Schedule of Events from 24 to 30 May

MONDAY, 24 May

BUCHAREST, Romania - Prime Minister Anton Rop to begin a two-day official visit to Romania to meet top officials there and attend the opening of a plant by Slovenian drug maker Lek in Targo Mures on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU foreign ministers, among them Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel, to hold a new round of negotiations on constitutional treaty to focus on the key issue - the definition of dual majority voting.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Minister Milan Pogacnik to attend a regular monthly session of EU farming ministers with the agenda topped by fisheries; until 25 May.

LJUBLJANA - A working visit by General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements Malcolm Knight.

SABOTIN PRI NOVI GORICI - Mayors of Nova Gorica and Gorizia, Mirko Brulc and Vittorio Brancati, to remove the first section of barbed wire on the border in a symbolic gesture.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Culture Minister Adreja Rihter to start a two-day official visit.

LJUBLJANA - A three-day visit by a delegation of the foreign policy committee of Latvian parliament headed by chair Artis Pabriks.

DUBLIN, Ireland - Head of the parliamentary economics committee Feri Horvat to attend an EU parliamentary conference on development cooperation and international development assistance sponsored by the Irish Parliament; until 26 May.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian expats' organisation Slovenska izseljenska matica to give a press conference on the publication of a new magazine for Slovenians abroad and an almanac.

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry to release the results of a survey on the lifestyles of Slovenians.

TRENTA - The 80th anniversary of the Triglav National Park.

LJUBLJANA - The Council of Slovenian Disability Organisations to speak to the press about their full-fledged membership of the European Disability Forum.

LJUBLJANA - A ceremonial session to mark the 10th anniversary of the Slovenian Science Foundation.

MARIBOR - The programme of the festival Lent 2004 to be outlined at a press conference.

TUESDAY, 25 May

PORTOROZ - Annual meetings of the foreign ministers of the Central European Initiative and the Adriatic Ionian Initiative.

LJUBLJANA - A visit by European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein, responsible for internal market, taxation and customs union issues. He is due to meet Finance Minister Dusan Mramor, Europe Minister Milan M. Cvikl, Economics Minister Matej Lahovnik and parliamentary committees on economy and finance, monetary policy.

LJUBLJANA - An official visit by Slovakian Deputy PM and Economics Minister Pavol Ruska.

LJUBLJANA - Parliament to wrap up the regular May session after deciding whether to reject the latest referendum initiative challenging the systemic bill on the erased.

SKOPJE, Macedonia - Former President Milan Kucan to attend a conference organised by the Macedonian Forum for Euro-Atlantic Integration to present a paper themed "Republic of Slovenia - from a Former Republic of the Former Yugoslavia to the European Union".

UDINE, Italy - A ceremony at the conclusion of a peacekeeping mission of the Multinational Land Force, operating as part of the Kosovo Force; attendance by Slovenian peacekeepers also expected.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference ahead of the 37th international PEN meeting to be held at Bled.

LJUBLJANA - The 3rd national conference on innovation.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference of the Golden Drum Festival to outline preparations for this advertising festival due on 3 October.

LJUBLJANA - A new award for literature for children and youth to be conferred. The name of the award, Desetnica, refers to the ancient Slovenian tradition of the tenth daughter having to leave home.

IZOLA - The "Isola Cinema - Cinema Island" international film festival to begin.

VIENNA, Austria - An exhibition showcasing eight Slovenian and eight Austrian young artists to open.

LJUBLJANA/CELJE/KOPER - "The Passion Of The Christ" by Mel Gibson to be screened for the press ahead of the 3 June premiere.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference ahead of the international conference on education and prevention in the field of metal health, to be held in Nova Gorica between 27 and 29 May.

LJUBLJANA - The Jozef Stefan International Post-Graduate School to open.

LJUBLJANA - The first central European festival of the art of story-telling.

LJUBLJANA - An ATP tournament Challenger Ljubljana Open to kick off; until 30 May.

WEDNESDAY, 26 May

LJUBLJANA - The 88th session of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport to begin.

BLED - The arrival of participants in the 37th PEN meeting and a meeting of the International PEN Peace Committee.

LJUBLJANA - Amnesty International Slovenia to release AI 3003 report on human rights violations across the globe.

OTOCEC - The results of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2003 for Slovenia to be released.

LJUBLJANA - A seminar on the National Action Plan on Social Inclusion and good practice to be held by the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference presenting the programme of the 52nd Ljubljana Summer Festival.

LJUBLJANA - A press conference ahead of the international wine competition to be held in Ljubljana between 29 May and 1 June.

GORNJA RADGONA - The "Fabula" festival of European short story to kick off; until 29 May.

THURSDAY, 27 May

MAMAIA, Romania - President Janez Drnovsek to take part in a two-day meeting of Central European presidents.

THE VATICAN - Prime Minister Anton Rop to begin a two-day official visit.

BLED - The 37th international PEN meeting of writers to begin with the first round-table debate.

CIUDAD DE MEXICO, Mexico - FM Dimitrij Rupel to attend a two-day EU-Latin America and Caribbean ministerial.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Culture Minister Andreja Rihter to take part in a two-day session of the Council on Education, Youth, Culture.

LJUBLJANA - Regular weekly session of the government.

GENEVA, Switzerland - Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs Vlado Dimovski to attend the general assembly of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions. Presided over by Dimovski, the Slovenian Economic and Social Council is to be formally admitted.

BAMAKO, Mali - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Zbogar to take part in the ministerial meeting of the Human Security Network; until 29 May.

VIENNA - Defence Ministry State Secretary to head the Slovenian delegation at the 7th meeting of security and political dialogue with Austria.

LJUBLJANA - Forum 21, the association headed by Former President Milan Kucan, organises the first in a series of debates on the present and future outlook of Slovenia.

NOVO MESTO - Drug maker Krka to stage a ceremony at its 50th anniversary; attendance by PM Anton Rop also expected.

LJUBLJANA - The International Railway Congress Association and the Slovenian Railways organise a three-day international seminar on the future of cargo transport.

SUNDAY, 30 May

ZAGREB, Croatia - Ljubljana Mayor Danica Simsic to pay a two-day visit on the occasion of Day of Zagreb; a meeting with President Stjepan Mesic also scheduled.

ISTANBUL - The Slovenian women handball team is to take on Turkey in the European Championships qualifications.