. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland continues a three-day official visit to Slovenia; she is due to meet FM Dimitrij Rupel and chair of the parliamentary foreign policy committee Jelko Kacin. Talks with President Janez Drnovsek, PM Anton Rop, Speaker of Parliament Borut Pahor and head of the delegation to the CoE Parliamentary Assembly Roman Jakic are scheduled for Tuesday. Rupel and Ojuland are scheduled to hold a joint press conference at 3.20 PM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - The forum on the future of Slovenia continues with a debate themed "Slovenia and SE Europe, European Prospect of Western Balkans". Organised by the Slovenian International Relations Association, the debate is to open at 4 PM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the agriculture and food committee of Irish Parliament is set to begin a four-day visit to Slovenia. The delegation is due to meet Agriculture Minister Franc But at 3.30 PM, and on Tuesday also Speaker of Parliament Borut Pahor. Meetings with legislators are also scheduled with talks focusing on agriculture following Slovenia's accession to the EU.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Information Society Minister Pavel Gantar will be joining a session of the ministers of the EU and acceding countries in charge of transport, telecommunications and energy. On Tuesday, the session will be attended by Transport Minister Jakob Presecnik.

LJUBLJANA - Several events are to be held around the country to mark International Women's Day.

STRASBOURG, France - Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs Vlado Dimovski is due to appear at a conference traditionally organised by the CoE to mark International Women's Day. The conference entitled "Working life, private life: getting the balance right" is to be chaired by the CoE Deputy Secretary General, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio. The event is aimed at promoting the equality of the sexes.

LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Religious Communities is to hold a closed-door forum with representatives of religious communities. Head of the Institute for Human Rights Law Lovro Sturm is due to speak about regulating the issue of religious communities and present a bill on the freedom of conscience and religious communities.

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food is to hold a press conference at noon to present a regional development programme and other topical events.

AJDOVSCINA - Beverages producer Fructal is to present 2003 business results to the press at 1 PM.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference ahead of the guest appearance by Belgrade theatre companies Atelje 212 and the Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP).

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: Vlasta Horvat
3:30 PM to 10:00 PM: Gorazd Jukovič

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