Matjaž Han

Slovenia is a country rich in timber, but the annual wood industry event heard that a shift should be made to focus on exporting finished and semi-finished products rather than logs, which have lower added value. The industry will also need to attract more young people.

Slovenia billed itself as a good entry point for EU markets as the sector and key players were showcased at Transport Logistic, a major international logistics fair, in Munich, Germany this week.

The government will invest €150 million in sports infrastructure over the next five years. The priority will be given to training facilities and to outdoor sporting grounds that will be open to all free of charge.

Less than four years after launching its paint shop in Hoče near Maribor, the automotive multinational Magna will move the car body painting business fully to its location in Austria's Graz next week.

Ljubljana – The corporate sector will need aid in excess of EUR 1.5 billion to cope with high energy prices, Prime Minister Robert Golob said on Monday after meeting with representatives of business associations. The exact scope of the aid will depend on how successful reform of EU energy markets will be.

Just weeks ago Golob said that aid would have to amount to a billion euros.

Ljubljana – The government confirmed on Thursday an aid package under which EUR 40 million will be disbursed to companies this year and next to help them cope with higher energy costs. Three different types of aid will be available, according to Economy Minister Matjaž Han.

Ankara – President Borut Pahor started a two-day state visit to Turkey on Tuesday, meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu in Ankara. The pair talked above all about the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the Western Balkans. Pahor also raised this point as he addressed the annual meeting of Turkish diplomats.

Ankara – President Borut Pahor will start a two-day state visit to Turkey on Tuesday at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine will top the agenda. The situation in the Western Balkans and the Middle East will also be discussed.

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Rober Golob said on Monday he found it scandalous that several petrol stations around the country ran out of fuel on Sunday and today as drivers rushed to service stations in anticipation of Tuesday’s price hike stemming from a new pricing model kicking in.

Brdo pri Kranju – Slovenian scientists and business people living and working abroad came together in Brdo pri Kranju for their annual meeting on Thursday. Government representatives addressing the event underlined the importance of sharing in the knowledge gained abroad and expressed worry about brain drain.