STA, 17 March 2022 - US industrial conglomerate Textron, the owner of the Beechcraft, Hawker, and Cessna brands, has signed a deal on the acquisition of the Slovenian maker of ultralight aircraft Pipistrel. Pipistrel founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol will remain a minority owner. The deal is worth EUR 218 million, according to financial information provider Thomson Reuters.

With Textron, Pipistrel will have access to greater resources, technical and regulatory expertise and a global aircraft sales and support network, enabling it to accelerate its development and certification of electric and hybrid electric aircraft, Pipistrel said on Thursday.

Textron, which has confirmed the deal, has committed to maintaining Pipistrel's brand, headquarters, research and development, and manufacturing in Slovenia and Italy, while making additional investments in Pipistrel for the development and production of future products.

When the sale is closed, Textron plans to form a new business segment, Textron eAviation, focused on the development of sustainable aircraft, which will include Pipistrel.

Textron eAviation will be based in Wichita, Kansas.

Boscarol, Pipistrel's founder and CEO, will remain a minority owner as well as chairman emeritus, consulting on future product plans and strategies for a two-year period.

The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

"Pipistrel puts Textron in a uniquely strong position to develop technologies for the sustainable aviation market and develop a variety of new aircraft to meet a wide range of customer missions," said Textron chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly.

"Today's announcement supports Textron's long-term strategy to offer a family of sustainable aircraft for urban air mobility, general aviation, cargo and special mission roles," he said, adding that "Pipistrel has been celebrated as one of the world's most important and successful manufacturers of electric aircraft".

"Under my 30-year leadership, Pipistrel's team has achieved a unique prime position in personal, affordable, environmentally friendly and electric aviation. The trend and foundation for future projects have clearly been set," said Boscarol.

The Ajdovščina-based Pipistrel, which employed 250 people in June 2020, posted EUR 32 million in total revenue in 2020 with record high net profit of EUR 4.5 million.

It has received many awards and won the Nasa Cafe Green Flight Challenge three times. In 2011, it received the Golden Order for Services from the Slovenian president for its contribution to the development of environment-friendly technology.

Apart from Pipistrel Aircraft, the group comprises R&D arm Pipistrel Vertical Solutions, production facility Pipistrel Italia, and Pipistrel Asia Pacific.

STA, 16 March 2022 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has reiterated that the EU must offer Ukraine a fast track to EU membership, telling BBC World Service radio on Wednesday that this is a strategic decision.

"We have to accept the challenge, we have to stop pretending that this is a normal situation and we need 15 years of negotiations and bickering about small issues. This is a strategic decision," he said.

For Ukraine EU membership represents a security guarantees framework. "They need some institutional guarantees and if the EU is is that for them, we have to respect it," he said, adding that "the hot potato is on the EU table".

Janša was speaking to the BBC after he made a surprise trip to Kyiv yesterday along with the Polish and Czech prime ministers.

He said the discussion with the Ukrainian leadership was about "real issues" such as sanctions, humanitarian and technical aid, and also military help.

Asked whether they were able to offer solid military help, he said a lot of help had been offered so far, but not all offers have been fulfilled yet. "But the time is of the essence ... We discussed very concretely how to increase the speed of delivery."

He also said people were happy to see the officials travelling to Kyiv because during the last three weeks people were mostly going the opposite way, including ambassadors of EU countries.

"Now we have to somehow turn the trend and our first proposal ... when we returned from Kyiv this morning was that the EU has to send its representative back to Kyiv to have there somebody who can represent us physically," he said.

Asked what should happen to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said that if Putin was prepared to negotiate, "he will have influence over what will happen with him in the future."

And if Russian forces withdraw, sanctions will be lifted. "The faster the withdrawal, the faster the lifting of sanctions."

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:

Janša, Morawiecki and Fiala back in Poland

WARSAW, Poland - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts have arrived safely in Poland back from their trip to Kyiv where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday evening. Janša thanked the Ukrainian officials for the hospitality and deep insight into the situation. He also thanked to the Polish team for taking care of the many challenges before and during the visit. The Slovenian government tweeted that the Polish PM had thanked Janša on Tuesday for making the initiative to visit Kyiv.

Janša insists EU offer Ukraine fast-track membership

LONDON, UK - Prime Minister Janez Janša reiterated that the EU must offer Ukraine a fast track to EU membership, telling BBC World Service radio that this is a strategic decision. "We have to accept the challenge, we have to stop pretending that this is a normal situation and we need 15 years of negotiations and bickering about small issues. This is a strategic decision," he said. For Ukraine EU membership represents a security guarantees framework. "They need some institutional guarantees and if the EU is is that for them, we have to respect it."

Logar discusses energy supplies in Algeria

ALGIERS, Algeria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with senior Algerian officials as Slovenia strives to secure alternative energy sources from Algeria in an attempt to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas. He held talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab, and chairman of the state-owned energy company Sonatech Tufik Hakkar. Vanja Lombar, the director of Slovenia's largest natural gas trader Geoplin, was present for the talks with the Sonatach chairman.

Pahor warns of risk Ukraine war poses to W Balkans

VIENNA, Austria - Slovenian President Borut Pahor emphasized the importance of the EU integrating the Western Balkans, in particular Bosnia-Herzegovina, as soon as possible to preserve peace and stability in Europe as he warned in a lecture in Vienna that the war in Ukraine revived "an outdated geopolitical mentality". The EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans "is a geopolitical issue of the first order", Pahor said, warning that the stalled enlargement process was reviving nationalisms and ideas of changing borders.

Covid curve keeps climbing with 2,904 cases on Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 2,904 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, roughly a third more than the same day a week ago, but down about 30% from the previous day. Five more patients with Covid-19 died, Health Ministry data shows. A total of 208 patients are treated for Covid-19 at hospitals as of this morning, seven fewer than yesterday. Of those, 55 are treated in intensive care, one fewer than yesterday.

Parliament passes new environment protection act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the new environment protection act, which has been labelled by Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak as an "environmental constitution". It predominantly deals with management of packaging waste, while also introducing measures to prevent or reduce the generation of all kinds of waste. Most importantly, the bill transposes EU rules and new directives, especially on the expanded producer responsibility for packaging.

Legislation passed on Pomurje Academic and Science Union

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation elevating the Pomurje Academic and Science Union from a regional association to an entity governed by public law and hence eligible for public funding. The bill was tabled by several MPs from Pomurje, who have argued that the new institution would promote the growth and quality of the sciences and drive the scientific, cultural and economic development of Slovenia's poorest region.

Parliament confirms space activities legislation

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the act on the supervision of space activities, which will regulate space activities in the country and set up a register of space objects. The legislation was drawn up due to a rapid development in space technologies in recent years and lays the foundations for further development of the Slovenian space sector.

Amendment expands eligibility for war victim compensation

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed changes to the act on the rights of victims of the 1991 Independence War expanding the right to compensation to the family members of victims who were civilians. It is estimated 10 children and 15 spouses or parents of civilian victims will benefit from the law, which was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of MPs.

Efforts under way to get Ukrainian child refugees to school

LOGATEC - A total of 87 school children from Ukraine have found refuge in an aliens centre in Logatec. The state is now looking for solutions to integrate them in the education system as soon as possible, Education Minister Simona Kustec said. Until all kids get formal refugee status, they will be involved in after-class activities. One head teacher proposed that distance learning from Ukraine should be organised on the premises of the primary schools.

International campaign launched in support of Friday protests figurehead

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian chapter of Amnesty International launched an international campaign in a bid to get the Slovenian authorities to withdraw their claims for Jaša Jenull, one of the figureheads of Friday's bicycle protests, to pay for the costs of policing of anti-government rallies. The urgent campaign will see members of the human rights organisation from all over the world call on Prime Minister Janez Janša for the compensation claims amounting to tens of thousands of euros to be withdrawn, something the organisation has already done.

Children of the Mist wins human rights award at Ljubljana docu fest

LJUBLJANA - Children of the Mist, an exploration of a child marriage tradition persisting among an ethnic minority in Vietnam, won the Amnesty International Slovenia Award as the Ljubljana Documentary Film Festival wrapped up. The jury said the winning documentary treated "the complex theme in a way that does not even need to be understood, as the consequences of depriving an individual of the right to choose their future are felt through film images".

Slovenia, France sign education cooperation agreement

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and France have signed an agreement on cooperation in primary and secondary education for 2022-2025 that supports teaching and learning French in the Slovenian education system. The agreement was signed by Education Minister Simona Kustec, director of the National Education Institute Vinko Logaj and French Ambassador Florence Ferrari.

Mastnak third in World Cup parallel giant slalom in Rogla

ROGLA - Snowboarder Tim Mastnak finished third in the men's Snowboard World Cup parallel giant slalom in Rogla in what is his first podium finish at the home venue in Slovenia. The silver medallist in the discipline from the Beijing Olympics finished behind Italy's Edwin Coratti and Oskar Kwiatkowski of Poland. This was a third World Cup win for Coratti in Rogla, who was followed in the second place by Kwiatkowski, who eliminated both Slovenian representatives ahead of his finals encounter with the Italian.

STA, 16 March 2022 - A total of 87 school children from Ukraine have found refuge in an aliens centre in Logatec. The state is now looking for solutions to integrate them in the education system as soon as possible, Education Minister Simona Kustec said as she visited the centre on Wednesday.

Kustec held a meeting with the head teachers of three primary schools in the area and the director of the local kindergarten on how to integrate the refugee children.

"Our basic duty is to take care of their well-being, which also means providing for the educational process," the minister told the press after the meeting, noting that the schools had already received the first guidelines on how to start the integration.

She said this would be a difficult task, in particular in Logatec, while adding that "we need to approach the children and their mothers in an appropriate manner and start gradually introducing them into the system."

The head teachers of local primary schools noted that experts would have a say in how the children would be integrated, adding that it was important that mothers or legal guardians of the Ukrainian children applied for formal refugee status.

This is a prerequisite for them to become part of the formal education system. "Until the legal status is regulated, the focus will be on the emotional integration of children," said Jure Kramar of the Tabor primary school.

"They will first be given the chance to attend after-school activities ... maybe a camp will be organised to try to make them forget about the war," said Kramar, who thinks that the Ukrainian children are not yet ready emotionally to enter the Slovenian school system.

Karmen Cunder, the head teacher of another primary school in Logatec, added that the children only wanted to return home as soon as possible, so it was important to keep them in touch with their school system.

She thinks that they need education in their native language and socialising with their peers outside the accommodation centre, so distance learning from Ukraine should be organised on the premises of the primary schools.

There are another 50 Ukrainian school children elsewhere in Slovenia who are being integrated in the school system, Minister Kustec said, adding that the ministry was in touch with individual schools and that the procedure was running smoothly.

The Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), the state-owned bad bank, has meanwhile offered three buildings in its ownership for the accommodation of refugees from Ukraine, with the government assessing two of them as suitable.

These are office buildings in Velenje and in Celje, BAMC said, adding that the facilities would be equipped by the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants, with all costs to be covered by the state.

STA, 16 March 2022 - The crisis situation in Ukraine is bringing uncertainty into the operations of all business entities and deepening the crisis due to high energy prices, the strategic council for energy transition at Slovenia's Chamber of Commerce (GZS) said on Tuesday, adding that there was no energy deficiency yet, but prices were highly volatile.

GZS head Aleš Cantarutti said that the current tense geopolitical situation in Europe had only deepened the energy crisis, as energy price hikes were also being translated into high transport prices and limited access to raw materials.

He added that Slovenia's latest energy crisis relief legislative package was "a plaster on the wound," but "energy price hikes since September last year are much higher than the aid foreseen, which does not take into account the damage actually suffered by companies".

Industry representatives pointed out that their strategic plans were geared towards decarbonisation, increasing energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, but that in such an extremely volatile environment, they are being forced to make very short-term decisions.

Slovenian companies are already deciding on a daily basis whether to operate at full or reduced capacity, or even to temporarily halt production because of increasing costs, they added.

The GZS's strategic council for energy transition also expects the government to follow EU directions to tackle the energy crisis and respond immediately with additional measures and support for the economy.

They expressed support to changes to the model of forming electricity prices to reduce dependence on gas prices, which have been pushing electricity prices up.

In the long term, the GZS wishes for the construction of facilities for renewable energy sources to be considered "public interest", as building such facilities has been a big problem in Slovenia.

As regards the measure to exempt all consumers from the payment of network fee, the participants of Tuesday's meeting highlighted the liquidity issues on the distribution side and expressed concerns about the stagnation of planned investments in electricity networks.

Meanwhile, the strategic council and Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Blaž Košorok expressed satisfaction about Slovenia being a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), which ensures a safe and secure energy supply.

They also discussed the impact of the planned integration of Ukraine's electricity system into the EU system. They assessed that such an operation entails certain technical, communicational and economic risks, as the country is currently at war and the infrastructure is damaged.

STA, 16 March 2022 - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts have arrived safely in Poland back from their trip to Kyiv where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday evening. Janša thanked for the hospitality and deep insight into the situation provided by the Ukrainian officials.

"The delegations of Poland, Slovenia and Czechia have returned safely from Kyiv to Poland," Piotr Müller, a Polish government's spokesman, has tweeted.

Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts, Mateusz Morawiecki and Petr Fiala, were the first foreign leaders to visit Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February. They travelled by train.

This is the Europe I want. Thank you Mr @MorawieckiM , Mr @JJansaSDS and Mr @P_Fiala.
While the @Europarl_EN votes against Poland...as true Europeans Poles took 2million refugees and went to Kyiv to meet @ZelenskyyUa.#StandWithUkraine️ pic.twitter.com/hF8SbAetHx

— Guglielmo Picchi ???? (@guglielmopicchi) March 15, 2022

In a post on his Twitter profile on Wednesday Janša thanked Shmyhal for the "warm hospitality in Kyiv in this challenging time and for deep insight into a very complex situation at the variety of battlefields".

He also thanked to the Polish team for taking care of the many challenges before and during the visit.

Morawiecki wrote in a tweet that the Ukrainian people "have reminded the whole of Europe what it means to fight for freedom, what it means to be brave and what greatness really is". He urged giving hope to Ukraine.

The Slovenian government tweeted that the Polish prime minister had thanked Janša on Tuesday for making the initiative to visit Kyiv.

The three prime ministers told reporters after the meeting they had come to express support for Ukraine's fight for freedom and democracy. Zelensky earlier thanked the trio for the "strong sign of support".

"We're here to admire your courage and your fight, which is destroying the myth of the invincible Russian army," Janša said, adding that Ukraine was defending not just its territory but also fundamental European values.

He pledged they would do everything in their power to help Ukraine. He said they were aware what Ukraine currently needed the most was aid in weapons. He also supported EU candidate status for Ukraine.

STA, 15 March 2022 - The prime ministers of Slovenia, Poland and the Czech Republic met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv on Tuesday evening. Zelensky thanked them for the "strong sign of support."

"Your visit to Kyiv at this difficult time for Ukraine is a strong sign of support. We really appreciate it," Zelensky said in a message on his official Telegram channel.

The Ukrainian side circulated several videos showing Slovenia's Janez Janša, Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki and Czechia's Petr Fiala in a meeting with the Ukrainian leadership.

Predsednik vlade ?? @JJansaSDS ?? @MorawieckiM in ?? @P_Fiala v pogovorih z ?? ukrajinskim predsednikom vlade @Denys_Shmyhal in ukrajinskim predsednikom @ZelenskyyUa. pic.twitter.com/fIvzalHKUF

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) March 15, 2022

Janša told the press after the meeting that the prime ministers had come to express support for Ukraine's fight for freedom and democracy.

"We're here to admire your courage and your fight, which is destroying the myth of the invincible Russian army," he said, adding that Ukraine was defending not just its territory but also fundamental European values.

He said Ukraine was a European country and "we will do everything in our power ... to deliver candidate status for Ukraine as soon as possible."

This would be a message that "you are part of our family and that our family is prepared to defend and support Ukraine."

Sanctions against Russia must be devastating. Discussed with PM ?? @MorawieckiM, ?? @P_Fiala, ?? @JJansaSDS plan of necessary measures, including recognition of Russia as a sponsor of terrorism, the closure of ports and severe embargo on Russian resources. pic.twitter.com/3vhNUctEbj

— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) March 15, 2022

Janša noted that the atmosphere in the EU had "changed considerably," Europeans having recognised that Ukrainians were fighting for European values.

The three prime ministers headed to Kyiv by train today, the first foreign leaders to visit Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.

Janša said on route to Kyiv that they would deliver the message Ukraine was a European country that would soon be on a path to the EU.

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:

Janša meeting Zelensky in Kyiv with Polish and Czech PMs

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts, Mateusz Morawiecki and Petr Fiala, are headed for Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Janša tweeted that the purpose of the visit was to send Ukraine the message that it would soon be on the path towards the EU. "Ukraine is an European country. Every path in Ukraine is an European path. Soon, it will be an EU path, too," he said on Twitter.

Slovenian, Austrian presidents call for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

VIENNA, Austria - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Austria's Alexander Van der Bellen made an appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, as they issued a joint statement following a meeting. "we condemn the Russian war aggression against Ukraine and calls for an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering of innocent people," reads the joint statement. The presidents also welcomed the decision by Kyiv and Moscow to continue negotiations. "Only political dialogue can lead to peace," they said.

Pahor says West wants ceasefire, talks and peace

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said in an interview with current affairs show Studio City on Monday that the goal of the West was not to change the regime in Russia but to secure a ceasefire, diplomatic negotiations and peace. He stressed Russia must take the first step towards solving the conflict. "It is very important in any war who has the moral advantage and why. At this point, Russia is behind in that sense, so it must take the first step towards a ceasefire, perhaps even unconditionally," Pahor said.

Kövesi concerned about govt pressure on prosecution, judiciary

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi discussed challenges in cooperation with Slovenia at a joint session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Budgetary Control Committee. She said the delay in appointment of Slovenia's delegated prosecutors had affected some investigations of the European Public Prosecutor's Office in other countries. Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič rejected several of her comments.

Slovenia prepared to receive patients from Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is prepared to receive Ukrainians in need of urgent treatment and supports the Polish proposal for the transfer of patients, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said after an online meeting of the EU health ministers. Poklukar added that Slovenia's Health Ministry was actively involved in finding solutions for providing solidarity assistance to the Ukrainian population, in cooperation with the Civil Protection Service and several government bodies.

Fuel prices capped as heating oil price surges

LJUBLJANA - The prices of the two best-selling fuels, regular and diesel, are capped for a month starting today. Regular will cost 1,503 per litre, about six cents below the lowest price at the pump on Monday, and diesel will be capped at EUR 1,541, roughly 13 cents cheaper, under the government's decision on Monday. Meanwhile, heating oil prices rose by more than 24% to EUR 1.264 a litre. Only margins on heating oil have been capped since November 2021.

Trade unions opt out of meeting with education minister

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions representing employees in education and higher education, who went on strike last week demanding higher wages, decided not to attend a meeting with Education Minister Simona Kustec that was scheduled today after the Education Ministry insisted that the meeting be broadcast live via Facebook. Kustec invited trade unions to talks to discuss "open issues" and find possible solutions to the public sector pay system that could be introduced after the election.

Prices of imported oil and gas up 38% in a month

LJUBLJANA - Prices of imported crude oil and natural gas rose by almost 38% in January on the month before, which compares to a 2.3% overall increase in the prices of imported products. At the annual level oil and gas prices surged by 485%, whereas import prices overall rose by just over 26%, show the latest figures by Slovenia's Statistics Office.

Daily coronavirus case count highest in a month

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 4,202 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, an increase of nearly a third compared to the week before and the highest daily figure in almost a month. The 7-day average of new cases is now at 2,149 and the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population at 1,300, up by 152 and 80, respectively, from the day before, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

Talum reports no major damage due to Ukraine crisis so far

KIDRIČEVO - Talum, the Kidričevo-based aluminium manufacturer, has not any suffered significant damage as a direct result of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine so far, said CEO Marko Drobnič at an online forum of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. However, he did warn of the effect of energy price hikes. According to him, the most significant influence of the Ukraine crisis is reflected indirectly in the already problematic increases of energy prices, as Talum is the most energy-intensive company in Slovenia.

Retailers rush to assure consumers of stable food supply

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce (TZS) assured the public of sufficient food stocks and undisrupted supply chains in Slovenia as it denied reports that store shelves were empty. The chamber has conducted a survey among retailers, who have reported back that the supply of food and other products continues as per usual and stocks are sufficient. "Consumers can be perfectly calm. Retailers have sufficient stocks of foodstuffs. Supplies are running smoothly," TZS chairman Mariča Lah said in a press release.

Ajdovščina and Solčava win development breakthrough awards

LJUBLJANA - Ajdovščina won this year's Golden Stone award for the biggest development breakthrough among Slovenia's 212 municipalities. The award went to the municipality in western Slovenia as it "systematically put young people at the heart of its development strategy, introduced participatory budgeting and became highly self-sufficient in terms of energy". Solčava won the award in the small municipality category, and Logatec received the award for the healthiest municipality.

Tackling precarious work should be priority for next govt, debate hears

LJUBLJANA - Fighting precarious work should be one of the priorities of the next government, several politicians agreed at an online debate hosted by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) in cooperation with the Ljubljana School of Economics and Business. They called for a definition of precarious work, measures to bring the rights of precarious workers closer to those of regular employees, and stricter labour inspections.

AmCham event notes importance of robust legal framework

LJUBLJANA - Participants in an AmCham event called for a robust and predictable legal and institutional framework and a functioning rule of law as a prerequisite for economic successful and to attract investment and talent. They also urged measures to boost domestic private investment and domestic capital accumulation. Jurist Matej Avbelj criticised slow resolution of disputes and legislative hypertrophy. He and NLB bank CEO Blaž Brodnjak also noted the damaging effect of the Swiss franc loan act.

Banks approve EUR 130m for broadband internet project

LJUBLJANA - Four major European banks, including the EBRD, will invest EUR 130 million in the RUNE project to build broadband optical networks in rural parts of Slovenia and Croatia. Rune Enia, the company in charge of the project in Slovenia, said so far, 90,000 addresses had been connected to the network in the two countries. The goal is to connect 200,000 addresses in Slovenia and almost 150,000 in Croatia. The project is already co-funded by the EU and the European Investment Bank.

Brežice hospital ordered to pay EUR 81,000 in damages

KRŠKO - The newspapers Delo and Slovenske Novice reported that the Krško District Court ordered the Brežice general hospital to pay EUR 81,238 in damages to the relatives of a 61-year-old cardiac patient who died after the hospital failed to transfer him to Ljubljana for treatment on time. Both sides have appealed against the ruling. Court-appointed witnesses the man would have a great chance of survival if he was moved to an institution suitable for treatment of such a patient on time in January 2012.

The last few years have felt a lot like Lucy, Charlie Brown and the ball every time we suggest that things are going to be easy and fun again in terms of travel, tourism and hospitality in Slovenia. It’s been miserable, but now spring’s here and it seems the only thing remaining from the days of lockdowns and QR codes are masks in stores. Summer could even be normal, albeit with war in Europe. But who knows?

So it’s best to seize the day and take advantage of any events and opportunities for company and fun that come along, and what better way to launch into a spring/summer season of enlightened or frantic hedonism than to head to Ljubljana this Friday, March 18, and dive into Open Kitchen with an appetite and friends. The weather Is forecast to be good – 0% rain while the market’s open, and a high of 12°C. Perfect for getting dressed in something nice and adding to the festive nature of the event.

But what is Open Kitchen, and why should you consider making plans for lunch, dinner, supper or a snack if you’ll be in the small, green, perfectly formed, hidden gem, etc Slovenian capital of Ljubljana? Simply put, Open Kitchen brings dozens of stalls selling food and drink for varied budgets and tastes to Pogačarjev trg, the square next to the main market and cathedral, right by the river and Plečnik’s Arcade, not far from all the popular bridges.

It’s easy to find and even easier to enjoy, with all the food and drink coming from local producers and providers. From top restaurants to burgers, Thai food to Lebanese, coffee to craft beer, ice cream to cakes, discerning vegan to ravenous carnivore, day drunk to no-carb fanatic, you’ll find them all at Open Kitchen, along with a cross-section of Ljubljana residents, workers and visitors.

So if you’re in Ljubljana this coming Friday, or any other Friday until the end of summer, just follow your senses to the delicious smells and lively sounds of Open Kitchen, where you’ll have a very good time.

STA, 15 March 2022 - Prime Minister Janez Janša, en route to meeting top Ukrainian officials along with his Polish and Czech counterparts, said on Tuesday that the purpose of the visit was to send Ukraine the message that it would soon be on the path towards the EU.

"Ukraine is a European country. Every path in Ukraine is a European path. Soon, it will be an EU path, too," he said on Twitter.

According to Janša, the war in Ukraine has turned the theoretical debate in the EU about European values into the realisation that those fundamental European values actually exist.

Together with @MorawieckiM & @P_Fiala we want to bring a message to ??. Ukraine is an European country. Every path in ?? is an European path. Soon, it will be an #EU path, too. For last two years we have been discussing on large #Europeanvalues. Mostly a theoretical debate. 1/4

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) March 15, 2022

"And that they are threatened. And that Europeans are defending them. With their lives. In Ukraine."

He said this was the moment when the EU "started to finally wake up" and change, becoming more united than ever in its support for Ukraine because of its values.

"There is no country on the whole of our continent which is more European than Ukraine," he said, thanking Ukraine for not only defending the homeland and Europe as a territory, but for defending "the very core of European values and our way of life."

Janša has been among the most vocal proponents of fast-tracking Ukraine to EU membership. While several EU countries have expressed support for membership, some others are against and at last week's summit Ukraine did not receive much coveted guarantees regarding membership.

Janez Janša joined his Polish and Czech counterparts, Mateusz Morawiecki and Petr Fiala, for a visit to Kyiv today in what is the first trip by foreign leaders to the country since the start of the Russian invasion.

They plan to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Slovenian President Borut Pahor welcomed the trip on Twitter as a "politically exceptionally important visit" and a strong show of support for Ukraine.