ISSN 1854-0805 (business culture environment politics sports) 09 October 09 BLED STRATEGIC FORUM ON THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND PERIOD AFTER IT contents Veronika Stabej Different dialogues After the brief summer, we have already marched resolutely into autumn, which is bringing quite a few shifts in many areas. The Government is determined to overcome the economic and financial crisis, and help for businesses will be enhanced by what is called economic diplomacy, which covers the activities of diplomatic missions in the area of promoting the Slovenian economy in foreign markets and thereby securing help for it in its internationalisation. Fulfilment of this challenging task will involve the services of Slovenian ambassadors working in almost 50 countries around the world. The Politics of Economic Crisis: Redefining Economic and Geopolitical Landscapes in Europe and Eurasia was the title of the fourth international conference of the Bled Strategic Forum, which was attended by more than 420 foreign and Slovenian participants, including numerous senior politicians, heads of international organisations and business leaders. One of the panellists at the round table conference was Andreu Claret, executive director of the Anna Lindh Foundation, the Euro- Mediterranean foundation for intercultural dialogue, and we are publishing an interview with him. The guiding principle of the foundation is developing dialogue between Mediterranean cultures and civilisations, or as Mr. Claret says, “it is not about 30-33 Slovenian delights 41-43 Natural Trails abstract cultures, but about the people who live in this region,” Beekeeping in Slovenia and also about strengthening Euro-Mediterranean partnership, The taste of the Alpine dairy while the active cooperation of Slovenia in the foundation can contribute to the greater presence and recognisability of Slovenia 06-11 In Focus 38-40 People 20-25 Art and Culture in this region. Bled Strategic Forum Maja Kojc, oboe soloist Discovering the artistic quarter An intensive and innovative approach to strengthening Slovenian innovation and entrepreneurship has been taken by the restorer Igor Ravbar with his wooden masterpieces and by the agronomist Borut Benedejčič with his plans for revitalising the Karst. Read more about this in the section Our excellence. In the letters from ambassadors we bring you up to date on efforts to secure respect of children’s rights and on the years of Slovenia’s foreign policy efforts to improve the position of the most vulnerable social groups, which include of course children and adolescents. Despite the fact that they are protected under the international Convention on the Rights of the Child, the rights of children are violated every day in many parts of the world. It is right for us to be aware of them, to draw attention to them and also to talk openly about them. During the Week of the Child, on 6 and 7 October 2009 Slovenia will host an International Conference on Children’s Rights and Protection Against Violence, which we believe will contribute to improving the protection of these highly sensitive rights. You can read more on this in our upcoming issue. Sinfo – Slovenian information Editorial: Government Commnunication Office, Director: Veronika Stabej, Gregorčičeva 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Government Communication Office:www.slovenia.si tel. +386 (0) 1 478 2630, fax + 386 (0) 1 251 2312, www.ukom.gov.si Government Communication Office:www.ukom.gov.si Editor-in-Chief: Vesna Žarkovič, [email protected] Government Institutions: www.gov.si Editorial Board: Albert Kos, Mateja Malnar Štembal, Valerija Mencej, Jože Osterman, Polona Prešeren, Slovenian Tourist Board: www.slovenia.info Andreja Šonc Simčič, Andrej Savelli, Branko Vidrih Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.gzs.si Photo Editor: Maja Slavec Slovenian Chamber of Craft: www.ozs.si Production: Nuit d.o.o., Translation: Amidas d.o.o., Printed by: Mond Grafika Public Agency of the RS for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments: www.japti.si Number of copies: 4600 Ljubljana Stock Exchange: www.ljse.si Available also at: www.ukom.gov.si/eng/slovenia/publication/sinfo Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia:www.stat.si Cover photo: Darinka Mladenovič State Portal of the Republic of Slovenia: http://e-uprava.gov.si m o n t h l y r e v i e w Andrej Savelli is part of wider efforts to include citizens in processes of shap- conditions for them. Otherwise Pahor and Faymann devoted great ing Government policies and measures. The project opens up a attention in their talks to economic cooperation between Slovenia new communication channel between citizens and the state and and Austria. As the Austrian Chancellor pointed out, economic among citizens themselves. The main aim of the project is to relations between the two countries, even in the current difficult Breakthrough in Bor Slana/Bobo photo: encourage the inhabitants of Slovenia to communicate opinions, economic conditions, are good and stable, but they could be im- initiatives and proposals for dealing with socially burning issues. proved further. Slovenia-Croatia talks The proposals that garner the majority support of registered users will be forwarded by the Office to the competent Government On 11 September, in talks between Prime Ministers Borut Pahor and body, which will have to take a view regarding the proposal. Jadranka Kosor in Ljubljana, Slovenia and Croatia came to an agree- Establishment of the web tool “predlagam.vladi.si” is envisaged by ment on the continuation of Croatia’s EU accession negotiations and on the end of October 2009. resolving their border dispute through the mediation of the European Union. Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor sent to the Swedish EU Petelinšek/STA Tamino photo: Presidency a statement that no document in Croatia’s accession would Conference on illegal prejudice the border. In the letter, she also apprised the Swedish Presidency of the EU of the PM Borut Pahor visits Rome migrations, organised crime, agreement between the two sides to resolve the border dispute through international arbitration, as proposed by the European Commission, and and the Vatican corruption and terrorism negotiations over an arbitration agreement will continue where they were Brdo pri Kranju was the venue for the 9th Regional Ministerial left off on 15 June 2009. At that time the European Commissioner for Prime Minister Borut Pahor paid a working visit to Italy on Conference on illegal migrations, organised crime, corruption and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Enlargement, Olli Rehn, presented to Slovenia and Croatia the European 18 September, focusing in his talks with his counterpart Silvio terrorism. The first topic of the conference was visa liberalisation, Pahor addressing reporters after talks. Commission’s April proposal, partly supplemented by Slovenian propos- Berlusconi on economic cooperation between the countries and which Slovenia highlighted as a priority task even during its Presi- als, and this was acceptable for Slovenia, while Croatia rejected it, claiming the possibility of the neighbours’ companies jointly entering dency of the EU, and in one and a half years there have already Slovenia and China that Rehn’s April proposal was “take it or leave it”. After this the European foreign markets. The pair also debated budget drafting in times of been visible results of this effort, since three countries will in all Commission terminated its involvement in resolving the border issue. crisis. They moreover touched the issue of the Slovenian minority probability enter into a visa-free regime for travel to countries of seek to enhance relations In the new agreement, Croatia made a commitment to resolve the border in Italy, with Pahor expressing his hope that Italy will fulfil all its the European Union at the end of the year. The aim of the visa issue in accordance with the key priority tasks of the accession partnership obligations towards the Slovenian community in the country. liberalisation is the mobility of citizens, promoting contacts be- On 27th August the Deputy Prime Minister of China, Hui with the EU by mutual agreement, and that an agreement on the method Berlusconi assured Pahor that in the proposed budget for next tween people and economic cooperation between countries. Liangyu, and a sizeable economic delegation arrived for a three-day of resolving the border would be reached before a vote on the accession year the Italian government would not make any cuts to the mi- In the Brdo process, Slovenia is active in two other initiatives, official visit to Slovenia. treaty in the Slovenian parliament. In exchange, the Slovenian Govern- nority funding. Pahor and Berlusconi also discussed the planned specifically in the project to transfer best practices in the field of Prime Minister Borut Pahor and Hui affirmed the good relations ment, as was decided consensually on 10 September, proposed to the gas terminals in Aquilinia (Zavlje) near Trieste, which Slovenia the fight against terrorism, which also has support in the Swedish between the two countries, especially in the economic sphere, and foreign policy and EU affairs committees that Slovenia would withdraw opposes for environmental reasons. In the morning, Pahor also Presidency of the European Union, and the other project is an they expressed their interest in enhanced cooperation in this area. its restraints on the negotiating process between Croatia and the European met Vatican’s Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone and Slovenian assessment of the threat from organised crime in south-eastern Pahor and Hui also talked about the economic crisis. Union. Cardinal Franc Rode. Europe. At this year’s regional conference in Brdo, a Memoran- The Slovenian Prime Minister detailed for Mr. Hui the efforts of the The two prime ministers also pointed out that this is an agreement that dum of Agreement was also signed between participating coun- Slovenian Government for Slovenia to weather the economic crisis, serves both nations and countries, and the interests of both countries have tries in the ILECU project, the aim of which is for all countries of including through an intensive presence in the Chinese market.