Schedule of Events for Thursday, 16 September

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly is to host the Parliamentary Assembly of the Central European Initiative; its standing committee is to be in session on Thursday at 5:30 PM, to be followed by a plenary on Friday. After both closed-door sessions, a statement to the press is due on Friday.

BRDO PRI KRANJU - As part of Slovenia's decision to set up an EU Integration Support Centre to help EU aspirants, participants of a conference on EU support, due on Friday, are expected to arrive in Slovenia. The conference will aim to identify the needs of EU membership hopefuls, and exchange views on the matter with EU members.

LJUBLJANA - The government will convene for a regular weekly session to debate, among other issues, a draft amendment to the state solicitor act and a final assessment of damage caused by the July earthquake in NW Slovenia. A press conference is scheduled for 1 PM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Europe Minister Milan M. Cvikl is to speak about Slovenian identity in Europe at an event organised by the business club SOCIUS at 1:30 PM.

BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro - The Serbian commission for the securities market is expected to take a decision on Slovenian retailer Mercator's takeover bid for Serbia's leading retail chain, C Market. Mercator is expected to get the green light to issue the bid, which could be done on Friday or Saturday.

NOVO MESTO - A debate on structural funds as a source from which Slovenian companies could be financed is to be held at 2 PM as the name of the most successful regional gazelle is revealed.

LJUBLJANA - The pharmaceuticals company, Lek, is to outline some of R&D trends in the pharmaceutical industry at 9:45 PM.

NOVA GORICA - Soft drinks producer, Fructal, is to present its business results in the countries emerging from the former Yugoslavia, and the plans the company has for the region. A meeting with journalists at 10 AM. (STA)

CELJE - To mark the 140th anniversary of Banka Celje, the bank is organising an event discussing the role of banks in encouraging development, to be attended by the Europe minister, the minister of structural policy and regional development, and an economist; at 4 PM.

LJUBLJANA - European Mobility Week is to begin, this year focusing on safe streets for children. Slovenia is taking part in this initiative encouraging city people to use environment-friendly vehicles for the fifth year in a row. The event will end on 22 September.

NOORDWIJK, The Netherlands - A two-day informal meeting of EU defence ministers is to begin in the evening, with Defence Ministry State Secretary Janko Dezelak attending on behalf of Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) is to discuss the possibility of raising pensions, which are usually harmonised with wage growth in September. Since wages grew very slowly in the first half of the year, there is little chance that pensions will actually be raised. The session is due to begin at 9:15 AM.

LJUBLJANA - President Janez Drnovsek is to receive the outgoing US Ambassador to Slovenia Johnny Young for a farewell visit at 11 AM.

LJUBLJANA - Inauguration of the premises of the embassies of Finland, Norway and Sweden at 4 PM. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - Regular political consultations between Slovenia and Finland are to take place at 11 AM to be chaired by Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar and Finnish State Secretary Arto Mansala.

LJUBLJANA - A news conference is to be held at 11 AM prior to the third edition of the festival of NGOs, LUPA, which is due to take place in Ljubljana between 20 and 23 September.

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Ivo Vajgl is to receive Norwegian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Kim Traavik at 2:30 PM.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Tourism Board is to present a survey on the promotion of Slovenia as a tourism destination in Austria, Germany and Italy; at 11 AM.

BRNIK - A new helicopter of the Slovenian Armed Forces, AS 532 AL Cougar, is to be presented to the press at 11 AM.

DIVACA - National grid operator, Elektro Slovenije, is to mark 30 years since the Slovenian electricity system was synchronised with the Italian one; a news conference at 12:30 PM. A ceremony due at 2 PM is to be addressed by Environment and Energy Minister Janez Kopac.

LJUBLJANA - The book "Slovenska demokratična revolucija 1986-1988" (The Slovenian Democratic Revolution from 1986 to 1988) by Milan Balazic is to be launched at 11 AM.

NOVA GORICA, Slovenia/PARMA, Italy - Slovenia's HIT Gorica and Maribor Pivovarna Lasko are to play the first matches in the first round of UEFA Cup, taking on AEK from Athens (6:30 PM) and Italy's Parma (9 PM), respectively. Return matches are to be played on 30 September. (STA)

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: Katja Kos
3:30 PM to 10:00 PM: Sebastijan Macek

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