The Ljubljana Stock Exchange saw mixed trading on Friday, but the benchmark SBI TOP index closed 0.12% higher at 905.61 points. This was despite the investors' favourite, the issue of pharma company Krka falling 0.56% on EUR 517,700 in volumes. In all, EUR 1.88 million worth of shares and bonds changed hands.

Fortenova, the owner of Croatian conglomerate Agrokor's healthy assets, has confirmed the goal of resolving open issues regarding Slovenian retailer Mercator by the end of the year, after holding talks with Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek.

Increasing productivity will be key to Slovenia's economic and social development, and to achieve the goal, innovation and R&D will have to be enhanced, shows a productivity report compiled by IMAD, the government's macroeconomic think tank.

Gabrijel Škof, the new chairman of Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), believes the strategy for managing state assets needs to be revised and adjusted to the changes in the portfolio as well as economic and political changes.

The government has adopted positions for the final stage of negotiations on the EU's next long-term budget. Those remain confidential, but unofficial information indicates that Slovenia will try to reduce cutbacks to cohesion funds that are being proposed by the Finnish presidency.

The Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) marked its 50th anniversary at a ceremony in Ljubljana on Thursday evening. President Borut Pahor decorated the chamber with the Order of Merit for supporting Slovenian small business owners and craftspeople.

Mercator's bankrupt Croatian owner Agrokor and the newly established Fortenova group, which has taken over Agrokor's assets, have reported the Slovenian Economy Ministry led by Zdravko Počivalšek to the European Commission over his interference in the transfer of Slovenian retailer Mercator to Fortenova, the newspaper Dnevnik reported.