Schedule of Events from 22 to 28 March

MONDAY, 22 March

LJUBLJANA - European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Antonio Vitorino is to pay a visit.

LJUBLJANA - A Q&A session is to open the March session of the National Assembly, which is to wrap up on Tuesday, 30 March. A minute of silence is to be observed by lawmakers in the memory of the victims of the March 11 terrorist attacks in Madrid.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian FM Dimitrij Rupel is to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the enlarged EU; preparations for the upcoming spring EU summit, in particular fight against terrorism, are to be discussed.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A two-day meeting of the EU council of agriculture and fisheries ministers is to begin, with Franci But attending on behalf of Slovenia.

ATHENS, Greece - Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Valentin Pohorec is to attend a two-day founding conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

LJUBLJANA - Several associations of trade unions are to present their preparations for a protest rally scheduled for 3 April in Ljubljana.

LJUBLJANA - A large-scale festival of West African culture featuring dance, film, literature, poetry, fine arts and music from Africa, is to open at Slovenia's largest cultural centre, Cankarjev dom, to wrap up on 18 July.

LJUBLJANA - The Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia's leading research institute in natural sciences, is to organise the 12th Days of Jozef Stefan (1835-1893). Stefan was one of the most distinguished physicists of the 19th century; until 26 March.

LJUBLJANA - "Jurij Vega and His Time", a two-day international conference on the history of mathematics is to begin as part of the Jurij Vega Days.

TUESDAY, 23 March

LJUBLJANA - On the agenda of the parliamentary session will be an income tax bill and a bill on conditional access to e-services (both in first reading); changes to the penal code (second reading); appointment of Andrej Engelman to the post of president of the Court of Audits; nomination of Marko Ilecic as the Slovenian candidate for a judge at the Court of Justice of the European Communities; nomination of Barbara Brezigar as the national member in Eurojust; nomination of Lovro Sturm an ad hoc judge for the protection of personal data in a common EU supervisory body.

LJUBLJANA - Head of the Planning Section in NATO's Operations Division, Diego Ruiz Palmer, is to begin a two-day visit as part of a tour of all seven future NATO members.

SKOPJE, Macedonia - Culture Minister Andreja Rihter is to travel to Macedonia to sign a programme of cooperation between both countries' culture ministers for 2004, 2005 and 2006.

KOPER - Intereuropa, a leading Slovenian logistics company, is to speak about how prepared it is for EU entry.

LJUBLJANA - A declaration on health and social security of the elderly in Slovenia is to be presented by the Trade Union of Health and Social Care and the Pensioners' Trade Union.

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition on graffitti is to open at the International Centre of Graphic Art (MGLC).

WEDNESDAY, 24 March

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Minister of European Affairs Janez Potocnik, Slovenia's candidate for European commissioner, is to pay a working visit to Brussels.

LJUBLJANA - A corporate income tax bill and a bill on the protection of the environment are to undergo second reading in parliament; a resolution on the national energy programme is also to be voted on at the March session of the National Assembly.

LJUBLJANA - The International Relations Association is to host a talk by a former top Yugoslav politician. Head of the Serbia's European Movement since 1999, Zika Kovacevic is to speak about "Serbia on a long journey to Europe".

LJUBLJANA - Israeli Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman is to begin a two-day working visit.

MARIBOR - A seminar about fraud in insurance business is to be hosted by the Maribor Faculty of Law and the Police and Security College.

KRSKO - The 1st Slovenian congress of fruit growers is to begin, with Agriculture Minister Franci But to attend.

THURSDAY, 25 March

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Leaders of the 25-member EU, including Slovenia's PM Anton Rop, are to begin a two-day spring summit, focusing on terrorism, economic topics and the restart of the talks on the constitutional treaty. Foreign and finance ministers are to attend as well, including Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel and Dusan Mramor.

LJUBLJANA - After a bill on environment facilitating business and changes to the defence act have been scrutinised in second reading, a bill on cooperation of government and parliament after EU entry is to enter third reading. Eight treaties or conventions are to be ratified. Due to a referendum initiative, it is as yet uncertain whether the systemic bill on the erased would undergo third reading.

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Metal and Electronics Industries is to stage a two-hour strike.

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Trade is to host a session of the 5th joint advisory committee EU - Slovenia; Minister of European Affairs Janez Potocnik and EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere are to attend.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Minister Franci But is to meet Jaana Hussu Kallio of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General.

LJUBLJANA - General Henri Bentegeat, chief-of-staff of the French Armed Forces, is to begin a two-day visit.

LJUBLJANA - Awards of the Slovenian Journalists' Association are to be presented for achievements in 2003.

LJUBLJANA - Simobil, a provider of mobile telephone services, is to give a press conference about its business results.

LJUBLJANA - A new Slovenian feature film, "Predmestje" (Suburbs) is to be out on general release.

LJUBLJANA - Several publishers are to present seven books by Zarko Petan upon the writer's 75th birthday.

LJUBLJANA - Cabinet is to convene for its weekly session.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Union Olimpija is to take on Italy's Skipper in the second part of Euroleague's 4th round (group E).

FRIDAY, 26 March

LJUBLJANA - Several pieces of legislation, mostly EU-related, are on the parliament's emergency agenda, including an European arrest warrant bill and a bill on state aids.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary European affairs commission is to discuss the report from the 25 and 26 March session of the European Council.

BLED - Slovenian Young Lawyers Association (SYLA) is to organise the 8th three-day international conference "Bled Forum" to discuss Slovenia's future in Europe from several aspects. A number of top domestic and foreign politicians and experts have been invited to attend.

SATURDAY, 27 March

SEZANA - A national ceremony is to mark 100 years since one of the most acclaimed Slovenian poets, Srecko Kosovel, was born. The ceremony is to be attended also by Culture Minister Andreja Rihter.