STA, 31 March 2022 - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec has pledged that a bypass road would be built to relieve Škofljica, a town just south-east of Ljubljana, of traffic on the very busy Ljubljana-Kočevje road, which cuts through the town centre.

He said as he met Mayor Ivan Jordan in Škofljica on Thursday that the new road would be sited together with a second track planned on the Ljubljana-Ivančna Gorica railway.

Vrtovec could not say where exactly the new road would run, telling the STA that it was premature to say that "but the important thing is that we take steps forward".

The mayor was happy with the meeting, saying: "This is the first time we talked openly. I outlined out problems to the minister and he pledged to solve them if he remains minister" after the general election.

Vrtovec also discussed some other infrastructure projects in the area before the government visits the entire southern part of Central Slovenia on Friday.

He also said that his ministry and the municipality of Grosuplje would sign a EUR 9 million contract to co-finance various projects, from crossroads to cycling routes.

STA, 31 March 2022 - The Slovenian government has capped the wholesale price of regular petrol and diesel two and a half weeks after regulating retail prices. The wholesale price has been set two cents below the retail price.

Wholesalers will be allowed to charge EUR 1.483 per litre of petrol and EUR 1.521 per litre of diesel, a price the government said on Thursday provided a margin that would make it possible for small retailers to secure fuel supplies.

Many small service station operators have complained that they were simply not getting fuel from wholesalers since prices were capped. Either that, or they were forced to buy fuel at a price above the maximum retail price.

Indeed, the government decree explicitly stipulates now that companies selling fuel may not stop deliveries. In the event they incur losses, they will be compensated under a scheme that will be put in place after this temporary measure expires.

Price administration was initially put in place for a month, but today's decree extends it until 30 April.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

General government deficit down to 5.2% of GDP last year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's general government deficit amounted to EUR 2.705 billion or 5.2% of GDP last year, or EUR 961 million less than in 2020. The deficit of the central government amounted to EUR 2.94 billion last year, while the local government generated a EUR 60 million and social security funds a EUR 178 million surplus. Gross general government debt reached 74.7% of GDP, decreasing by 5.1 percentage points in relative terms year-on-year, nominally increasing by EUR 1.435 billion.

Annual inflation decelerates to 5.4% in March

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded an annual inflation rate of 5.4% in March, a significant drop from 6.9% in February, as a 30% decline in electricity prices shaved a full percentage point off the headline rate, the Statistics Office reported. While electricity was cheaper, prices in other major groups rose. With petrol up over 30% and diesel almost as much, oil derivatives prices contributed 1.2 percentage points to the overall inflation rate. Food, almost 7% more expensive, added another point.

IMAD's latest GDP forecast postponed again

LJUBLJANA - The government did not put IMAD's latest GDP forecast on the agenda of today's session, the second time in two weeks the item was not examined. The reason, as reported by Delo, is that the macroeconomic forecaster has not sufficiently taken into account the positive effects of investments from the EU recovery and resilience fund and other investments. IMAD denies that and says the forecast is realistic all the available data considered.

Slovenian, Croatian Italian foreign ministers meeting on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar, Croatia's Gordan Grlić Radman and Italy's Luigi Di Maio will meet in Zaprešić, Croatia on Monday to discuss cooperation in the north Adriatic sea, in what will be the third meeting in this format. The ministers will take stock of the cooperation so far and examine specific proposals, which will be included in a joint statement, the Foreign Ministry said.

SD accuses Janša of jeopardising arbitration agreement

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša is jeopardising the 2009 border arbitration agreement between Slovenia and Croatia and is abusing office as he engages in talks with Croatia on what was already agreed on, Matjaž Nemec, an MP for the opposition SocDems, said. Nemec spoke to the press a day after a Croatia newspaper reported that Croatia and Slovenia had drawn up a pilot plan to solve the issue of fishing in the Bay of Piran.

Slovenian, UAE speakers debate cooperation, intl issues

ABU DHABI, UAE - Potential for stronger economic cooperation and current international issues topped the agenda as National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič met with Saqr Ghobash, speaker of the the Federal National Council, at the outset of a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. The officials said about the war in Ukraine that "confrontation does not lead anywhere, peace is the only answer to conflicts". Zorčič and Ghobash also shared the view that cooperation between all countries was crucial in addressing the current energy crisis.

President and ambassador mark Slovenia-UK Friendship Day

VINICA - President Borut Pahor and UK Ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler marked Slovenia-UK Friendship Day in Gornji Suhor, a village in south-eastern Slovenia where a British bomber crashed in March 1945 while locals and Slovenian Partisans helped save some of the crew. Pahor, Sadler and Črnomelj Mayor Andrej Kavšek stressed the role of mutual friendship which was made in the most difficult moments as they addressed the event. They also touched on the war in Ukraine saying that while it had brought a lot of suffering it had also brought a lot of compassion and solidarity.

Slovenia to soon get new ambassadors in Croatia, Belgium

LJUBLJANA - The government formally relieved of their duties the Slovenian ambassadors accredited to Belgium and Croatia as their terms expire at the end of May. Ambassador Vojislav Šuc will leave Croatia on 31 May, and according to media reports, will be replaced by Gašper Dovžan, currently a Foreign Ministry state secretary. Rado Genorio will vacate his ambassadorial post in Belgium on 27 May, and will, according to media reports, retire. Petra Kežman was appointed Slovenia's new national coordinator for relations with the Union for the Mediterranean, the Government Communication Office said in a release.

Slovenian flag at Kyiv embassy temporarily removed because of similarity with Russia's

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's charge d'affaires at the embassy in Kyiv Boštjan Lesjak, who arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, told TV Slovenija late on Wednesday that he had to take down the Slovenian flag in front of the embassy because of its similarity with the Russian flag. But the Slovenian Foreign Ministry told the STA today that after the Ukrainian security forces beefed up security in the street where the Slovenian Embassy and several other embassies are located, Lesjak again raised the Slovenian flag and now it was to stay there.

Coronavirus caseload continues to decline

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia continues to gradually decline, as a total of 2,743 cases were confirmed on Monday, down by 17% from the week before. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population declined marginally to 1,832, with the 7-day average of new daily cases down by almost seventy to 2,601, National Institute of Public Health data show. A total of 157 patients were in hospital due to Covid-19 this morning, of which 35 in intensive care, figures that have remained broadly flat since early March. Three patients with Covid-19 died, according to the Health Ministry.

Radwaste agency to re-check bids for repository construction

LJUBLJANA - The new management of the Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ARAO) has reversed the decision by the previous management not to pick any of the three bids for the construction of a radwaste repository, and the bids will now be re-examined. The agency announced last week it had not awarded a contract since the offer by the only consortium to remain in the game, a joint bid by the Slovenian construction firms Riko, Kolektor CPG and CGP, was more than a hundred million euros above the funds available.

Govt sets maximum wholesale prices of petrol, diesel

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian government capped the wholesale price of regular petrol and diesel two and a half weeks after regulating retail prices. The wholesale price has been set two cents below the retail price. Wholesalers will be allowed to charge EUR 1.483 per litre of petrol and EUR 1.521 per litre of diesel, a price the government said on Thursday provided a margin that would make it possible for small retailers to secure fuel supplies.

New electronic communications act to be fast-tracked

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly confirmed plans to fast track the new electronic communications act, the government's second attempt to pass the legislation after an almost identical bill was voted down in February over concerns about the independence of the Agency for Electronic Communications and provisions seen as being directed against Huawei. The decision, confirmed at the outset of an emergency plenary, means the bill will be put to a vote on 6 April, according to the agenda of the session.

National rail operator gets go-ahead to buy coach company Nomago

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), the custodian of state assets, has given its go-ahead to national rail company Slovenske Železnice (SŽ) to buy half of coach company Nomago, the business newspaper Finance reported. The SSH management green-lit SŽ's strategic investment on Wednesday. The investment will cost SŽ some EUR 30 million, which it will pay over the course of three years. SŽ will also have a pre-emptive right to buy the rest of Nomago until the end of 2024, reported Finance.

DARS nearly doubles annual profit

LJUBLJANA - National motorway company DARS generated almost EUR 470 million in sales revenue in 2021, up from over EUR 398 million in 2020. The largest share of revenue - EUR 456 million - came from motorway tolls. Net profit almost doubled to EUR 112.7 million from EUR 59.5 million in 2020. DARS did not specify as it posted its financials for 2021 on Thursday how much it made from toll sticker sales and how much from toll for trucks.

Almost million people visit Slovenian pavilion at Expo

LJUBLJANA - Almost a million visitors were recorded at the Slovenian pavilion at the 2020 Dubai Expo that is closing today. More than 200 events were hosted at its business centre, which were attended by 600 companies, either as exhibitors or members of business delegations, Slovenia's Expo commissioner general Matic Volk said. The next Expo will be held in Osaka, Japan, in 2025, and Slovenia also plans to take part. The costs of an independent pavilion there would amount to about EUR 15 million.

Major fire in Gorenjska has been put out, still being watched

PREDDVOR - The major fire on the Potoška Gora and Baba hills near the town of Preddvor, some 30 km north of Ljubljana, which broke out on Monday afternoon, has been put out on the surface, as the rainfall assisted firefighters in their efforts. Efforts were continued to find hot spots over night, like on Wednesday, when the fire was already contained. "In the early morning, it finally started raining," said Andraž Šifrer, head of the firefighting effort and commander of the Kranj Firefighter and Rescue Service. A total of 1,100 firefighters have taken part in efforts to put out the fire, and four were injured.

Mini Teater and Jewish Cultural Centre director gets French order

LJUBLJANA - Robert Waltl, the director of the Mini Teater theatre and the Jewish Cultural Centre in Ljubljana, has received the Order of the Arts and the Letters of France for "deepening ties between Slovenia and France and promoting mutual respect and combating all forms of discrimination." The French Institute in Slovenia has announced that the knight grade of the order had been presented to Waltl on Wednesday by French Ambassador Florence Ferrari on behalf of the French minister of culture.

Retrospective on Pier Paolo Pasolini on show in Cinematheque

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Cinematheque is hosting an extensive retrospective on Pier Paolo Pasolini to mark the centenary of the Italian film director's birth, featuring screenings of all his feature films and several documentaries on his life and work. Dubbed Pasolini 100!, the retrospective will start today with the 1962 drama Mamma Roma, and conclude on 8 May. The retrospective is accompanied by an exhibition on Pasolini's film work, which will be on display until 30 June.

STA, 31 March 2022 - The Ukrainian security forces have beefed up security in the Kyiv street where the Slovenian Embassy and several other embassies are located, so charge d'affaires at the Slovenian Embassy Boštjan Lesjak again raised the Slovenian flag after reporting it had to be removed because it looks too similar to the Russian flag.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry explained for the STA today that the flag had been removed by the Ukrainian authorities because of its similarity with the Russian flag on Monday, 21 March - six days after PM Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts visited Kyiv. The EU flag remained up.

After arriving in Kyiv on 27 March, Lesjak raised it again as a symbolic gesture marking the reopening of the Slovenian Embassy only to be asked by the Ukrainian security authorities and police patrolling the area to temporarily remove it for security reasons because "it could incite unwanted incidents due to its similarity with the Russian flag".

In the meantime, security was beefed up, so Slovenia's interim charge d'affaires again raised the flag and now it is to stay there.

The ministry added that the Slovenian Embassy was obligated to follow the instructions of local security forces and provide for the safety of the embassy employees.

Lesjak told public broadcaster RTV Slovenija last night that he had to remove the Slovenian flag after two days. "When we arrived in Kyiv, it was quite windy and when we proudly hoisted back the Slovenian and European flags, they fluttered nicely in the wind." But when the wind stopped, the flags dropped and members of the national guard and later the police came to ask whether the Slovenian flag could be removed temporarily "because it resembles the Russian flag too much", the diplomat said.

Opposition SocDem MP Matjaž Nemec labelled this a "capitulation" of Prime Minister Janez Janša's diplomacy earlier today, noting that "there is no state without symbols and there is no state without a flag".

STA, 31 March 2022 - The third season of the Netflix hit fantasy drama series The Witcher will be shot in three European countries, including Slovenia. According to the unofficial website of the series, the cast and crew have already started gathering in Slovenia, and shooting is to start soon in the Alpine resort of Kranjska Gora.

The main stars of the series, Henry Cavill and Freya Allan, have already arrived in Kranjska Gora, according to The Redanian Intelligence website and social media posts by cavill.

After the ski resort in north-west of the country, the film crew is expected to move to Postojna. While the exact location of the shooting there is not known, the website notes that Predjama Castle near Postojna will be closed on April 5.

This coincides with the shooting of The Witcher, so the website notes that this could be one of the locations for the third season of the popular series, which has not been officially confirmed yet.

The new season of the series will also reportedly be filmed in Croatia, on the island of Krk and in the vicinity of the coastal city of Pula, and in Italy, reportedly in South Tyrol.

Based on the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and is set in a fictional land and tells a story about monster hunters with supernatural powers.

STA, 31 March 2022 - Robert Waltl, the director of the Mini Teater theatre and the Jewish Cultural Centre in Ljubljana, has received the Order of the Arts and Letters of France (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) for "deepening ties between Slovenia and France and promoting mutual respect and combating all forms of discrimination."

The French Institute in Slovenia has announced that the knight grade of the order had been presented to Waltl on Wednesday by French Ambassador Florence Ferrari on behalf of the French minister of culture.

The institute said that Waltl had earned the accolade for his work in arts that deepens ties between Slovenia and France and for opening the repertoire of Mini Teater to French productions, also in his roles as an actor and director in the theatre.

The director of Mini Teater is also promoting mutual respect and combating all forms of discrimination, especially as the initiator of the House of Tolerance festival, it added.

Waltl has furthermore invested his efforts in establishing and developing the Jewish Cultural Centre, an "exceptionally important cultural institution in Ljubljana that preserves Jewish cultural life as well as the memory of suffering, including the Holocaust, while calling for respect for others and peaceful coexistence."

In theatre, he has created a strong network of connections with France through good relations with many French authors and institutions, and he has performed in several plays that encompass the production from the era of Classicism to the present day.

As a great Francophone and Francophile, Waltl has been an irreplaceable factor in the French-Slovenian relations for many years, the institute added.

Related: The Return of Jewish Ljubljana in the Story of Two Men

STA, 31 March 2022 - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković talked about cooperation in gas supply and the Krško nuclear power plant as they met in Zagreb on Monday. Talks will be resumed by the ministers in charge next week.

Potential for concrete cooperation will be discussed by Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec and Croatian Economy Minister Tomislav Čorić as they meet in Zagreb next Monday.

The ministers will talk about expanding the pipeline from Lučko, a Zagreb suburb, through Zabok, north of Zagreb, to Rogatec in Slovenia. They will also discuss further cooperation on the Krško N-plant, which is owned jointly by the two countries.

"We're trying to find a common approach to supply, transport routes and the other necessary logistic. Gas, of course, is a small part of the energy we need for a normal life in Europe. Nuclear energy is also very important," said Janša.

The two countries see plenty of potential to cooperate in both energy areas when it comes to satisfying the needs of Slovenia as well as Croatia, he added.

"A large part of Europe is fully or partly dependent on energy imports from Russia, and anything that represents an alternative to these imports and dependency is a European priority at the moment," said Janša.

Slovenia would like to have enough capacities to be energy self-sufficient even in case of difficulties on the energy market. "As for our interest to lease capacities, the capacities that have been leased are leased, we're interested in additional capacities," said Janša when asked about lease of Croatian capacities.

Slovenia needs about a billion cubic metres of gas a year. The capacity of the gas pipeline from Lučko to Rogatec would be 270 million m3, which Janša said represented an important share of Slovenian gas supply.

While Slovenia is short of gas, Croatia is short of electricity. The Croatian government expressed readiness to take part in the construction of a second reactor in Krško following the model of cooperation so far.

Janša said the relevant government departments would look into potential for cooperation to jointly invest in the second reactor.

The prime ministers also talked about other bilateral issues, including the fishing regime in the Bay of Piran. Plenković said the two countries deepened their relationship in recent years and would also ease them on that point so that fishers would not be fined by Croatian or Slovenian police.

Since Slovenia started implementing the border arbitration award declared by the arbitration tribunal in June 2017 the following year Slovenian police have fined vessels entering waters awarded to Slovenia illegally, while Croatia has been fining Slovenian vessels fishing in the part of the bay it continues to claim as its own because it does not recognise the border award.

The two prime ministers also touched on the refugee crisis with Janša expressing Slovenia's readiness to accept the number of Ukrainian refugees in proportion to its size and the size of its population.

"There're no tensions, all the problems that exist, even if they have for several years, we're solving quietly and to the satisfaction of both governments and nations," said Plenković.

He thanked Slovenia for supporting Croatia in joining the EU, Schengen zone and the efforts to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"You have all the support for membership in the integrations that Slovenia is already a member of and Croatia is still a candidate country for," said Janša.

The prime ministers also talked about cooperation in trade and tourism. The volume of bilateral trade has reached EUR 5.6 billion. Plenković noted that that 1,166,000 Slovenian tourists holidayed in Croatia last year.

This was the eighth time that Janša and Plenković have met in the past two years.

Ljubljana, 31 March 2022 - Slovenia's charge d'affaires at the embassy in Kyiv Boštjan Lesjak, who arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, had to take down the Slovenian flag in front of the embassy because it looks too similar to Russia's flag.

"When we arrived in Kyiv it was quite windy and when we proudly hoisted back the Slovenian and European flag, they fluttered nicely in the wind," he told TV Slovenija late on Wednesday.

But when the wind stopped, the flags dropped and members of the national guard and later the police came and asked whether the Slovenian flag can be removed temporarily "because it is too much like the Russian flag," he said.

Lesjak said safety was well taken care of otherwise by the official representatives of the Ukrainian authorities. "We are accommodated in a nearby hotel, where we have the basic conditions to live and work," he said.

Lesjak regularly reports to Slovenian Ambassador Tomaž Mencin, who works out of the Polish city of Rzeszow close to the border with Ukraine.

His main contacts are the ambassadors of Poland and the Holy See, who never left Kyiv.

Slovenia reopened the embassy in Kyiv as a sign of support for Ukraine. Lesjak, a lieutenant colonel who previously worked at the Defence Ministry, volunteered for the job.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Košorok named chairman of Gen Energija

KRŠKO - Blaž Košorok, until a few days ago a state secretary at the Infrastructure Ministry, was appointed chairman of GEN Energija, a state-owned power company that manages Slovenia's half of the Krško nuclear power station, several media reported citing unofficial information. He was picked among six applicants with TV Slovenija reporting that the long-serving CEO of GEN Energija, Martin Novšak, who was dismissed just over a month ago, was among the candidates.

Prosecution looking into Telekom's financing of Nova24TV

LJUBLJANA - The news portals 24ur and Necenzurirano reported that the state prosecution was looking into the licence fee that Telekom Slovenije, the state-owned telecoms operator, is paying to carry Nova24TV on suspicion that the fee was disproportionately high and constituted unlawful financing of the broadcaster. Telekom Slovenija is reportedly paying EUR 112,000 per month to include the TV founded and still part-owned by senior members of the ruling Democrats (SDS) in its cable package.

MPs upset as Janša fails to appear before inquiry

LJUBLJANA - None of the witnesses invited to testify before the parliamentary inquiry into allegedly unlawful financing of the ruling Democrats (SDS) appeared in parliament. This has upset some opposition MPs, as some of the witnesses have excused themselves for several times now. They would also like PM Janez Janša to be brought to parliament by police to be questioned.

NGO collecting signatures to repeal several laws

LJUBLJANA - The 8 March Institute, one of the NGOs that had initiated a referendum on changes to the waters act, started collecting signatures in support of its bill aimed at reducing inequalities and annulling the government's "harmful" legislative changes. A number of NGOs joined the campaign. The initiative garnered support from centre-left opposition, whereas coalition officials denounced the bill as a "folly" that had to be resisted arguing the government had done a great deal of good.

Details reported of draft agreement on fishing in Bay of Piran

ZAGREB, Croatia - The Croatian newspaper Večernji List reported that Slovenia and Croatia had drawn up a pilot plan in an attempt to solve the issue of fishing in the border Bay of Piran. The agreement reportedly envisages a joint fishing area and annulment of all fines that have thus far been imposed on fishers from both countries. The paper says the temporary solution will not prejudge the final agreement on the border at sea.

Slovenian diplomat killed in car accident in Banja Luka

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina/LJUBLJANA - Marjan Ristić, the head of Slovenia's consular office in Banja Luka, was killed in a car accident in the city in the north west of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday evening, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry confirmed a report by the Bosnian newspaper Nezavisne Novine. The ministry will fly a black flag on Wednesday to mourn the diplomat.

Covid epidemic continues to wane

LJUBLJANA - A total of 3,012 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday, 10% less than the same day a week ago as the downward trend continued for the sixth day running. Hospitalisations are up slightly, and two Covid-19 patients died yesterday, fresh official data shows.

Illegal migration doubles in first two months year-on-year

LJUBLJANA - In the first two months of the year, the Slovenian police handled 1,128 instances of illegal crossing of the border, almost double the figure in the same period last year. More than a third of the cases involved citizens of Afghanistan, which the police say is expected given the situation in their country.

Economy Ministry to help tourism in three ways

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced the ministry would help tourism in three areas this year as he argued the industry would need to adapt to the new reality of Ukraine war while still grappling with the fallout from the pandemic. EUR 140 million will be available for investment in public infrastructure, accommodation and tourism offerings to increase added value. The second area will be securing a stable and predictable business environment and the third area is adapting tourism promotion.

Parties talk ways to help businesses at AmCham event

LJUBLJANA - AmCham Slovenija, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Managers' Association hosted nine parties which polls suggest have the best chance of making it to parliament to set out how they will help create conditions conducive to business. The debate showed all the parties agreed on the need to step up digitalisation and tackle red tape but they disagreed as to whether taxes should be cut.

Triglav management proposes EUR 3.70 dividend

LJUBLJANA - The management of insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav proposed a dividend payment of EUR 3.70 per share for the 24 May annual general meeting, equalling a dividend yield of 9%. The payout would total EUR 84.1 million, almost three quarters of the distributable profit for last year, which is in line with established dividend policy, the company said.

Novo Mesto research hub to be founded in next month

NOVO MESTO - A public research institution will be founded in Novo Mesto in April under the name Rudolfovo Institute to bring together the scientific, technological and development potential of south-eastern Slovenia. It will be headed by Borut Rončević, the head of the RTV Slovenija supervisory board who served as an Education Ministry's official during the second Janez Janša government.

Mik Celje to invest EUR 8.5m in R&D and production facility

VOJNIK - Window maker Mik Celje has launched the construction of an EUR 8.5 million production and R&D facility at its location in Vojnik in eastern Slovenia that is to create 200 to 230 new jobs. Visiting the company on the occasion, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek promised a financial incentive in support of the investment. The investment is to be inaugurated at the end of May 2023 to coincide with the company's 33rd anniversary.

Fire in Gorenjska region brought under control

PREDDVOR - More than 260 firefighters assisted by four army helicopters managed to bring under control a major wildfire that broke out on Monday near the town Preddvor in the region of Gorenjska (NW). The firefighters are now focussing on individual hotspots. A major breakthrough in containing the fire, which engulfed a 700-hectare area, was made yesterday as three Slovenian army helicopters and a Croatian water bomber jumped in to help.

Domain name .si marks 30 anniversary

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's domain name .si was formally registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) root name server on 1 April 1992, and will thus celebrate its 30th anniversary on Friday. The latest data shows that there are 147,935 sites registered under the .si domain name.

Prague joins Plečnik celebration with photo exhibition

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Prague, one of the three capitals strongly marked by works by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), is joining the celebration of Plečnik's 150th anniversary of birth by hosting an exhibition of photos depicting the interior of the Plečnik-designed National and University Library (NUK) in Ljubljana.

Writer Vlady Kociancich dies

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Slovenian media reported that Vlady Kociancich, an award-winning Argentinian writer of Slovenian descent, died in Buenos Aires last Friday aged 80. She wrote seven novels, including Los bajos de temor, which has been released in Slovenian as Plitvine Strahu (Shallows of Fear). Kociancich is considered one of the greatest contemporary Latin American writers. She always said it was her Slovenia father's stories of his homeland that introduced her to the world of literature.

STA, 30 March 2022 - A public research institution will be founded in Novo Mesto in April to unite the scientific, technological and development potential of south-eastern Slovenia and wider. The Rudolfovo Institute - Science and Technology Centre Novo Mesto (Rudolfovo - Znanstveno in tehnološko središče Novo mesto, JRZ Rudolfovo) is to start work this summer. Initially, it is to employ 30 people.

The institute will be an upgrade of efforts that started in 2016 with the foundation of the Development, Research and Innovation Centre by four municipalities from the region, and the Laboratory for Factories of the Future, said the head of the Novo Mesto Development Centre, Franci Bratkovič.

The project, in which over a million euro in regional funds has been invested so far, will unite the scientific, technological and development potential in the region and wider, enable applicative research in cooperation with businesses and promote innovation.

The new hub will be created in line with a government decision adopted on 24 March. "We have a team of competent experts and equipment, we are cooperating with businesses and education institutions. And we have purchased land where the new institute is to be based," Bratkovič said.

Staff will be hired gradually, and Borut Rončević was appointed interim head yesterday. In the first phase, 30 people will be employed.

Initially, the hub will use the facilities of the Development Centre and later move to a new building with a technological campus.

In the next 15 years, it plans to help set up 15 companies that will employ 1,500 people, said Bratkovič.

Rudolfovo will be the first public research institution in SE Slovenia and regional mayors agreed today that it would open development opportunities, contribute to decentralisation of the country, enable access to technology, boost regional cooperation and promote innovation.

The newspaper Večer has reported the government will secure EUR 5.2 million in funding for the hub in two years, of which EUR 2.6 million the first year, more than initially planned, probably due to the upcoming election.

According to the paper, the hub is the brainchild of Borut Rončević, the head of the RTV Slovenija supervisory board who served as the director of the Education Ministry's Higher Education Directorate during the second Janez Janša government.