Lojze Peterle

Jože Pučnik, a key protagonist of Slovenia's democratisation and independence, was honoured on the 20th anniversary of his death on 11 January with President Nataša Pirc Musar describing him as a model statesman. The party that he used to lead organised a commemoration in Ljubljana.

Ljubljana – On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of independence, Slovenia’s first President Milan Kučan and first Prime Minister Lojze Peterle said they would like to see more unity of the nation. They agree that this was the key to gaining independence, and that the idea of the common good should prevail in order to achieve common goals.

Otočec – A memorial in honour of the period when Slovenia and Croatia were gaining independence was unveiled at Otočec on Monday with both countries’ prime ministers Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković in attendance, along with the first Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle and his then-counterpart Franjo Gregurić.

Ljubljana – The prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković, will meet in Otočec in south Slovenia on Monday to unveil a memorial celebrating cooperation between both governments during the time the countries were gaining independence.

Bled – Developments in Afghanistan could be an opportunity to strengthen the EU, was one of the views presented at the former leaders’ panel at the Bled Strategic Forum on Wednesday, where the importance of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and differences on European values in the EU were also highlighted.

Ljubljana – Thirty years to the day, the Brijuni Declaration was adopted, ending hostilities between Yugoslav and Slovenian forces in the ten-day independence war and suspending Slovenia’s independence activities for three months. It was the first international agreement between Slovenia and the EU’s predecessor, the European Economic Community (EEC).

Ljubljana – Slovenia took key steps leading to its independence in June 1991. The then assembly passed the final major independence laws and three crucial documents to create the legal basis that would allow the country to declare its independence and sovereignty at a ceremony in Ljubljana’s Republic Square on 26 June 1991.

As Slovenia is about to mark the 30th anniversary of a referendum in which people nearly unanimously voted for independence, Lojze Peterle, the then prime minister, says the nation should focus on what unites it, while it will have to put WWII and post-war history behind if it ever wants to achieve understanding and progress.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor made a renewed appeal for cross-party effort to break out of the crisis, as he addressed a ceremony on Friday ahead of the 30th anniversary of a cross-party agreement on the independence referendum.