August 2010 BUSINESS CULTURE ENVIRONMENT POLITICS SPORTS Heads held high, but the worst luck of the tournament 01 cover.indd 1 27.7.2010 14:05:54 Contents August 2010 It’ll also be hot In autumn – but not 31 DELIGHTS too hot fter the successful resolution of the medIterranean country’s border dispute with croatia, slovenia A now awaits – along with the rest of europe – the brunch wIth significant economic and structural changes that will happen in the autumn of this year. the resolution of short or medium the butuls Darijan Košir term problems are targeted, such as suitable pension Director provisions and healthcare policies, legislation adapted to align with demographic trends and public finances. Government administration will need to be adjusted to take the economic crisis into account, as well as diminished national income, a more open employment market suited The reCeNT to an open economy, the removal of administrative hISTOry OF boundaries, the modernisation of government legislation SlOveNIa and the continuation of privatisation. these moves will all serve to make slovenia more competitive and, in addition alSO TeaCheS to infrastructural and other investments in development, uS ThaT Our will ensure constant development for the state – these are CITIzeNS alwayS at least ten large tasks slovenia will grapple with in autumn and which it needs to carry out (or at least address) before COrreCTly the end of the current government’s term. evaluaTe whICh ChaNgeS IN As we know, such extensive changes are happening develOpmeNT everywhere – with the Greek example being particular to europe – and are not carried out without reluctance, aNd TheIr opposition and even widespread revolt, despite the exTeNT understanding of the affected classes that these changes 44 are really are necessary. We cannot expect a Greek scenario in slovenia MONTHLY REPORT as this is, after all, not in the slovenian tradition. however, Change at the top of the Ministry of the Economy 04 NeCeSSary, this does not alter the fact that those changes will have to be IN FOCUS aNd The SIze OF carried out in the widest sense in order to achieve at least the Bled Strategic Forum 2010: Discussing future issues 06 CONTrIbuTION minimum social consensus, something slovenia is familiar OECD Membership ThaT eaCh OF uS with, during almost twenty years of change and transition. INTERVIEW haS TO make. this is why the media is forecasting that slovenia, after Marjan Hribar 10 8 what we hope will be a pleasant summer holiday, awaits a BUSINESS politically “hot autumn”. this is undoubted, but the recent Urgent restructuring of research activities 14 history of slovenia also teaches us that our citizens always correctly evaluate which changes in development and their LETTER FROM AMBASSADOR Angel Gurría, Mitja Gaspari extent are really necessary, and the size of contribution 16 that each of us has to make. We have no doubt that this 40 ART & CULTURE time will be the same. A summer of culture 18 OUR EXCELLENCE Inventive women in Slovenia, Slovenian students at international competitions 25 SLOVENIAN DELIGHTS Sinfo - Slovenian information Mediterranean brunch with the Butuls 30 Editioral government Communication Office Gateway to information on Slovenia www.slovenia.si gregorčičeva 25, 1000 ljubljana Government Communication Office www.ukom.gov.si SPORTS Tel. +386 1 478 2630, Fax +386 1 251 2312, www.ukom.gov.si Government of the Republic of Slovenia www.vlada.si Heads held figh, but the worst luck of the tournament 34 Director darijan košir Slovenian Tourist Board www.slovenia.info Editor-in-Chief vesna Žarkovič, [email protected] Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry www.gzs.si PEOPLE Editorial Board alenka Čebular, albert kos, mateja malnar Slovenian Chamber of Craft www.ozs.si Štembal, valerija mencej, Jože Osterman, polona prešeren, Public Agency of the RS of Entrepreneurship and Foreign Tadej Golob - Beautiful yet always replaceable things 40 andreja Šonc Simčič, andrej Savelli, branko vidrih Investments www.japti.si Photo Editor veronicca ditrih Ljubljana Stock Exchange www.ljse.si CULTURAL TRAILS Production videotop Color media d.o.o. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia www.stat.si Graphic design boštjan krajnc Printed by mobinet State Portal of the Republic of Slovenia e-uprava.gov.si Made with Love 44 10 19 SINFO is printed on the eco-friendly FSC label paper. The FSC label provides assurance, that paper originates from responsible forest Cover photo Xinhua/STA management according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. 02 August 2010 August 2010 03 Monthly Review as forecast by mitja gaspari, minister ‘The legislation for the of development and european affairs, pension reforms will be the platform will offer greater synergy ready in early September, and increase the effectiveness of funds with the government provided by the government and the european union for development setting out its overall purposes. the platform will link view of the health ministries, the slovenian export and reforms by autumn.’ development Bank, the eCo fund, the slovenian regional development fund, procedures in various areas, offering the slovenian enterprise fund, the companies a one-stop-shop for the slovenian technology agency, the financial and information support they Public agency for entrepreneurship and need to effectively finance their foreign investment and other development. institutions. Change at the top of the guidelines for Ministry of the economy operations in after mateJ lahovniK left the possible, and she will be committed to coalition party Zares at the beginning of helping the slovenian economy attain a the western July, submitting his irrevocable higher technological level and to securing Balkans resignation from the position of minister for it a competitive position. at the same Strengthening tieS with China of the economy a few days later, on the time, the new minister added that a at the start of July the Mateja Malnar Štembal t the end of June the Prime minister, Borut Pahor, sPend time with a proposal of Prime minister Borut Pahor, healthy economy is the sole fundamental government adopted guidelines on Photo STA government and business delegation visiting China, where he met the Chinese in the middle of July the national guarantee of social security and prosperity operations in the western Balkans, which A Premier wen Jiabao. mr Pahor’s first visit to China as Prime minister was aimed at assembly voted 47 in favour and nine for the citizens of slovenia. will give a foundation to and act as a lever strengthening bilateral relations and promoting slovenian businesses in China. against to appoint darja radić, until then her work at the head of the ministry for strengthened and more coordinated during the visit, the slovenian government representatives told the Chinese that they were state secretary at the ministry of the will be focused on supporting the action by slovenia in the region. the final open to foreign investment, while their Chinese counterparts emphasised their willingness economy, as the new minister of the enhancement of development activities objective is to create a positive The Slovenian to see slovenian investment. economy. and the competitiveness of the slovenian environment in the western Balkans that pavilion and the Prime minister’s visit coincided with the 3rd slovenian-shanghai economic forum, which upon her appointment, ms. radić said economy, promoting the competitiveness is supportive of slovenian interests and focused on the role and importance of small and medium-sized enterprises in China, slovenia that she will strive along with her associates of slovenian tourism and ensuring the slovenian economy, and contributes exhibition and the european union. ivan svetlik and franc Križanič, slovenia’s ministers for labour, at the ministry to apply measures and stable, competitive and sustainable to lasting stability across the entire concept reflected family and social affairs and for finance respectively, participated in the conference, which activities to mitigate the crisis as much as energy supplies. region. the image of called on Chinese companies to increase their investment in slovenia. the guidelines’ aims include Slovenia as a the Prime minister also visited the shanghai world expo, where he participated in celebrations identifying and eliminating internal small, successful, of slovenia’s national day. after viewing the slovenian pavilion, he expressed his satisfaction administrative barriers within slovenia with the presentation of slovenia at the expo fair, and that he was proud of the work done. that relate to the region in order to ambitious and he went on to say that the slovenian pavilion and exhibition concept reflected the image of accelerate trade and commerce and social orderly country. slovenia as a small, successful, ambitious and orderly country. and communications flows with the region and therefore consolidate Balkan cohesion, based on positive experiences reforms to continue in autumn from the former yugoslav state as well as via traditional international relations. at the start of July the governing Borut Pahor, the legislation for the competitive, but the Prime minister in order to ensure its operations are coalition agreed to continue the pension reforms will be ready in early agreed that the measures needed to successful, slovenia will create a special pension and health reforms, and september, with the government achieve that would be “quite tough.” coordinating committee for the western reforms of the public sector, clearly setting out its overall view of the health measures to aid the slovenian Balkans, which will be an informal body expressing its commitment and reforms by autumn. economy should come into effect this for exchanging positions and forming responsibility for carrying through the government’s aim in preparing year, with the government set to initiatives for the national coordinator urgently needed structural reforms. the 2011 and 2012 budgets is to reduce establish a stimulus and development regarding operations in the western according to the Prime minister, the budget deficit and become platform and speed up administrative Balkans.