Schedule of Events for Thursday, 21 April

LJUBLJANA - The government is to hold its weekly session, debating the consumer protection programme and the draft standpoint for negotiations on the EU financial framework for 2007-2013. A press conference is scheduled for after the session at 2 PM. (STA)

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel is to take part in an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers. The ministers are expected to discuss NATO's role in the Middle East and relations with Russia and Ukraine.

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Transport Minister Janez Bozic is to take part in a regular meeting of EU transport, telecommunications and energy ministers.

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Interior Minister Dragutin Mate is to travel to the Hungarian capital to take part in a two-day meeting of interior ministers of the Salzburg Group, which brings together Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland.

DUBROVNIK, Croatia - Chief-of-staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Ladislav Lipic to take part in a meeting of his counterparts from CENCOOP.

LJUBLJANA - The council of RTV Slovenija is to convene at 10 AM to take a decision on a new director general of the public broadcaster. (STA)

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs is to hold a meeting at 1 PM with representatives of organisations of the disabled to discuss financing following recent hunger strikes to protest the way state money for the disabled is distributed.

TRIESTE, Italy - The umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Italy are to meet the new Prefect of Trieste Annamaria Sorge Lodovici. Minority protection is to feature high in the talks.

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Slovenian Democrats (SDS) are to hold a press conference to speak about the appointment of the new state prosecutor general and the establishment of an parliamentary investigating commission on the work of the prosecution; at 2 PM.

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SDS) are to speak out against government-sponsored bills on war veterans that it claims is an attempt to debase the role of the Slovenian Liberation Struggle during WWII at a press conference at 11 AM.

LJUBLJANA - Transport Ministry officials are to present the financial problems of the Slovenian Railways at a press conference scheduled for 9 AM.

LJUBLJANA - Officials of the Slovenian Agriculture Chamber are to speak about their proposal for changes to the income tax act at a press conference scheduled for 10 AM.

LJUBLJANA - The Association of Free Trade Unions (ZSSS), Slovenia's largest trade union confederation, is to hold a press conference at 11 AM to speak about the consequences of a flat tax rate system.

PORTOROZ - The 9th Days of Slovenian Trade are to begin. On the first day, participants are to debate the effects of Basel II capital adequacy regulations on small and medium-sized companies. A forum on trade and entrepreneurship is also scheduled to be put on.

LJUBLJANA - The curtain is to be lowered on the third annual Business Week, organised by the Chamber of Commerce (GZS). The revamped Lisbon Strategy and Slovenia's global economic standing will top proceedings, which are expected to feature GZS president Jozko Cuk, the head of the European Commission's Representation Office in Slovenia Erwan Fouere and the director of the Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development Janez Sustersic.

LJUBLJANA - The final day of the Days of Finance is to see financial experts debate the future of the Slovenian financial sector.

LJUBLJANA - The water park Atlantis is to open to the public, expected to attract up to 700,000 visitors a year to 14 swimming pools, waterfall baths, saunas, massage parlours, and slides.

RAKICAN - A group promoting the Pomursko region as a region of health is to hold a debate against the selection of a municipality in the region as the site of a nuclear waste repository.

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: Eva Horvat
3:30 PM to 10:00 PM: Sebastijan Macek

Comments and suggestions may be sent to: english@sta.si