POLITICS
SMARJESKE TOPLICE - The Slovenian-Croatian commission of legal experts dealing with the border dispute between the two countries agreed on Wednesday that the situation on the ground as on 25 June 1991 should serve as the key for a solution. The commission believes it is now up to politics to decide on two major issues that remain open.
LJUBLJANA - By constantly raising the number of the erased and announcing that the Interior Ministry will start issuing decision to them in February, the "transition left", especially the Liberal Democrats (LDS), is trying to secure future loyal voters, the opposition Slovenian Democrats (SDS) said on Wednesday.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Danilo Tuerk and Prime Minister Borut Pahor hosted on Wednesday a traditional reception for the diplomatic corps in Slovenia at the Brdo pri Kranju estate. Tuerk said in his speech that 2009 will be a hard year in which contribution from diplomats to creating better and safer world will be particularly important.
LJUBLJANA - The government "does not wish to give the impression that there will be intolerance towards religious communities due to a change in power", Prime Minister Borut Pahor said after a meeting with Bishop Geza Ernisa, the leader of the Evangelic Lutheran Church in Slovenia.
FINANCE & ECONOMY
LJUBLJANA - The heads of parliamentary parties met on Wednesday and reached a verbal agreement on cooperation in dealing with the financial and economic crisis. Prime Minister Borut Pahor said that the agreement would enter into force immediately and would first concern a package of fund-saving measures, adding that the parties would coordinate their views only on measures for tackling the crisis.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission recommended Slovenia on Wednesday to reform its pension system and promote active ageing. Slovenia should also reconsider the protection of employees on non-fixed terms and the conditions for student work, according to a country assessment of the implementation of the Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued EUR 1bn in three-year bonds with an interest rate of 4.25% on Wednesday. The bonds achieved 99.97% of their nominal price on Wednesday. Finance Minister Franc Krizanic said that the money raised from the state bonds will be used to bolster the credit activities of banks. The stocks have been listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - A Slovenian energy project has found a place on the list of projects which will be eligible for EUR 3.5bn of EU funds for improving energy security. The European Commission on Wednesday proposed EUR 40m to be earmarked for a project transporting natural gas from the Slovenian-Austrian border to Ljubljana.
LJUBLJANA - Information Commissioner Natasa Pirc Musar told a panel marking European Data Protection Day that privacy at the workplace is regulated by law and called for the adoption of an act protecting such privacy. The participants also agreed that new rules on the protection of personal data are needed.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's biggest trade union confederation, ZSSS, presented to the press on Wednesday its proposals for changes to the employment and insurance against unemployment acts, and to the social security act, all going in the direction of more welfare.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has called on the government to freeze the public sector wage reform as part of the supplementary budget. The GZS said that if this cannot be achieved fully, the government should curb the costs of labour in the public sector by cutting the number of workers.
LJUBLJANA - Parliament debated government-sponsored laws implementing EU standards for oversight in insurance and banking as its continued its January session on Wednesday. It also discussed a motion from the opposition to shorten the period in which the state must refund value added tax to businesses.
LJUBLJANA - It was a day of mix trading on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with the benchmark SBI 20 index down just 1.39 points to 3,828. The blue-chip SBI TOP lost a bit more, 3.04 points to 899, due to a dip by drug company Krka.
BUSINESS
LJUBLJANA - The CEO of Slovenia's no.3 bank, Abanka, told Wednesday's daily Delo that his bank had warned of the pending financial crisis as far back as summer 2007. Although Abanka reacted quickly to the crisis, Ales Zajdela does not exclude the possibility of the bank having to ask for a state loan. In 2008, the securities situation deteriorated most, while this year, loans are expected to be the biggest problem.
NOVO MESTO/WARSAW, Poland - Krka Polska has been banned from producing and selling a drug containing the active ingredient montelukast. Slovenian pharma Krka said its Polish subsidiary would challenge the temporary injunction issued by the Warsaw Business Court. The procedure against Krka Polska was launched by American drug maker Merck.
OTHER NEWS
CELJE/LJUTOMER/LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Heavy snowing that spread over the most of the country yesterday and continued on Wednesday morning snapped a number of power lines. In the hilly parts of the northeastern Stajersko region, between 30,000 and 35,000 households have no power, according to distributor Elektro Maribor. In the Celje region, over 6,300 households were left without power.
MARIBOR - A display tracing the history of Prekmurje Jews opened at the Maribor Synagogue on Tuesday evening to coincide with the Holocaust Memorial Day. The exhibition under the auspices of Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk will run until 15 March.
