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This summary is provided by the STA:
Over 1,000 firefighters, several aircraft continue to battle Kras fire
RENČE - More than 1,000 firefighters and more than 260 foresters are still on the ground as the fire in the Kras region in western Slovenia continues to rage. Several helicopters, a Pilatus military aircraft and a Croatian Canadair water bomber also take part in the effort that is now focused on the Trstelj hill and surrounding villages. While the firefighters are battling the fire that devastated a vast area in Kras, the foresters are clearing up corridors and cutting down the vegetation around endangered villages. The Slovenian army also participates in the effort with a helicopter and around 130 soldiers. Defence Minister Marjan Šarec, who visited the site, said that the effort had to be focused on "enclosing" the fire as much as possible.
Diplomat says Croatia's Schengen entry means recognition of arbitration
LJUBLJANA - Vojko Volk, a seasoned diplomat and advisor to PM Robert Golob, has told the newspaper Večer that by entering the Schengen Area, Croatia would, legally speaking, recognise the borders of the countries that are already members of the area, including Slovenia, and thus indirectly also the border arbitration decision. The state secretary for international affairs at the prime minister's office said if Slovenia was forced to temporarily suspend Schengen on the border with Croatia, "it will of course be clear that the border at sea is where it is determined by the arbitration decision." He bases the argument on the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement, the key document that Croatia has to respect as it enters the Schengen Area.
Janša looks forward to elections in address to SDS get-together
BOVEC - The 27th annual get-together of the Democratic Party (SDS) started at the Bovec airstrip, with SDS president Janez Janša addressing the event. He expressed the belief that the candidate supported by the SDS will win this year's presidential elections and noted the traditional success of the party in local elections. At the first major meeting of the SDS after the 24 general election, in which the party was relegated t the opposition, Janša said that there had indeed been much disappointment after the vote, adding however that "we must not forget that the Democrats had made progress in this election as well".
Spending for social protection up 9.2% in 2020 to EUR 11.7bn
LJUBLJANA - Some EUR 11.7 billion was earmarked for social protection programmes in Slovenia in 2020, which is 9.2% more than in 2019, with most of it being allocated for old age- and illness-related programmes and healthcare. Social protection accounted for a quarter of the country's GDP in 2020, or 2.8 percentage points more than the year before. Almost 10% of Slovenia's GDP or 0.9 of a percentage point more than in 2019 was allocated for old age-related programmes, and 8.1% of GDP or 0.7 of a percentage point more for illness-related and healthcare programmes, the Statistics Office said.
Boxmark Leather back to profit last year as workforce reduced
KIDRIČEVO - Boxmark Leather, the Kidričevo-based car upholstery maker which more than halved its workforce during the Covid epidemic, saw its sales drop accordingly last year. It generated EUR 52 million in revenue, almost 43% less than in 2020. The annual report nevertheless shows that the cost-cutting measures resulted in a net profit of EUR 1.5 million in 2021, which compares to a EUR 2.7 million loss in 2020. The company also operated in the red for a few years before that. The workforce was reduced from 1,450 at the beginning of 2020 to 570 at end-2021, but the company is now again employing qualified staff.
