EU Council

Rome – Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek signed a letter of intent on cooperation in spacial activities for peaceful purposes with the Italian Space Agency as part of a two-day visit to Italy. He also met Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti with the pair calling for boosting economic cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna, speaking at an event dedicated to the end of German Ambassador in Bucharest Cord Meier-Klodt's tenure, said that "Romania loses a very important ambassador, but gains a real friend for life." "Wherever you were needed, you were there," the Romanian official told the German diplomat.

The EU needs to move "as soon as possible" from a wait-and-see approach to a problem-solving strategy in dealing with enlargement and the Western Balkans, said Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar in an interview about the priorities for his country's upcoming EU Council presidency.

Turkey has called on the European Union to take concrete steps on the modernization of the customs union and migrant deal ahead of the bloc's pivotal summit later this week where ties with Ankara will be discussed.

Ljubljana – First Vice-President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has spoken to the STA ahead of her visit to Slovenia, saying that the country could push forward the EU priorities over the next six months as it assumes the EU Council presidency. She also discussed the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The delegation of the Republic of North Macedonia led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev arrives in Bulgaria.

Brnik – A new passenger terminal was inaugurated at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport on Wednesday. The expansion brings 10,000 square metres of new surfaces, including more space for security checks and baggage handling, and more check-in points. Once opened for business on 1 July, the airport will be able to handle more than 1,200 passengers per hour.

Less than a week before the June 22 EU Council opens, North Macedonia's leaders are travelling to neighbouring Bulgaria to explore a possible breakthrough in their dispute that would prompt Sofia to lift its blockade on the start of Skopje's EU accession talks.

North Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party on Wednesday pledged to continue daily roadblocks until the Social Democratic government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev "comes clean" over its ongoing talks with neighbouring Bulgaria over their history dispute.

The government of Emmanuel Macron is preparing plans to replace French as the official "working language" of the EU when France takes over the presidency of the EU Council in January 2022, a diplomat was quoted as saying by Politico. Paris sees its first post-Brexit leadership in the union as an opportunity to push its native language for the lingua franca of Brussels.