Schedule of Events from 15 to 21 March

MONDAY, 15 March

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Parliamentary delegation, headed by Parliament Speaker Borut Pahor, is to travel to a two-day working visit to Sweden on Monday at the invitation of the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Bjorn von Sydow. The delegation is also to meet with Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, Secretary General of the Swedish Parliament Anders Forsberg, and other Swedish parliamentary officials, including a group of lawmakers who are to found a parliamentary Swedish-Slovenian friendship group.

LJUBLJANA - Hans-Gert Poettering, chair of the European People's Party, the largest poilitical group in the European parliament, is to arrive for a one-day visit to Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - Head of the German Arms Control Agency, Brigadier General Jens Zimmermann, who arrived to a working visit in Slovenia on Sunday, is due to meet deputy Chief-of Staff, Brigadier Anton Turk, Defence Ministry State Secretary Milan Jazbec and Janez Premoze, national coordinator for the Stability Pact and South Eastern Cooperative Initiative (SECI).

GENEVA, Switzerland - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to attend the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

PARIS, France - Committee for legal affairs and human rights of the Council of Europe is to discuss for the first time a report on settlement of the debt that the defunct Slovenian bank Ljubljanska banka ows savers from the former Yugoslav republics. The report was drafted by special rapporteur Erik Jurgens.

MOSCOW, Russia - The Slovenian-Russian working group on development of bilateral relations in the light of the EU enlargement is to meet for the second time. Slovenian side will be led by Foreign ministry State secretary Andrej Logar, while Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov is to head the Russian side.

LJUBLJANA - The non-governmental Peace Institute, Slovenian Journalists' Association and the Trade Union of Journalists is to stage a panel on the influence of money on journalism.

PORTOROZ - A three-day conference "Energy, Environment, Spacial Planing", organised by the Slovenian District Energy Association, is to kick off at the sea resort of Portoroz with an opening address by Minister of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Janez Kopac.

LENDAVA - State Secretary at the Ministry of the Information Society Jozsef Gyoerkoes is to meet with his Hungarian counterpart Gyoergy Csepeli to discuss the upcoming signing of a memorandum on cooperation in the field of information society. The memorandum is to be signed by the four members of the Quadriterale - Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia and Italy.

CELJE - Zlatorog, an association of managers, is to organise a panel with the title "Problems and Challenges ahead of EU entry - labour market, customs and food industry." Attending the event will be Minister of Labour, Family, and Social Affairs Vlado Dimovski.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Statistics Office is to present a preliminary report on Slovenian GDP data in 2003.

NOVO MESTO - Insurance company Zavarovalnica Tilia is to present 2003 business results and the company's plans for 2004.

LJUBLJANA - The BTC group, which manages a Ljubljana shopping and storage hub, is to hold a press conference to mark its 50th birthday.

TUESDAY, 16 March

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Adnan Terzic is to arrive for a two-day official visit to Slovenia on Monday at the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart Anton Rop. Terzic is also scheduled to meet Jozko Cuk, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS).

LJUBLJANA - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus is to visit Slovenia where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Anton Rop, Economics Minister Tea Petrin, Agriculture Minister Franc But, deputy chair of the government European Affairs Office Rado Genorio and GZS Chair Jozko Cuk. Petrin and Labus are to hold a joint press conference after their meeting.

LJUBLJANA - A conference on foreign direct investments "Membership in the EU - opportunities and challenges for foreign direct investments" is to be organised by the European Commission delegation in Slovenia in cooperation with the government agency for Slovenian economic promotion and foreign investments, and the business daily Finance. The event is to be opened by an address by EU Ambassador to Slovenia Erwan Fouere.

MARIBOR - Head of the European Commission delegation in Slovenia Erwan Fouere and Agriculture Minister Franc But are to participate at a public debate on the future of Slovenia in the EU.

GENEVA, Switzerland - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to deliver a speech at the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. On the sidelines, Rupel is to meet Jakob Kellenberger, chair of International Red Cross Committee, Chair of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab, and Albanian Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami.
He is also to hold a lecture on the role of Slovenia as a future EU member in the Balkans at the Genevan university institute for international studies, and meet with representatives of some international organisations seated in Geneva.

BERLIN, Germany - Interior Minister Rado Bohinc it to travel to Germany to meet with his German counterpart Otto Schilly. They are to discuss the setting up of the Schengen border in Slovenia, and Slovenia's candidacy for the seat of the European agency for management of EU external borders.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - President of the European Commission Romano Prodi is to meet with all candidates for future commissioners from the ten EU newcomers, including the Slovenian candidate, Europe Minister Janez Potocnik.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian office of the Red Cross is to hold a press conference to present the business results for 2003.

LJUBLJANA - Chair of the World Bank James Wolfensohn is to arrive to his first, two-day visit to Slovenia to sign Slovenia's graduation letter with members of the government. He is scheduled to meet Finance Minister Dusan Mramor, Prime Minister Anton Rop and President Janez Drnovsek.

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of the Information Society is to hold a press conference to present changes to the legislation regarding telecomunications and the information society in the light of Slovenia's upcoming EU membership.

MARIBOR - Insurance company Zavarovalnica Maribor and international insurance company Arag, which launched operations on the Slovenian market on 1 March, are to sign a cooperation agreement at a special ceremony.

LJUBLJANA - Employer of the Year Award 2003 is to be conferred at the conclusion of a one-year survey which examined how companies in Slovenia and Europe treat their employees.

WEDNESDAY, 17 March

ROME, Italy - Defence Minister Anton Grizold is to travel to Italy where he is to meet his Italian counterpart Antonio Martin. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchange views on security and political issues in Western Balkans and the Middle East.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A ceremony is to mark the opening of new NATO headquarters in Brussels where the seven new members, including Slovenia, are also to have their offices.

LJUBLJANA - Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner is to pay a visit to Slovenia at the invitation of Slovenian Foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committee for Slovenians living abroad is to discuss a bill on Slovenia's relations with Slovenians abroad.

LJUBLJANA - The National Council is to hold a meeting.

LJUBLJANA - Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Franc But is to meet his counterpart from Serbia and Montenegro Milutin Simovic, who is to arrive for a two-day visit to Slovenia.

THURSDAY, 18 March

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, A two-day conference "Enlarged Europe: A New Agenda" is to kick off in Bratislava. Prime Minister Anton Rop is expected to attend the event, while Enlargement Commissioner Guenther Verheugen is scheduled to join the conference on Friday.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary credentials and priviliges commission is to discuss President Drnovsek's proposal to appoint Andrej Engelman president of the Court of Audits.

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary commission for budget and public finance oversight is to examine the draft annual account of Slovenia's 2002 budget 2002.

LJUBLJANA - A regular weekly session of the cabinet.

LJUBLJANA - Largest Slovenian bank Nova Ljubljanska banka is to host a panel "Slovenia between the European Union and SE Europe."

SEMIC - Maker of capacitators Iskra Kondenzatorji is to hold a press conference to present the main goals and the company's restructuring programme.

LJUBLJANA - Entrepreneur of the Year award is to be conferred at a special ceremony, addressed by Economics Minister Tea Petrin.

FRIDAY, 19 March

LJUBLJANA - President Janez Drnovsek is to host the fifth round of talks on the future of Europe. This time the topics will be the perspectives of the European Union and Slovenia's role in the enlarged Europe.

LJUBLJANA - The office for Slovenians abroad is to organise a seminar "Europe's Enlargement and the Opportunities for Slovenians Abroad". On the sidelines of the event, head of the office Jadranka Sturm Kocjan is to meet with chairs of Slovenian minority organisations in Austria, Croatia, Italy, and Hungary.

PORTOROZ - A tourism project called Turistum is to be presented to the press by the Piran Municipality, Portoroz Tourist Association and Turistum institution.

LJUBLJANA - A holidays fair is to kick off at the Gospodarsko razstavisce fairgrounds. It is to focus on tourism, vacations, food and wine.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian flag carrier Adria Airways and tourist agency Kompas are to hold a joint press conference.

SATURDAY, 20 March

LJUBLJANA - Viktors, national awards for achievements in the media and pop culture, in 2003, are to be conferred at an evening ceremony at the Ljubljana arts centre Cankarjev dom.

KRANJ - The 34th Week of Slovenian Drama is to come to a close with a closing ceremony which will announce the winners of the Seligo Award for the best overall production based on a Slovenian drama text, and the Grum Award for the best drama text.

SUNDAY, 21 March

No major events expected.