28 Feb 2022, 14:31 PM

Climbing Mount Triglav with Slovenia Discovery

With its 2864 metres of elevation, Triglav is the highest peak in Slovenia and the Julian Alps, and it’s said one only becomes a true Slovene after climbing it at least once. Triglav is also one of our national symbols and a central element on the coat of arms. Its name means “three-headed”, and could have come from its three-peak shape when seen from the south, or the Slavic god with the same name.

Triglav then and now

The first documented ascent to Triglav was accomplished in 1778. The “four brave men” from Bohinj made their way to its then still present glacier and traversed the sharp ridge to the peak. The ascent took three days, from the 24th to the 26th of August.

100 years later, when the people of Slovenia were struggling to establish their national identity inside the Austro-Hungarian empire, Slovene priest Jakob Aljaž bought a piece of land on the top of Triglav. There, he built a turret that characterizes the peak to this day. He was also the one to lay out plans for several hiking paths to its top. The dangerous and sharp ridge was flattened and made safer with a Via Ferrata, making it possible for more people to reach its peak.

Nowadays, Triglav is one of the most visited summits in Slovenia. Even though it still presents some risks and dangers, around 3000 hikers reach it daily at the height of the summer season. Apart from the symbolic value, the peak is also attractive because of its spectacular views from the centre of the Julian Alps. The prominent peak can be seen from most of Slovenia, always inviting those who see it to climb it.

How to climb Mt. Triglav

Even though many Slovenians do it, climbing Triglav is not that simple of an undertaking. Most of the trails leading to the peak take an approximate time of 6 hours of walking in one direction. That’s why most people choose to do it in two days, spending a night in one of the mountain huts close to its peak.

The most popular is the Triglav Hut on Kredarica, which at 2515 metres of elevation is the highest situated hut in Slovenia. The second choice for most hikers is the Planika Hut, located on the southern side of the mountain. Whichever one you choose, spending extra time in the moon-like landscape of the barren and rocky high-altitude karst of the Slovenian mountains is a must-have experience.

The best time to climb Triglav is August and September since all of the snow is gone. On sunny days of August, it can get pretty crowded, that’s why more and more people climb it in September or even June and July. Of course, early ascenders must research if there is still some snow on the route. Winters ascents are also possible but should only be tried by the most experienced mountaineers. Sometimes it is also possible to ski from the top, which is one of the hardest possible skiing in Slovenia one could try. Otherwise, a ski tour to the Kredarica hut is a must-do for every ski tourer in Slovenia.

All the paths lead to Triglav

There are many different trails from all sides that lead to the top. The least difficult one leads from the Krma Valley, one of the three Triglav glacial valleys. It is one most who want to climb Triglav in one day use since it’s also the shortest. Those who go on multiple-day hikes start from Pokljuka. The trail is a little longer but very scenic, taking advantage of your extra days in the mountains.

The steepest but also the most fun climbs start in the Vrata Valley. They are the most difficult since they have many Via Ferrata elements, which require some climbing skills. They lead you next to the Triglav North Face, the cradle of Slovenian alpinism. One of the bigger faces in the Alps is more than a kilometre high and around 4 km long. It has more than a hundred different climbing routes of different grades that attract a large number of alpinists each year.

A guide makes your experience safer and more enjoyable

Even though the trails leading to the top are of different overall difficulty, they all have a technical upper part. The last hour of every ascent is a Via Ferrata requiring proper equipment and enough experience in mountain climbing. Knowing something about the local weather is also necessary since you never want to be caught in a storm in that kind of terrain.

If you don’t have all of that experience and knowledge, choosing to climb with a guide is the most sensible option. They are certified professionals who spend their lives training how to make your hikes as safe and enjoyable as possible. They know the most optimal routes and how to make your ascents easier. Local guides are also fluent in English and can share some amazing insights about the mountains and the area. Besides all that, they can also help you book your beds in the huts that are very crowded in the high season.

To find the best way for you to climb Mount Triglav, check out this selection of guided Triglav tours.

28 Feb 2022, 14:20 PM

Sberbank Clients in Slovenia Facing Problems, Gorenjska Banka Halts Takeover of Subsidiary

STA, 28 February 2022 - As transactions with the Slovenian subsidiary of Russian bank Sberbank have been suspended, there are difficulties with welfare payments to Sberbank clients. The Labour Ministry said that some 100 transfers of child benefits had been rejected, and difficulties with other transfers are also expected.

Sanctions on Russia Leave Sberbank in Slovenia with Limited Operations until Wednesday

The ministry said on Monday that it had been informed by the Public Payments Administration that around 100 payments of child benefits to clients of Slovenia's Sberbank had bounced.

"Transfers for other rights paid by the Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities are also expected to be rejected," the ministry added in a press release.

The ministry is looking for a solution for the rejected transfers to be re-transferred and is compiling a list of all Sberbank clients, who would be notified by social work centres to report a new transaction account.

The business newspaper Finance has meanwhile reported that the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) has managed to transfer pensions to 4,273 pensioners who hold an account in Sberbank.

Finance has also reported that the clients of Sberbank who are employed in state administration have already been urged to open a transaction account in another bank by Friday so that they could receive their wages.

According to the newspaper, such a recommendation has also been issued by some private employers.

The Slovenian central bank said today that, as a consequence of sanctions against Russia, the operation of Sberbank in Slovenia had been temporarily limited to card transactions.

Other services will be unavailable at least until Wednesday, and branch offices closed. Withdrawals and payments are limited to EUR 400 per day.

Slovenia'a Sberbank announced that "in light of recent geopolitical events", a significant outflow of client funds had been recorded in a very short time.

It added that the limited operation was a temporary and "rather drastic measure" that was aimed at protecting the interests of clients and employees from possible additional effects of existing and new sanctions.

Gorenjska Banka Halts Takeover of Sberbank Slovenija

STA, 28 February 2022 - It is not viable to proceed with the acquisition of the Slovenian subsidiary of Sberbank in the current situation, Gorenjska Banka said on Monday after the former's operation was limited in the wake of sanctions against Russia. Gorenjska Banka noted it had not assumed any contractual obligations in the acquisition process so far.

Gorenjska Banka, the Slovenian bank owned by the Serbian AIK Banka, signed an agreement to acquire the Slovenian subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank in November last year.

The appropriate way to salvage the subsidiary to ensure smooth operations for its clients will be determined by Slovenia's central bank, a press release from Gorenjska Banka reads.

Gorenjska Banka meanwhile continues to operate as an independent, autonomous banking institution, ensuring the safety and reliability of banking services both domestically and internationally, the release adds.

Under last year's deal, Gorenjska Banka, AIK and the AEC group - the umbrella holding company of the business system of Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostić - also agreed with the Russian owners to acquire another five Sberbank subsidiaries in the region, including in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary.

Sberbank has been present in Slovenia for ten years and is the ninth largest bank in the country. The Slovenian subsidiary posted a pre-tax profit of EUR 1.12 million at the end of 2020. The bank's capital adequacy ratio was 19.8% and it had a balance sheet total of EUR 1.84 billion.

It is the successor of Volksbank, which had been present in Slovenia since 1993. It moved from Austrian ownership to Russian ownership in 2012, and until recent developments, it was expected that its new owners would come from Serbia.

28 Feb 2022, 13:20 PM

Slovenia's GDP Rose 8.1% in Real Terms in 2021

STA, 28 February 2022 - Driven by stimulus-fuelled domestic spending, Slovenia's economy expanded by 8.1% in real terms in 2021 after a 4.2% contraction the year before. In nominal terms it was up 10.9%, show preliminary estimates released by the Statistics Office on Monday. In the fourth quarter GDP grew by a seasonally adjusted 5.4% year-on-year.

Domestic spending surged by 10.8% year-on-year, with final consumption, growing at 9.4%, having a bigger impact on headline growth than investments, although investments expanded by 15.5%, according to the statisticians.

External demand improved as well, but with imports significantly outpacing exports, the trade surplus and hence the impact of exports on GDP actually.

Total employment stood at 1,054,000 at the end of the year, rising by 1.4% over the year before. Employment increased the most in manufacturing, construction, human health and social work activities, and in administrative and support services.

Quarterly figures show GDP growth accelerating, from 1.3% in the third quarter to 5.4% in the final quarter.

More on this data

28 Feb 2022, 12:18 PM

Poll Puts Golob’s New Freedom Movement Ahead of Ruling SDS

STA, 28 February 2022 - Robert Golob's Freedom Movement is ahead of Prime Minister Janez Janša's Democrats (SDS) in the latest poll released by POP TV that this time also includes parties which have not contested the previous general election.

The Freedom Movement, which was not featured in the previous month's poll, ranked at 17.4%, a percentage point ahead of the SDS, which remained flat over the month before, shows the poll carried on Sunday.

Robert Golob Confirms Aim to Enter Politics as President of Z.Dej Party

The new party appears to have chipped away at the approval ratings of the centre-left opposition parties.

The Social Democrats (SD) and Left both lost ground, the former down by 2.7 points to 8.6% and the latter losing 1.5 points to 6.1%.

Similarly, the Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) lost two points to 4.3% and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) polled 1.1 points lower at 3.2%

They were both overtaken by another newcomer to the rankings, the alliance Connecting Slovenia, which polled at 4.8%, slightly above the coalition New Slovenia, which stayed flat at 4.5%.

Two more new parties are above 2%. Our Land, the party formed by former agriculture minister Aleksandra Pivec, received 2.5% and Resni.ca, which spearheaded anti-vaccination protests in autumn, was at 2.1%, the same as the Pirate Party.

Two existing parliamentary players, the National Party (SNS) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), are around the one-percent mark.

The arrival of new parties reduced the number of the undecideds by a whole nine points to 13.6%, whereas the share of those who would not vote for any of the parties dropped only marginally, to 7.6%.

President Borut Pahor returned to the top spot in politicians' popularity rankings to overtake Health Minister Janez Poklukar. Golob gained one place to rank third.

The government's approval rating deteriorated a bit as 32.3% endorsed it, down 1.5 points over the month before, whereas the share of those who disapprove of its work rose by half a point to 56.8%.

The poll was conducted by Mediana between 21 and 24 February and involved 715 respondents.

28 Feb 2022, 11:16 AM

Sanctions on Russia Leave Sberbank in Slovenia with Limited Operations until Wednesday

STA, 28 February 2022 - As a consequence of sanctions against Russia, the operation of the Russian bank Sberbank in Slovenia has been temporarily limited to card transactions, the central bank announced on Monday. Other services will be unavailable until Wednesday, and branch offices closed. Withdrawals and payments are limited to EUR 400 per day.

This comes as the European Central Bank (ECB) said that the Sberbank Europe group, including its branches in Slovenia and Croatia, would "fail or is likely to fail", as it would probably not be able to settle its liabilities on time due to deteriorating liquidity.

Banka Slovenije said in a press release that a decision was made on Sunday at the level of the ECB and the Single Resolution Board to suspend the operations of Sberbank Europe, which has a subsidiary in Slovenia.

A transitional period. i.e. short-term moratorium has been adopted, during which a "quick and constructive solution will be found for the Slovenian subsidiary" in order to ensure uninterrupted operation for all its clients, the central bank added.

"For the clients of the Slovenian Sberbank, this means that the bank's operations will be limited to payment card operations from Monday to Wednesday morning. Other services will be temporarily unavailable and branch offices will be closed. During this time, we will find an appropriate way to salvage the bank."

The press release adds that Sberbank was the only bank in the Slovenian banking system that is Russian-owned, while all other banks operated as usual.

The Slovenian branch of Sberbank announced today that "in light of recent geopolitical events" a significant outflow of client funds had been recorded in a very short time.

It added that the limited operation was a temporary and "rather drastic measure" that was aimed at protecting the interests of clients and employees from possible additional effects of existing and new sanctions.

"With this measure, we will limit the excessive outflow of deposits from the bank. A sudden high outflow of deposits would have an even more negative impact on the bank's current operations," the bank said, adding that payment orders would not be executed in the next two days.

The bank noted that it was a Slovenian bank that operated in the local market, that it was regulated by Banka Slovenije and that it did most of its business with Slovenian clients.

Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj commented on the developments by saying that, in addition to sanctions, solutions had been adopted to ensure the security of savers in Sberbank. He noted that savings were safe.

"The security of savings is guaranteed by the Deposit Guarantee Fund, to which banks pay regular annual contributions, and the state budget. In addition, savings of up to EUR 100,000 are secured by state guarantees. This also applies to Sberbank," he added.

Sberbank has been present in Slovenia for 10 years and is currently the ninth largest bank in Slovenia in terms of total assets.

Gorenjska Banka, the Slovenian bank owned by the Serbian AIK Banka, signed a deal to acquire the Slovenian subsidiary of Sberbank last November, but the transaction is now uncertain due to the sanctions against Russia.

Slovenia's Sberbank recorded EUR 1.12 million in pre-tax profit in 2020, and its capital adequacy was 19.8%. Total assets amounted to EUR 1.84 billion.

At the end of 2020, the bank held EUR 1.34 billion in deposits by non-bank clients, of which deposits by individuals amounted to EUR 484 million. Loans to households amounted to EUR 446.69 million, and loans to companies to EUR 755.42 million.

It employed 388 people in the network of 12 branch offices in Ljubljana, Maribor, Koper, Kranj, Celje, Šentjur, Šentjernej and Tepanje, and in the micro entrepreneurship financing centre in Ljubljana.

28 Feb 2022, 04:13 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 28 February 2022

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:

PM Janša warns of domino effect if Ukraine falls

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša warned of a domino effect if Ukraine falls, noting in an interview for three media outlets that the country's fate was instrumental not just for Europe but the world as a whole. He said Moldova and Georgia would be next if Ukraine falls, with Baltic countries probably next in line and "things being cooked up" in the Western Balkans. Even Taiwan could be affected since Beijing and Moscow have been coordinating some moves. He said sanctions against Russia would hurt Europe, but would ultimately help it wean itself off Russian energy.

Slovenia willing to accept up to 200,000 Ukrainian refugees

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia has the capacity to accommodate between 180,000 and 200,000 refugees from Ukraine, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after an informal session of the EU's interior ministers. Hojs noted that the figure is based on experience from the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s, when Slovenia hosted more than 300,000 refugees from the Yugoslav republics. Hojs said Slovenia would "take care of them to the best of our abilities" given that they come from the immediate neighbourhood.

Slovenia revokes credentials of Russian honorary consuls

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar signed decrees revoking the credentials of all Russian honorary consuls in Slovenia. "Russia no longer has honorary consuls in Slovenia," he announced on Twitter. The move comes a day after Logar urged all Russian honorary consuls in Slovenia - the ministry website lists five - to step down from their roles.

Russia closes airspace for Slovenia, Baltic countries

MOSCOW, Russia - Russia closed its airspace for Slovenian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian planes, a retaliatory measure after these countries banned Russian aircraft from their airspace due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Due to unfriendly moves by aviation authorities of Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Estonia, restrictions will be introduced for air carriers of the above-mentioned states and/or airlines registered there," Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport said on Saturday.

GZS backtracks on appeal against banning Russia from SWIFT

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) backtracked on an appeal to the government that Slovenia should not support Russia's exclusion from the international payment system SWIFT. "We accept all sanctions that the EU will adopt due to the aggression on Ukraine," GZS director general Aleš Cantarutti said in a written statement on Saturday before EU members agreed to bar some Russian banks from SWIFT.

Sports associations urged to boycott events in Russia, Belarus

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Olympic Committee called on all sports associations to refrain from participating in competitions organised in Russian and Belarus. It said that although sports should be above politics, "we simply cannot and should not look the other way" as Russia attacks Ukraine. "This is an unfathomable act that is causing the suffering of innocent people." The Volleyball Association already said it would not send the national team to the World Championship in August if Russia remained the host.

Two-month low of 901 cases confirmed on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 901 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, the lowest daily figure since 1 January, show the latest data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The headline figure however comes from far fewer tests, as free mass testing was scaled back when restrictions were eased last weekend. A total of 391 patients were hospitalised due to Covid-19 as their primary condition this morning, down by 27 from yesterday, of which 94 needed intensive care, one more than yesterday.

Slovenia's Križnar wins Hinzenbach

HINZENBACH, Austria - Double Olympic medallist Nika Križnar won the women's ski jumping World Cup event in Hinzenbach, besting overall leader Marita Kramer of Austria by twenty points with the longest jumps in both series. Križnar, who finished second yesterday, was in the lead after the first series and cemented her third win of the season with a 92.5-metre jump in the final series, the longest jump of the day.

27 Feb 2022, 20:00 PM

Slovenia Willing to Accept 200,000 Ukrainian Refugees

STA, 27 February 2022 - Slovenia has the capacity to accommodate between 180,000 and 200,000 refugees from Ukraine, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said on Sunday. "At least this is what we have discussed in the past few days," he told the press after an informal session of the EU's interior ministers on Sunday.

Hojs noted that the figure is based on experience from the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s, when Slovenia hosted more than 300,000 refugees from the Yugoslav republics.

The minister later clarified on Twitter that such a high figure would only be possible in the event of a "complete exodus from Ukraine, which is not likely."

Realistically, the actual number will therefore be "lower by a factor of ten or more" and would be determined in agreement with other EU members.

Slovenia has expressed willingness to take in Ukrainian refugees since the start of the Russian invasion but had not put forward any specific figures.

Hojs said Slovenia would "take care of them to the best of our abilities" given that they come from the immediate neighbourhood.

The government today activated emergency phone numbers where those interested in offering assistance can turn. It expects several dozen calls in the first hours, whereupon the number could rise significantly.

European Commission figures show more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have already entered the EU, the majority entering through Poland.

At the meeting Slovenia also endorsed the first ever activation of the 2001 directive on temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons.

While the directive is slightly outdated, its activation is exceptionally important and Slovenia has already initiated all activities associated with this directive such as preparing accommodation for refugees, Hojs said.

One thing the directive makes possible is to relocate refugees between member states. The ministers did not discuss specific figures today but Hojs said this would "not be problematic for Slovenia" since it is willing to accept significantly more refugees than an EU deal would require.

The minister also called for stricter visa sanctions against Russia. "Until each individual Russian citizen feels what a mad president they have, a mass movement against the authoritarian system will not have arisen.

Another issue on the agenda today was the risk of hybrid attacks. Slovenia has so far not detected major hybrid threats but Hojs said all the competent services were fully prepared to prevent attacks on Slovenian infrastructure to the maximum possible extent.

Asked whether Slovenia was also willing to supply arms to Ukraine, the minister said the government had already adopted a decree to that effect but this was confidential information that the public was not privy to.

27 Feb 2022, 08:24 AM

COVID Numbers Continue to Fall in Slovenia

STA, 26 February 2022 - Slovenia confirmed 1,784 new coronavirus infections on Friday in what is the second day in a row that the figure dropped below 2,000 for the first time since early January. The total of active cases has fallen below 50,000.

Hospitalisations kept decreasing with government data showing 418 patients were treated for Covid as their main condition in hospitals this morning, down by nearly 30 on the day before. A total of 93 needed intensive care, down by seven.

The total of patients in hospitals who are infected with Covid, including those who have contracted the virus but are treated for other conditions, dropped by 73 to 622. Another 13 people with Covid died.

The 14-day incidence per 100,000 people and the seven-day average of new cases continued to steadily decrease - the former dropped by 265 to 2,230 and the latter by 277 to 2,144, shows data by the National Institute of Public Health.

The number of currently active cases decreased by some 5,500 to 47,062.

All the latest data on covid and Slovenia

27 Feb 2022, 08:02 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 27 February 2022

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:

Slovenia bans Russian aircraft from its airspace

LJUBLJANA - Due to Russia's attack on Ukraine the government decided to ban Russian aircraft from Slovenia's airspace at a correspondence session after a number of European countries made the same move. The decision enters into force today and will remain in place "until the reasons for it cease to apply", the government said. The ban covers aircraft registered in Russia and operators based in Russia and licensed by the competent Russian authority.

Slovenian diplomats serving in Ukraine arrive in EU, says FM

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of Slovenian diplomats that had been stationed in Ukraine and two representatives of the prime minister's office arrived in the EU, FM Anže Logar said. He also called on the honorary consuls of the Russian Federation in Slovenia to relinquish their titles. The office's officials had been in Ukraine as part of preparations for the PM's planned visit to the country that was then postponed.

Slovenia sending EUR 100,000 aid to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will make a humanitarian contribution of EUR 100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2022 to help war-stricken Ukraine, the government decided. The decision in line with Slovenia's international development cooperation and humanitarian aid priorities, and foreign policy priorities, the Foreign Ministry said.

National Security Council debates aggression on Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - The National Security Council debated the situation in Ukraine. "It is in Slovenia's national-security interest that Ukraine defend itself against the aggression and that the threat against the EU and NATO's eastern flank be reduced, so that there is neither a new Cold War, nor an escalation of sanctions against the Russian Federation," the Prime Minister Janez Janša's office said after the session.

SocDems tell voters they are safe and reliable bet

LJUBLJANA - The Social Democrats (SD) endorsed their manifesto for the 24 April election as their leader Tanja Fajon offered the opposition party as a safe and reliable choice between the dangers of the incumbent government on the one hand and the unpredictability of new experiments on the other. Fajon described the war in Ukraine as proof of what happens when democracy, the rule of law and human rights are deliberately undermined.

Freedom Movement remains ahead of SDS in latest poll despite dip

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement remains in the lead ahead of the ruling SDS in the latest poll by the pollster Ninamedia. It lost almost three percentage points compared to two weeks ago to 21.2%, with the SDS down almost two points to 19.1%. The SD in third place saw the biggest swing in the positive direction, adding almost two points to 9.9% to place two points ahead of the Left, which added 0.4 points.

Epidemic continues to ebb in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,784 new coronavirus infections on Friday in what is the second day in a row that the figure dropped below 2,000 for the first time since early January. The total of active cases fell below 50,000. Hospitalisations kept decreasing and another 13 people with Covid died, government data shows.

26 Feb 2022, 09:42 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 18 - 24 February, 2022

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 18 February

        MUNICH, Germany - President Borut Pahor called for dialogue and a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis as he arrived at the Munich Security Conference.
        LJUBLJANA - The teachers' trade union SVIZ said its members overwhelmingly endorsed the decision for school and kindergarten teachers to start a general strike on 9 March to demand for higher pay for teaching and non-teaching staff plus bonuses for extra work connected with the Covid-19 pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to waive the quarantine requirement for those in high-risk contact with an infected person and end contact tracing. It also abolished the requirement that passengers entering Slovenia have to produce a Covid pass.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's eight MEPs addressed a letter to the European Commission alerting it to a seizure of church bells in Dolina, a village near the Italian city of Trieste populated by the Slovenian minority. The MEPs would like to see the Commission act on this incident that they say encroaches on religious freedom and local cultural tradition.
        MARIBOR - Chipmaker NVIDIA signed a partnership with Digital Transformation Minister Mark Boris Andrijanič that will support the development of an artificial intelligence ecosystem in Slovenia and stimulate new ICT talents in creative AI environments.
        LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of Petrol approved the plan of the energy company's management to build three large solar power plants in Croatia, worth a total of EUR 17 million. Planned to start producing electricity at the beginning of 2023, the expected output the three facilities will be 29 gigawatt hours (GWh).
        KOPER - The port operator Luka Koper said its net profit had contracted by 1% to EUR 31.8 million last year despite a 9% increase in revenue, which amounted to EUR 228.4 million. Total throughput hit 20.8 million tonnes, up 7% on the year before.
        SLOVENJ GRADEC - The 16th annual auction of prime timber in Slovenia brought new records, as a quilted sycamore maple from state-owned forests fetched a record price of EUR 23,800 per cubic metre or EUR 47,838 for the whole log.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana criminal police said they had busted a drug trafficking ring with over 80 members and seized almost 600 kilos of cannabis and several kilos of heroine as part of an international investigation that started in 2018.

SATURDAY, 19 February
        MUNICH, Germany - President Borut Pahor held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, focussing on the Ukraine crisis, including with his Finish and Montenegrin counterparts Sauli Niinistö and Milo Đukanović.
        LJUBLJANA - The latest public opinion poll conducted by Parsifal saw the ruling Democrats (SDS) in the lead, with party's support rising by 3 percentage points to 22.9% in the past month. The Freedom Movement headed by Robert Golob comes second, on 13.2% support, up by 2.8 percentage points.
        ROME, Italy - Prime Minister Janez Janša and Cardinal Franc Rode featured as witnesses in a documentary on summary executions in the wake of Second World War that was aired on Rai 2, the second channel of the Italian public broadcaster.
        LJUBLJANA - LPS or Last Pizza Slice, a band of five teenagers, won the contest to represent Slovenia at the 66th Eurovision song contest in Turin with the song 'Disko' (Disco).
        NEW YORK, US - The first space exhibition at the International Space Station (ISS) will feature two miniature artworks by Slovenian artist Eva Petrič as part of the miniature works contributed by 65 artists from around the world.

SUNDAY, 20 February
MUNICH, Germany - President Borut Pahor urged stepping up EU enlargement to the Western Balkans as he appeared in a panel debate at the Munich Security Conference, saying the EU was the only answer to the issues troubling the region. FM Anže Logar said the key was to resolve issues in the region stemming from the past.
BEIJING, China - Slovenian athletes won seven medals at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which puts the country second only to Norway in medals per capita. Overall, Slovenia ranked 15th among all countries on the Olympic medal table.

MONDAY, 21 February
        LJUBLJANA - Virtually all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in Slovenia except for the wearing of masks and hand sanitising indoors. Proof of recovery, vaccination or negative test (PCT) is only be required in hospitals, care homes and prisons. There are no more caps on gatherings or numbers allowed inside shops, hospitality or other services establishments, and no restrictions to opening hours.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to increase the capital of Slovenia's custodian of state assets, Slovenian Sovereign Holding, by a sum that will allow it to exercise its pre-emptive right to purchase private fund York's share in Slovenian tourism company Sava.
        LENDAVA - Slovenian and Hungarian PMs Janez Janša and Viktor Orban stressed as they signed an agreement on cooperation to develop the border areas populated by the countries' respective minorities in Lendava that the minorities were a "bridge for cooperation between two friendly countries" and economic ties between them brought double benefit.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the government's proposal not to allow a referendum on a law ratifying the agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. The opposition Left, which initiated the referendum bid, is now planning to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
        LJUBLJANA - The government approved material aid for Ukraine and Madagascar as well as a donation of Covid-19 vaccines to Namibia and COVAX. Through the EU civil protection mechanism Slovenia will send EUR 163,000 worth of sleeping bags, rubber boots, diesel generators, gloves and face masks to Ukraine in response to the country's appeal for aid.
        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption cleared PM Janez Janša over his socialising with a well-known lobbyist and a businessman while holidaying on the island of Mauritius when he was still an opposition leader. The commission closed the case after it had found no breach of anti-graft legislation.
        MARIBOR - The supervisory board of the electricity distributor Elektro Maribor appointed acting chairman Jože Hebar for a full-fledged term. He was appointed acting chairman in November after the dismissal of Boris Sovič, who had led the company for nine years.

TUESDAY, 22 February
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's officials unanimously condemned Russia's recognition of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as blatant violation of international law. PM Janez Janša called for the EU to offer Ukraine the prospect of full membership and Defence Minister Matej Tonin announced the government's top officials agreed Slovenia was ready to support the country's membership of the EU and enhance its troops' presence in eastern NATO member states.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly approved the government package to mitigate the impact of high energy prices, whose primary focus is on aid for households and citizens, as it provides for a one-off payment for some 710,000 Slovenians.
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin discussed Russia's actions in Ukraine in an interview with the CNN, underscoring that unity was the Western allies' strongest tool and warning that something bad could happen in the Western Balkans, in particular Bosnia-Herzegovina.
        PARIS - FM Anže Logar attended the first ministerial forum on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region organised by the French EU presidency, noting the importance of good and sustainable integration between Europe and the region.
        LJUBLJANA - MPs endorsed a government-sponsored act that temporarily increases the scope of temporary or casual work available for pensioners to help the labour market recover in the wake of Covid-19 in what the government says will help mitigate labour shortages.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed changes to the act on state border control that bring border municipalities EUR 2.5 million in assistance to cover the costs they incur as a result of enhanced border patrolling by police and soldiers to prevent illegal migration.
        LJUBLJANA - Ferenc Horvath, the MP for the Hungarian minority, will have to pay a EUR 1,000 fine after a district and a higher court upheld the anti-graft watchdog's view that he is in breach of the incompatibility of dual offices as he also serves as the head of a minority organisation.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the investment promotion act that aim to raise the productivity of the Slovenian economy and the standard of living by facilitating companies' adjustment to the demands of the digital and green transition.
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of Renault that cut production to one and a half shifts last November and then announced further cuts in January for April, will move to the announced single shift a month early.

WEDNESDAY, 23 February
        LONDON, UK - FM Anže Logar met his British counterpart Elizabeth Truss to sign a declaration of intent to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. They agreed that Slovenia and the UK are partners and allies, sharing common values and similar interests on many issues and policies. Logar also met the president of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, Alok Sharma.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Timur Eyvazov over Russia's recognition of independence of the eastern Ukrainian regions Donetsk and Luhansk. The ambassador was informed of Slovenia's resolute opposition to Russia's actions along the Ukrainian border and unilateral recognition of the two regions.
        BOLOGNA, Italy - Education Minister Simona Kustec and her Italian counterpart Patrizio Bianchi urged the formation of a task force for cooperation in minority eduction that would address open issues.
        MARIBOR - The newspaper Večer reported that Maribor-based radio station Radio City had been acquired by companies Media Moment and Radio Factory, owned by Hungarian Gabor Deak. It said Deak is linked to the circles of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
        LJUBLJANA - The anti-graft watchdog said it had found breach of integrity by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, noting he interfered in the work of the Commodity Reserves Agency in relation to a purchase of ventilators from the supplier Geneplanet.
        LJUBLJANA - The police dealt with 693 cases of illegal migration in the first month of 2022, more than double the figure recorded in January last year. By far the largest number of illegal migrants intercepted last month were Afghans, which is to be expected given the situation in the country, the police said.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that the Kranj Local Court had issued convictions for five men involved in a Covid-19 vaccination fraud where one of them got vaccinated on behalf of the other four. One was given a sentence of ten months in prison, while the other four were fined.

THURSDAY, 24 February
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Arriving for an emergency EU summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Janez Janša urged the severest possible sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine as well as providing humanitarian, economic and military help to Ukraine. Together with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki it called on the European Council to grant Ukraine's accession to the EU by 2030.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's top officials and parties condemned in the strongest terms the Russian attack on Ukraine, with Prime Minister Janez Janša saying it was unprecedented military aggression against the country. President Borut Pahor called the attack a grave violation of international law and UN principles of peaceful resolution of disputes. In solidarity with Ukraine, the country's flag was hoisted on the Government Palace and the Presidential Palace.
        LJUBLJANA - Natalia Markevich, charge d'affaires at the Ukrainian embassy in Ljubljana, thanked Slovenia for its support and assistance to Ukraine following Russia's invasion.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor presented state decorations to Tatjana Rojc, the Slovenian serving as a senator in Rome, and minority officials Walter Bandelj and Ksenija Dobrila as well as Trieste Mayor Roberto Dipiazza.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenia-based banking group NLB said it had posted a record profit of EUR 236.4 million in 2021, a substantial growth compared to the previous year, excluding effects from the acquisition of Komercijalna Banka in Serbia.
        LJUBLJANA - The Environment and Spatial Planning Inspectorate said that Slovenia had exported almost 150,000 tonnes of waste to third countries in 2021, some 25% less than in 2020. The amount of plastic waste was reduced by just over 40%.
        KRŠKO - Gen Energija, the company managing the Slovenian half of the NEK nuclear power station, got an interim head, as the company's long-serving director general Martin Novšak was dismissed. Until a new head is appointed financial director Gordana Radanovič will serve as interim head.

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