Facts about Slovenia ............................................................................................5
Slovenia Ready to Lead the EU .............................................................................6
Interview with the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology .........10
Interview with the Mayor of Maribor ...................................................................14
The Slovene National Theatre Drama ..................................................................16
Cankarjev Dom: Cultural and Congress Centre in Ljubljana ................................18
Slovenia: Attractive Investment Destination........................................................20
Business Profile of Pharmachem Group .............................................................21
Slovenia – India Trade .........................................................................................22
Slovenia, Your Business Partner .........................................................................26
Interview with the Ambassador of India..............................................................32
Interview with the Vice President of Port of Koper .............................................36
Slovenia to Join the Schengen Area at the End of 2007 ......................................38
Goal: To Reach the Average EU Development Level ............................................42
Slovenia Invites Indian Tourists ..........................................................................46
ICPE: The Indo-Slovene Platform for International Cooperation .........................52
Business Profile of Telsima .................................................................................54
MASTHEAD
Published by
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, New Delhi
Tel: 4166 2891 • Fax: 4166 2895 • E-mail: [email protected]
Produced by: Krest Publications
Tel: +91-11-66304701/2/3 • Fax: +91-11-66304700 • E-mail: [email protected]
Printing: Rave India
Disclaimer: It is our goal to publish an error free magazine. Every effort is made to check, recheck and
verify the authenticity of the information. However, we assume no responsibility for inadvertent mistakes.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Publisher.
CONTENTS
Foreword by Chargé d'Affaires .............................................................................4
FOREWORD
Slovenia Consolidating
Ties with India
I
t is a pleasure and a satisfaction for me to see that
a special publication emphasizing Slovenia -India
relations is being published on the occasion of
Slovenian National Day 25th of June. The publication
represents an opportunity to explore the possibilities
of strengthening the existing good relations between
Slovenia and India in many fields, even further.
Mr. Miklavz Borstnik
Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of Slovenia
to the Republic of India
Although being a new European country, bonds
between the people of Slovenia and India have a
long tradition. It is an honour and privilege for me
to be posted in India, a cradle of humankind that
was known in an ancient story by Slovenian people
as ‘Koromandia’ and was painted in the story as
a land of happy people and a land of abundance.
Being here gives me an opportunity to understand
the diverse cultural and social traditions that make
India so unique.
Slovenia and India established diplomatic relations in
1992 and since then relations were growing steadily.
Relations are warm and friendly. This is also reflected
in the opening of the Indian Embassy in Slovenia this
year that will contribute to the intensification of our bilateral relations and enhance
dialogue between the two countries.
In the first half of 2008 Slovenia will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European
Union that by itself is a great challenge for the country that became a member of
the EU in 2004. I hope that we shall be able to contribute to the growing strategic
partnership between European Union and India.
I am happy to observe that trade and economic relations have also increased in the last
few years. More and more Slovenian companies are looking for business opportunities
in India which is becoming a global economic power.
I strongly believe that there is space for more cooperation between the two countries
in many fields and I welcome this publication as an excellent mean to further promote
Slovenia - India relations and to the visibility of Slovenia in India.
Slovenia in Focus
4
FACTS & FILES
Facts about Slovenia
Location in Europe:
Larger Slovenian towns and population:
Ljubljana 330,000
Maribor 103,000
Celje 40,000
Kranj 37,000
Velenje 27,100
Koper 24,600
Novo Mesto 22,600
Ptuj 19,000
--------------------------------------------------------------Geographical division of Slovenia in percentage
of territory: Alps 42.1 %
Dinaric land 28.1 %
Panonian plain 21.2 %
Mediterranean 8.6 %
-----------------------------------------------------------Climate:
Alpine in north-west Slovenia
Continental (sub panonian) in central Slovenia
Sub-Mediterranean in south-west Slovenia
(coastline)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Central Europe - Mediterranean Europe
Area: 20,273 km2
The highest peak : Triglav (2,864 m)
Length of Slovenian Adriatic coastline:
~43km
Population: ~ 2,000,000
Neightbouring countries and length of
borders:
Italy: 232 km
Austria: 330 km
Hungary: 102 km
Croatia: 670 km
Economy:
GDP per capita: US $ 19,200
Currency : Euro
--------------------------------------------------------------SLOVENIAN ANTHEM:
God’s blessing on all nations,
who long and work for that bright day
when o’er earth’s habitations
no war, no strife shall hold its sway;
Who long to see
that all men free
no more shall foes, neighbours be.
----------------------------------------------------------------
France Preseren (1800-49)
5
Slovenia in Focus
EU PRESIDENCY
Slovenia Ready to Lead the EU
An analysis of Slovenia’s EU membership to date and
its impending EU presidency
Three years of membership
in EU
It has been three years since
Slovenia along with other new
member states entered the EU.
However life did not change
significantly in the three years
following Slovenia’s accession to
the EU. Slovenes still perceive the
EU in largely the same way, which
is to say that they are favourable
towards it. A great majority of
respondents believe that the
Slovenia in Focus
6
conditions have not changed
drastically and that they still live
in the same way as before.
If a referendum on joining the EU
were called today, 80 per cent of
those who answered the question
would vote in favour, which shows
that support for the EU remains
extremely strong. When asked to
state the most important aspect of
being an EU member, the majority
answered that this fact alone (the
status issue) was the greatest
advantage. Many also see the
possibilities of studying abroad
as very important. Just over onefourth of respondents believe
that the greatest advantage is the
freedom to cross national borders,
while one-fifth state that the most
important aspect of being an EU
member is to have the opportunity
of working in some member
states. Seventy-four per cent of all
respondents claim that their living
standard has not changed since
EU PRESIDENCY
the accession to the EU, which
leads one to the conclusion that
in the last three years people have
not experienced any significant
changes.
The most important priority of the
Republic of Slovenia was fulfilled when
Slovenia joined the European Union on
May 1, 2004.
The most obvious changes that
have taken place include the
abolition of customs at state
borders, the possibility of studying
in EU member states, and the
prospect of finding employment
in some of them.
The most important priority of
the Republic of Slovenia was
fulfilled when Slovenia joined
the European Union on May 1,
2004. In political, economic and
cultural terms, Slovenia is part
of the European area, which is,
despite ethnic differences, based
on common values as well as
a common cultural and historic
heritage. By joining the European
Union, Slovenia is responding to
the challenges facing independent
countries in a globalised world. It
is introducing the achievements of
modern European economic and
institutional culture that enabled
the EU Member States to attain
the highest level of material and
spiritual well-being. Slovenia has
been harmonising its legislation
with European Union legislation
in order to create conditions for
a democratic society and a social
market economy.
Good economic results
In this time the Government
achieved some favourable general
economic results. Purchasing
power has increased significantly
over the past three years; it now
stands at 81 per cent of the EU 25
average. The Slovenian economy
has adapted relatively quickly to the
demands of the European market.
Many pessimistic predictions
about massive lay-offs following
accession to the EU have not been
realised. Furthermore, Slovenia
has neither experienced a flood
of foreign labour, nor a significant
brain drain. Looking back on the
Government Session in progress
three years and Slovenia’s results
in the assessment of individual
areas, the country has certainly
been the most successful in
negotiations on the future EU
financial perspective. Between
2007 and 2013 Slovenia will
be a net beneficiary of 2 billion
euro. Moreover, the Cohesion
Funds will quadruple in the same
period. Slovenia is one of the more
successful new member states in
terms of efficient phasing of EU
funds. In 2005 Slovenia took a
significant step forward in drawing
on EU funds. At the end of 2005
the tendered amount was 86 of
all available funds, with a total
value of 67.5 billion dollars. The
Government also estimates that
the drawing of EU funds from the
current financial perspective, in
particular with regard to cohesion
policy, has been successful. The
most important economical task
Slovenia has accomplished in the
course of these years is meeting
the criteria for the adoption of the
euro. After three years Slovenia
serves as a positive example also
with regard to further enlargements
of the EU. The country intends to
remain active, particularly in the
Western Balkans, and provide
the countries of the region with its
experience and expertise.
The introduction of the euro
The introduction of the euro
on the first of January 2007
is the historic milestone and
evident sign that Slovenia and the
Slovenian economy have reached
a high level of maturity even
though the transition process is
not complete. The introduction of
the common currency will simplify
lives, bring long - term stability
and put Slovenia into Eurozone.
By adopting the common
currency, the country renounces
the running of its own monetary
and exchange-rate policy, so
sustainable budget policy is
particularly important. Slovenia
7
Slovenia in Focus
EU PRESIDENCY
has no problems meeting these criteria.
Let us quote the statement of Jaoquin
Almunia (European Commissioner for
Economic and Monetary Affairs): “We
have taken a significant, a historic
decision to make Slovenia the 13th
member of the Eurozone on January 1,
2007. We are convinced this enlargement
will be successful. It is great opportunity,
but also a great challenge. After joining
the Eurozone, Slovenia will have to have
an economic policy which will ensure
continuing economic growth, taming
inflation and the further consolidation
of public finances.”
EU presidency the biggest postindependence challenge for
Slovenia
The government adopted at its session
on 25 January a draft declaration
outlining Slovenian activities in the
EU for the period between January
2007 and June 2008. According to the
document, the main priority in 2007 will
be preparations for the EU presidency.
The declaration, and the report on
Slovenia’s activities in the EU for the
previous year, are amongst the most
important documents the government
adopts every year.
The document that outlines the Slovenian
activities for the next 18 months is
based on the yearly programme of the
European Commission and the18-month
programme for the EU presidency.
According to the document, the key issues
facing Slovenia’s presidency include the
strengthening of the European area of
freedom, security and justice and the
debates on the future of the EU, the
European constitution, enlargement and
the Schengen zone. Slovenia will also
continue to strengthen its cooperation
with EU institutions and other member
states, especially with Germany and
Portugal, the two countries that with
Slovenia make up a trio of countries
successively holding the EU presidency
over the next 18 months.
Also at the forefront of Slovenian activities
in the EU will be the implementation of
the Lisbon Strategy and efforts to carry
out institutional reforms of the EU.
Slovenia will also strive for headway in
the process of Croatia and Turkey joining
Slovenia in Focus
8
Slovenia’s
foremost foreign
policy priority will
be strengthening
the strategic
partnership with
Russia, developing
transatlantic
relations and
strengthening
ties with strategic
partners such as
Japan, China and
India.
the EU and work towards setting
a date to start the EU accession
talks with Macedonia, which
obtained candidate country status
in December 2005. Moreover,
the document underscores efforts
to continue the expansion of
the eurozone and the Schengen
passport-free zone to all the new
members.
Prime Minister Janez Jansa
project but one of national
importance, he said. Slovenia
wants to make some decisive
steps in enlargement towards
Western Balkans during its stint,
but none of these processes could
come to a close during Slovenia’s
presidency. The EU needs a new
constitutional foundation prior
to the enlargement, he added.
Jansa said that Slovenia would
also focus on liberating the full
potential of the EU’s internal
market as some restrictions still
apply. This is also true for the
Eurozone, which primarily needs
an open and competitive market,
he said. He also highlighted
Slovenia’s key achievements such
as the adoption of the euro and
the key role the country has been
playing in seeking solutions to the
delay in expanding the Schengen
no-border zone. Jansa also called
for an agreement with political
parties on cooperation before and
during the presidency to prevent
the period from being used for
domestic policy tensions.
Expansion of the Schengen zone
and abolition of border controls
are one of the most important
political priorities for Slovenia
and the EU, the document adds.
In the field of the European
area of freedom, security and
justice, special attention will be
paid to asylum and immigration
policies, along with building an
effective system of protecting
the external borders of the EU.
Slovenia’s foremost foreign policy
priority will be strengthening
the strategic partnership with
Russia, developing transatlantic
relations and strengthening ties
with strategic partners such as
Japan, China and India. Slovenia
will also strive to improve the
cooperation between the EU and
other international organizations,
especially the UN and NATO.
Free flow of knowledge to
become the “fifth EU liberty”
According to Prime Minister Janez
Jansa, the EU presidency is the
biggest challenge for the country
after it won independence. It
is not only the government’s
European Science and Research
Commissioner Janez Potocnik
presented in Brussels on April 4,
2007, the green paper on new
perspectives for the European
EU PRESIDENCY
Many pessimistic
predictions about
massive lay-offs
following accession
to the EU have
not been realised.
Furthermore,
Slovenia has neither
experienced a flood
of foreign labour,
nor a significant
brain drain.
Research Area (ERA), saying that
he was pushing above all for the
free flow of knowledge to become
the “fifth EU liberty”. “Free flow
of knowledge is a necessity and
all obstacles for researchers
have to be removed,” said the
commissioner, adding that this
will not be possible without the
support by the member states
and business. The green paper
presents the challenges Europe is
facing today – modest investment,
dispersed research and increasing
globalisation of science and
technology. Equipping the coming
generations with knowledge
and using this knowledge is of
key importance if the EU is to
reach the economic, social and
environmental objectives set
out in the Lisbon Strategy, the
document says. The commissioner
said that researchers had to
expand their knowledge outside
their own country. “We have to
remove all obstacles to those
researchers who are aware that
mobility is a part of their life,”
said Potocnik.
Slovenian Graduating Quadrille Dance on the street of Ljubljana.
Photo: Katarina Gogala
Slovenian to become the
third working language of
the EU
the question of multilingualism
to the centre of European politics.
Multilingualism is increasingly
regarded as a key instrument
for economic development and
efficient communication. Both
consumers and citizens are most
efficiently addressed in their mother
tongue, the newly-appointed
European Commissioner for
Multilingualism, Leonard Orban,
said.
During Slovenia’s presidency
of EU in the first half of 2008,
Slovenian will become the third
working language of the EU,
together with English and French.
The number of official languages
in the EU has risen from 11 to 23
in the past three years, bringing
Countries tend to heed his
argument – a country’s presidency
is considered a powerful chance
to promote their language, and
an efficient translation and
interpreting service is an essential
element. Slovenian, as the
language of the presiding country
will be included in all the informal
ministerial sessions taking place
in Slovenia and interpretation will
be carried out by the European
Commission’s interpreting service.
In the case of events below the
ministerial level, the interpreting
will be limited to three working
languages – English, French
and Slovenian. On average,
every working language in the
EU requires 80 interpreters per
day. According to the European
Commission, 54 interpreters for
Slovenian are available at the
moment, amounting to only 67 per
cent of the required capacity.
Source: Ms. Vesna Zarkovic,
Government Communications Office,
Republic of Slovenia
9
Slovenia in Focus
MINISTER'S INTERVIEW
“We are Interested in Developing
Ties in Science and Technology”
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Jure Zupan,
Ph.D. spoke to Harun Riaz in Ljubljana on the possibilities of India-Slovenia
cooperation in science, technology and education
M
r. Minister, how
would you describe
your first visit to
India as Minister of Science
and Technology and what
impression of the EU-India
Science Conference?
To answer your first question,
I would describe the overall
impression of this European
Indian contact as the European
Community as a whole is
interested in having good contacts
with what we call regional players
in the different parts of the world
like India plays in Asia. We are
very interested to have good
relations especially in the field
of science and technology and
higher education because we
regard the educated population
as the best asset any state can
have. My first impression was that
India puts a quite strong accent
on education. What we have done
is basically making contacts and
taking the first steps from which
the relationship should develop.
I believe you also met
your counterpart Mr. Kapil
Sibal, a young and energetic
Minister.
Yes. Mr. Sibal is very energetic
and I guess he has a very bright
future in his profession. We talked
a lot about mutual collaboration;
we have invited him to visit
Slovenia. I hope this will come
through soon and of course we
talked about different possibilities,
how to enhance, how to lead the
agreement to a higher level.
We want to have an agreement
Slovenia in Focus
10
where not only the scientists
would collaborate but we want
to encourage the companies as
well to join in the collaboration.
This is the European view of
scientific collaboration not only
scientists and universities but
also the research departments
of companies would contribute
one quarter Indian company. This
would make for larger projects
which would be goal oriented,
product oriented or technology
oriented and through this would
be a better agreement resulting
in better products and better
satisfaction and what is much
more important is the mutual
"What we have done is basically making
contacts and taking the first steps from
which the relationship should develop."
their parts on a common project.
These should be target oriented
and of course both countries
should provide a little money
lets say one quarter Slovenia,
one quarter India and then one
quarter Slovenian company and
trust between the scientists and
companies will be created.
I believe this was the first ever
interaction between EU and
India on the issue of science.
Is there more and more trust
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MINISTER'S INTERVIEW
on India or is it that you look
India more differently?
Definitely, I must say I visited
India about 20 years ago. I was in
Bangalore which is of course the
Indian intellectual city with a lot
of universities and institutions. I
saw the enthusiasm. I worked with
several Indian scientists and we
saw a larger capacity in the Indian
going to sign an agreement on
industrial research between
the two countries. By when can
we see this agreement?
It is now up to the Indian side. It
has to be negotiated. It has to be
discussed in Parliament. From our
side we have sent the proposal.
Now we are waiting for the Indian
response.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Jure Zupan, Ph.D.
meeting with his Indian counterpart, Minister of Science & Technology and
Minister of Earth Sciences, Mr. Kapil Sibal in February 2007 at New Delhi
people. Of course you have a lot
of Nobel laureates but it was a
kind of good work but not forward
mobility or enthusiasm. Now we
saw the spirit. It has made quite
a big impression how such a big
country can have such a big thrust
towards science. On the last day
I also met with the students. We
saw how eager they were and
they were asking the President
of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
questions, who was answering
with such vigour and enthusiasm.
I was pleased to see this kind of
support for science in India.
Mr. Minister, you spoke about
companies from Slovenia
and India. I believe you are
Slovenia in Focus
12
And you also spoke of scientists
co-operating with each other.
Of course, this is the usual thing.
This kind of exchange of scientists
happens all the time. In 2006
we opened the possibility that
any young researcher we give
the money to the best people
in Slovenia. We offer each year
about 250 such fellowships and
these researchers then apply from
advertisements on the internet.
The fellowship is for about four
years. This is not just salary but
also some money for research.
So researchers are very eager to
obtain these fellowships. There
is strong competition; for 250
fellowships we got about 700
applications.
"We want to have
an agreement
where not only the
scientists would
collaborate but we
want to encourage
the companies as
well to join in the
collaboration."
Dr. Zupan you are also the
Minister of Higher Education
and I see more and more
EU countries are attracting
students from India, but
I do not see them here in
Slovenia.
That is mostly because of the
language barrier. Language is
one of the Slovenia’s highly
prized treasures. We are a very
small nation and the Slovenian
language is one of those things
that we cherish from the 10th
century. And the Slovenian
language is one of those things
that it is very hard to say anything
against. As a result all Slovenian
universities are obliged to teach
in the Slovenian language but as
I know young students can learn
Chinese or any other language, so
we have a lot of Indian students
who before they start their course
spend half a year learning the
Slovenian language. Of course
for the researchers, this is not
so much of a problem because
all the persons that they interact
will know English. They may
have a problem in examinations
but you can always make an
arrangement with the Professor. I
have myself had foreign students
when I was a professor and I
have communicated in English
with them.
Mr. Minister, on the side
lines of the EU-India Science
Conference you also met
Mr. Sontosh Mohan Dev, the
Minister of Heavy Industries.
MINISTER'S INTERVIEW
Is there going to be business
in heavy industrial areas?
I was not authorised because you
see I am not a Minister for Heavy
Industry. So we just had a very
nice talk and I mentioned the
kind of agreement that companies
can enter into. So now it depends
on the company. If it is a heavy
industry company that has
scientific problems these can be
solved. Any industry that has this
kind of agreement can look for a
Slovenian counterpart a university
or institution and propose their
project. And on the basis of a
mutual committee we will decide
which project or company will
get money.
much time. We visited National
Physical Laboratory where we
had a very fruitful discussion with
Dr. Vikram Kumar, Director of the
Laboratory and his colleagues.
The visit to the institute was
very interesting for me, as I
am a physicist. We also had
a useful meeting with Prof.
Vishwanatah Sinha, Director of
which is not in the hands of
scientists. It is in the hands of
politicians and much more in
the hands of industry. It is here
where big money comes in. The
first thing is that yet not all
companies and all governments
believe that global warming is
humanly caused. This is not
yet fully understood because
Can we look for R & D centres
in Slovenia in future including
from Indian companies?
"Agriculture is
important for two
aspects. One is of
course food which
we all need and
the other is energy.
We have many
plans that can be
transformed as a
renewable source of
energy. That is now
one of the important
topics in Europe."
No problem. Our administration
is a little tough, but we are doing
certain steps so that there will
be no administrative problems.
They are welcome. We do not
have any problem if any Indian
company would like to establish a
research and development centre
in Slovenia.
Mr. Minister, you also had the
opportunity to visit some of
India’s scientific and industrial
centres.
Unfortunately we didn’t have that
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology,
Dr. Jure Zupan, Ph.D. being welcomed by Dr. Vikram Kumar,
Director of National Physical Laboratory in February 2007 at New Delhi
the LNM Institute of Information
Technology. Incidentally, he is
the first Indian citizen, who in
1971 received a doctorate degree
in Slovenia.
I was also impressed by the
efficiency of the Centre for Science
& Technology of the Non-Aligned
and other developing countries
headed by the Prof. Arun P.
Kulshreshtha, Director of the
Centre.
One last question, you are
the Minister of Science. Is
science failing to control global
warming?
Science is controlling global
warming in the manner that
they are monitoring it. But how
to control it is another question
some say that it might be a local
variation of thousand of years
of climate. But there is strong
evidence of the last 50 years that
something has gone wrong. We
hope that all governments will
somehow come to the conclusion
that it is necessary to act together.
Because global weather does not
recognize boundaries. It does
not matter whether it is India or
Pakistan; the weather goes all
over. From India to the Middle
East to Europe. Cyclones go from
Europe to United States or viceversa. We are all responsible.
The role of science is to collect
exclusive evidence that this is
caused by man.
Photos: Ministry of Higher
Education, Science & Technology
13
Slovenia in Focus
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Maribor’s Transport Logistics Centre
and Spas Beckon Indian Investors
Franc Kangler, Mayor of Maribor highlights the attractions of his city for
Indian investors to Harun Riaz
airport and if it’s in winter in 30
minutes time you can already be
skiing or taking a swim in the
nearby health resort. And you
only need another hour to visit
some interesting sites around
Maribor or perhaps take a swim
in any of the numerous health
resorts. And if your question
is what’s on offer to a foreign
investor, it’s either investment in
the cargo transport logistics centre
or in tourism.
Franc Kangler, Mayor of Maribor
S
o what is in Maribor
which can attract Indian
companies? What are the
main features of investment
and business possibilities of
Maribor?
There are several business and
economic zones existing in
Maribor which can be interesting
potentially for Indian companies
and their investments. What is
particularly important here is that
Maribor lies at the intersection of
the coridor 10th and 5th transport
corridor. It lies at an intersection
between East and West and North
and South. And we are aware of
this geographical location. And
this is why we are planning to
build a land based transport
logistics centre at Maribor airport.
So it is not only interesting for the
European continent but also for
Slovenia in Focus
14
other continents. And we wish
to develop cargo transport. And
build the biggest cargo transport
logistics centre in central Europe.
Why? Because the Port of Koper
is only two hours away from
Maribor airport by road or rail. It
is 30 minutes to Graz in Austria
and two and a half hours to
Vienna. Both Zagreb and Sarajevo
are an hour away and two and a
half hours to Belgrade. And we
have to exploit this opportunity.
And foreign investors have huge
investment potential here in
Maribor. And we can spread the
cargo transport network in the
Balkans in the north and the east
and the west. Maribor is also a
tourist centre in both summer and
winter. The airport is only eight
kilometres away from city centre.
And as a tourist you land at the
In how many years the cargo
transport logistics system
as well as the expansion of
the Maribor airport will be
ready?
The infrastructure at the airport
is state-owned. And projects
are currently being prepared to
extend the runway by 800 metres
from the current 3200 metres to
allow the biggest cargo aircraft to
land. The land where this logistics
is going to be located is currently
agricultural land. And we are
currently preparing, together with
the state authorities, to convert
this land from agricultural to
one which can be constructed
“It lies at an
intersection between
East and West and
North and South.
And this is why
we are planning to
build the biggest
cargo transport
logistics centre in
central Europe.”
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
upon. So depending on how
quickly the documents will be
prepared I expect that with in
two to four years construction
will start. The more there will
be aircraft landing at the airport
the quicker the expansion of the
centre will be. So the interest is
huge, especially from the side of
the foreign investors because this
is the cheapest way to reach the
European market as our airport
taxes and landing fees are also
the cheapest.
Slovenia's popular wellness
centres in India?
This is true and perhaps it is
our fault that there is a lack of
promotion in India. Whereas
on the other hand all our health
resorts, spas and wellness centres
are completely full both in summer
There is one in Maribor and you
can choose between more or less
chillies in your food.
One last question, when
Indians will start coming
to Maribor how easy or
As a result Maribor airport is
interesting both for the corporate
sector and tourists.
There are several hot mineral
springs in the region and these
sites are suited for the construction
of new health resorts. So, for
example an Indian company or
investor may construct such a
health resort. We currently have
three such unexploited mineral
springs. And these are only 20
kilometres from the Maribor
airport.
Is the mayor of Maribor, or
the city of Maribor going
to involve JAPTI and the
Slovenian Tourist Organisation
in the promotion of Maribor as
a new investment centre in
Slovenia?
Maribor has good relationships
with both the Public Agency
for Entrepreneurship and
Foreign Investments (JAPTI) and
Slovenian Tourist Board. And I
am personally acquainted with
Mr. Jan Stanovnik and Mr. Dmitri
Piciga who is the Director General
of Tourism which is part of the
ministry of economy. And with
their support we have already
carried out activities which have
proved beneficial to our city.
So, I can say that the relations
between Maribor and the two
organisations you mentioned are
good.
How do you plan to deal with
the lack of awareness about
“There are several hot mineral springs in
the region and these sites are suited for the
construction of new health resorts. So, for
example an Indian company or investor
may construct such a health resort.”
and winter. The guests here
are mainly from Germany and
Italy. This could be seen as an
opportunity for Indians to invest
in capacity building here. I would
like to stress once again that these
are healing waters; for example
Dobrna Spa is meant for women
and the problems of getting
pregnant.
As a journalist whenever I go
to other European countries I
notice that more and more Indian
restaurants are being opened
and they are liked by Europeans
because of the chilli factor. It’s
very chilli food. For some people
it’s bad but for a lot of people it’s
good. However, I don’t see Indian
restaurants in Maribor.
difficult it is for Indians as
people from Asia to live in
Maribor?
It’s simple. Many Arabs do come.
They like our landscape. The
green Pohorje mountain range.
Or a mountain range covered
in snow. The Drava River. The
wine-growing region. We have
excellent wines here. We have
excellent cuisine. And I am sure
as the British are coming once
and returning and some even
stay forever. There has been
an increasing trend of British
families purchasing real estate in
Slovenia.
Photos: Harun Riaz
www.maribor.si
15
Slovenia in Focus
Janez Pipan, General Manager &
Artistic Director of the theatre,
photo by Ziga Koritnik
SNG Drama Building, photo by Branko Pilih
The Slovene National
Theatre Drama
T
he tradition of the Slovene
National Theatre Drama
Ljubljana (SNG Drama
Ljubljana) goes back to year 1867
when the Slovene Drama Society
(Slovensko dramaticno drustvo)
staged the first performance in
Slovene language. The theatre
has had the status of the central
national theatre since World
War I. Today it is one of the
three Slovene national theatres
(together with the Slovene National
Drama Theatres in Maribor and
Nova Gorica). It is founded and
financed directly by the state.
With a permanent ensemble of
45 professional actors, 12 retired
members who participate in
productions regularly and more
than 30 contract associates and
student actors, SNG Drama is the
central and the biggest theatre in
Slovenia, staging 10 to 14 new
productions each year.
Like most Slovene theatres, SNG
Drama Ljubljana is a repertory
theatre, the programme consisting
Slovenia in Focus
16
of 20 to 30 different performances.
During the season, there are two
shows on the programme each
evening, one on the main stage
and one on the small stage. Some
shows are performed on special
locations. The theatre offers more
than 400 performances annually
and hosts almost 100,000
theatregoers. Most of them are
from Ljubljana, a third, however,
come from other parts of Slovenia
or see the performances on tour.
About 40 per cent of all spectators
are students (high-school and
university).
SNG Drama Ljubljana also tours
abroad, especially the international
festivals (in Macedonia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Germany,
Austria, Great Britain, USA,
Romania, Sweden, Italy, Portugal,
Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic,
Korea, Hungary, Montenegro,
Slovak Republic, France, Serbia
etc.). There is an on-going
exchange of performances with
a number of theatres from both
Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Directed by Mile Korun
ART & CULTURE
Brian Friel's Translations,
Directed by Zvone Sedlbauer
Moliere's School for Wives, Directed by Mateja Koleznik
Sarah Kane's Cleansed,
Directed by Jernej Lorenci
Slovenia and the neighbouring
countries. SNG Drama Ljubljana
is also a member of ETC, the
European Theatre Convention.
An extensive programme booklet
is published for each première.
The booklet offers information on
the artists and the production and
includes critical essays by Slovene
and foreign authors along with
some general information about
the play and some theatre news
from abroad. In the case of a first
performance of a Slovene work
or the first Slovene production of
foreign works, the complete text of
the play is included as well.
As a Slovene national theatre,
SNG Drama pays special attention
to works by Slovene authors, both
classical and contemporary.
However, Slovene theatre being
very modern and open to the
world, SNG Drama also stages
Moliere's The Impostures of Scapin, Directed by Boris Cavazza
world classics. A major part of the
programme, however, is devoted
to contemporary works by foreign
authors, staged in Slovenia for
the first time. Apart from the best
Slovene directors SNG Drama
also employs directors from the
younger generations to introduce
fresh approaches, and a number
of visitors from abroad. The
programme is often spiced up
with interesting avant-garde,
alternative and experimental
projects.
Since 1994, the theatre has been
managed by Janez Pipan (Artistic
Director & General Manager), a
prominent theatre director of the
middle generation.
Photos: SNG Drama
17
Slovenia in Focus
Mitja Rotovnik
General Manager
Gallus Hall
Cankarjev Dom, Cultural and
Congress Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia
The Indian cultural troupe
– Last Nomads of Rajasthan
– performed at Cankarjev Dom
in October 2006.
C
ankarjev Dom (CD) believes
that cultural, artistic and
scientific creativity meets
the basic condition for attaining
spiritual freedom and richer
spiritual lives of people and social
development.
Our cultural and congress centre
presents, produces, co-produces,
organises and provides cultural
and artistic, congress and
other events, state ceremonies,
exhibitions and festivals. Since
CD is mostly a cultural centre,
over two thirds of the available
halls are reserved for culture and
the arts, annually.
Slovenia in Focus
18
ART & CULTURE
its versatile cultural, artistic and
scientific events of internationally
resounding character. CD believes
that Ljubljana is compelling
enough as regards its history,
tourism and culture to become one
of the most significant European
cultural and congress centres.
Cankarjev dom is determined to
retain its key role in expressing the
culture and the arts in Slovenia.
This cultural centre will endeavour
to continue engaging the finest
artists and ensembles from all
over the world and to be involved
in international artistic coproductions of performance art.
It will aspire to remain the most
appropriate venue for celebrating
momentous events in the history of
Slovenes and numerous other state
and diplomatic ceremonies.
Ethno Festival – a musical performance from Africa at Cankarjev Dom
With its programme CD has
been attempting at enriching the
quality of lives, to form, foster
and effectuate cultural and wider
national identity and educate
young people in culture and the
arts.
CD cooperates with similar
cultural institutions at home
and abroad in the realisation
of contemporary cultural and
artistic projects. It has been
endeavouring to contribute to the
openness of the capital city with
CD is intent on retaining its key
role as a central Slovene congress
centre with the highest number
of international congresses and
a mobile group of professional
congress organisers in other
Slovene congress venues.
Article & Photos: Cankarjev Dom
www.cd-cc.si
Peter I. Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker; Directed and choreographed by Youri Vamos; Photo: Rober Balen – CD
19
Slovenia in Focus
ECONOMY
Slovenia:
Attractive
Investment
Destination
S
mall countries need an
introduction even if their
track record is excellent as in
the case of Slovenia. Over 30 years
of sound economic performance
led to Slovenia’s special position
in former Yugoslavia where thanks
to open borders foreign trade was
far ahead of other countries in
central and south-eastern Europe.
Foreign investors were quick
to recognise the geostrategic
advantages of the country nestled
between the Alpine peaks and the
blue waters of the Adriatic Sea,
so important for the development
of Slovenia’s only cargo port.
Renowned corporate names
such as Bayer, IBM, Microsoft,
Renault, Siemens - to mention just
a few - paved the way for Bosch,
Danfoss, Goodyear, Henkel,
Novartis .... Open-mindedness
and a readiness to embrace
changes, combined with labour
flexibility and commitment have
proved to be a winning formula
for attracting investors from the
field of services.
Revoz – Renault production plant in Novo Mesto
and its people are deeply involved
with international developments
– both political and economic.
One would expect such a dynamic
country so often quoted as a role
model for transition countries in
the south-eastern Europe, to have
high FDI inflows. Analysts have
identified a number of reasons for
Slovenia’s low FDI stock and the
Slovenian government has taken
the necessary action to attract
foreign investors. The necessary
laws have been adopted to
facilitate leasing and acquisition
of land for industrial purposes, to
cut the red tape and encourage
entrepreneurship by simplifying
administrative procedures and
easing the tax burden.
The invitation to potential
foreign investors is coming from
the highest government level
and JAPTI - Public Agency for
Entrepreneurship and Foreign
Investments as the implementing
body provides a comprehensive
range of free investor services
including practical advice,
professional assistance and last
but not the least an extensive
database of companies in all
sectors of the economy. By
pursuing a pro-active stance to
marketing Slovenia as a location
of choice for FDI, JAPTI has
launched a campaign aimed at
informing handpicked companies
of the benefits of investing in
Slovenia built on the platform of
the Government Programme 200713 and incentives to be made
available to foreign investors.
Source: JAPTI
www.investslovenia.org
The international recognition of
Slovenia’s successes “across the
board” came in 2004 with its
accession to the European Union
and adoption of the European
single currency in January 2007 as
the only country of 12 new Member
States. Slovenia’s membership
of a number of leading world
organisations (WTO, NATO) and
its forthcoming presidency of the
EU in the first half of 2008, sends
a clear message that the country
Slovenia's machining and metalworking
Slovenia in Focus
20
BUSINESS PROFILE
F
Farmachem Group
armachem SA Machineries & Marketing was established in Switzerland in the year
1983 with the aim of providing Marketing / Consulting services to the International
Pharmaceutical Industry world wide. Over the years, it has earned a reputation for
itself as a reliable partner for various API as well as Finished Dosage Forms producers
world wide as their distributor of choice to Generic Companies.
Farmachem Group is managed by professionals with vast experience in Pharmaceutical
Industry thereby bringing with them a rich experience in the fields of Intellectual Property,
Regulatory, Research as well as commercial fields for their business partners.
Today Farmachem group is actively involved in the following fields : Development of Dossiers for formulations / DMFs in CTD formats for APIs
 Contract Research / Custom Synthesis projects
 Strategic sourcing of APIs / FDFs for their partners world wide
 Contract Manufacturing Projects
Farmachem Group has its own offices / affiliates in Italy, Czech, Croatia, Iran, Ukraine,
Russia, India and Venezuela with their Corporate Head Quarters at Mendrisio in Switzerland.
Having a geographically well spread offices gives the group the advantage of reaching
out to their business partners easily and the knowledge of local culture and language
ensures business transactions are carried out smoothly.
With India emerging as one of the most strategically important supply base to International
Pharmaceutical Industry, the Group set up their subsidiary (Farmachem SA India Pvt Ltd)
in India in the year 1999. Over the last 8 years, the Indian subsidiary has emerged as one
of the group’s most important entity contributing major share of the group’s business.
CONTACT DETAILS
FARMACHEM SA M&M,
Via Rime 38,
6850, Mendrisio,
SWITZERLAND,
Ph : 0041 91 9111000
Fax : 0041 91 9111009
E-mail : [email protected]
FARMACHEM SA INDIA PVT LTD.,
607, Saptagiri Towers,
1-10-75/1/1 to 6,
Begumpet, Hyderabad – 500 016, INDIA
Ph : 0091 40 27764029
Fax : 0091 40 27762008
E-mail : [email protected]
BILATERAL TIES
Slovenia – India Trade
A synopsis of the current bilateral trade and investment by
Sabina Kolesa, M.Sc., Director General, Ministry of Economy
Main export products of 2006
• Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen
heteroatoms (21.2 per cent)
• Rolled stainless steel sheet more than 600 mm
wide (10.6 per cent)
• Plastic sheet material (7.6 per cent)
• Instruments, apparatuses, devices for
measuring and checking (7.3 per cent)
• Rods and sections of alloy steel (6.6 per
cent)
• other products for the chemical industry (5.1
per cent).
Sabina Kolesa, M.Sc.
Director General, Ministry of Economy
Main exporters in 2006
TRADE IN GOODS
India is one of Slovenia’s most important trading
partners in Asia. In 2006, the total trade in goods
between the two countries amounted to EUR 84.7
million, representing only 0.2 per cent of total
Slovenian international trade in goods. It is still
far below the potential possibilities for cooperation
between the countries.
In the area of trade in goods, both imports and exports
are on the increase. In 2006, Slovenia exported goods
to India totalling EUR 31.9 million, or 79 per cent
more than in 2005. In 2006, Slovenia imported goods
from India totalling EUR 52.8 million, or 11 per cent
more than in the previous year.
In 2006, India, with its 0.02 per cent of total Slovenian
exports, is ranked 41st among the countries to which
Slovenia exported in that year; concerning imports,
India, with its 0.3 per cent of Slovenian imports,
is ranked 32nd among the countries from which
Slovenia imported in 2006.
Table 1: Trade in goods between Slovenia and
India by year (EUR million)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
I
06/05
Exports
18.8
24.6
17.2
17.8
31.9
179
Imports
33.9
25.0
42.3
47.6
52.8
111
Total
52.7
49.6
59.5
65.4
84.7
129
-15.1
-0.4
-25.1
-29.8
-20.9
70
Balance
Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (exports
by destination country, imports by country of origin and since
2003, by country of consignment).
Slovenia in Focus
22
Lek d.d., Acroni Jesenice d.o.o., Metal Ravne d.o.o.,
AGB LAB d.o.o., Portoroz, Plama –Pur d.d., Podgrad,
Radece papir, d.d., Iskraemeco, d.d., Eti d.d., PGP
Trzic d.o.o., Melamin d.d. Kocevje.
Main importers of 2006
• Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen
heteroatoms (33.7 per cent)
• Heterocyclic compounds with oxygen
heteroatoms (9.8 per cent)
• Antibiotics (8.2 per cent)
• Ferro-alloys (7.8 per cent)
• Nucleic acids and their salts (6 per cent)
• Bed linen, table linen, toilet linen and kitchen
linen (3.5 per cent).
Main importers in 2006
Krka d.d. Novo Mesto, Lek, d.d. Kovintrade d.d.
Celje, Alpina d.d. Ziri, Tosama d.d., Galex d.d., Beti
moda d.o.o., BPT Svilanit d.o.o., Milcom d.o.o. Koper,
Mercator-Emba, d.d.
SERVICES
Table 2: Services exchange between
Slovenia and India by year (EUR million)
2004
2005
2006
Exports
2.153
1.341
2.040
Imports
-1.485
-1.615
-2.212
Balance
0. 668
-0. 274
-0. 172
Source: Bank of Slovenia
BILATERAL TIES
The share of foreign
investment in Slovenia
to its GDP is slowly but
steadily increasing. In
2005, the share of foreign
investment in GDP
already amounted to
more than 20 per cent.
In the area of services, cooperation between the two
countries is also relatively modest. In the export of
services, transport services, construction services,
licences, computer and information services and state
services prevail. In the import of services, travels, and
state services prevail.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS (FDI)
Direct investments of the Republic of Slovenia in India
amounted to EUR 3.6 million in 2005.
Direct investments from India to Slovenia amounted
to EUR -0.1 million, i.e. the receivables exceed the
level of equity capital and payables (disinvestment).
This means that a Slovenian company established
with Indian capital has more receivables from the
parent company than the level of equity capital.
NLB, the largest Slovene international financial group
No data is available for 2006.
In the state of Tamil Nadu, southeast of Bangalore, in
the city of Trichy, Iskraemeco Kranj has a company
for the production of energy meters (with 51 per cent
equity holding and employing approximately 300
people), representing the first Slovenian investment
in India.
In India, four Slovenian companies have their own
representatives:
• Krka (Bangalore),
• Intertrade ITC (Mumbai),
• Olympia International Ljubljana (New Delhi)
and
• Luka Koper (representation of Globus Marine
Services Private Limited, New Delhi).
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR
INDIAN COMPANIES IN SLOVENIA
Foreign investments are one of the priorities of
the present Government and we are planning to
continue and strengthen activities which are aimed
to increase attractiveness of Slovenia as location for
foreign investments through promotion, services for
foreign investors and various incentives for foreign
investors. We would also like to mention that decision
on investment is a long term process and it will take
some time to see a full effect of our present activities
in this field.
The share of foreign investment in Slovenia to its GDP
is slowly but steadily increasing. In 2005, the share
of foreign investment in GDP already amounted to
more than 20 per cent.
We see a lot of positive impacts of foreign investments
to Slovenia such as the creation of new jobs, transfer
of knowledge and technology and others. Companies
which are at least partially owned by foreign investors
generally create higher added value per employee,
have a significant share of local suppliers and
are frequently ranked among the largest Slovene
exporters.
We expect further growth of FDI in the future also
taking into account the introduction of the euro and
23
Slovenia in Focus
BILATERAL TIES
the continuation of the privatisation process in some
sectors, interesting for foreign investors. Through
recent reforms of legislation in different fields (such as
tax reform) we aim to establish even more stimulating
environment for foreign investors.
Slovenia is an ideal location for foreign investment
with higher added value, since it has a highly
educated and productive workforce whereas it is
not very suitable for labour intensive investments
in comparison with other countries in the Central
and Eastern European region. One of the factors
influencing foreign investors not to invest in Slovenia
was also the size of the Slovene market but after our
membership in the EU Slovenia has become a part
of the much greater EU market.
An investor assesses all the advantages and
weaknesses of an individual country, whereby
Slovenia usually gets a lower assessment for labour
costs, in the price and availability of industrial land
and, also, our tax legislation is not competitive, even
though recent tax reforms improve that. Slovenia tries
partially to compensate for these weaknesses with
financial incentives for foreign direct investments,
Taking into account its
strategic position, historical
links and knowledge of foreign
languages, foreign companies
can also use Slovenia as a
jumping off point for the
markets of southeast Europe.
which run through Slovenia. We would additionally
highlight the importance of the Port of Koper as the
European port that enables the shortest maritime
link for countries of Central and Eastern Europe with
the countries of Southeast Asia. Precisely because of
these geographic advantages, foreign investors can
use Slovenia as a logistics and distribution centre for
Central and Eastern Europe.
Taking into account its strategic position, historical
links and knowledge of foreign languages, foreign
companies can also use Slovenia as a jumping off
point for the markets of southeast Europe. Their
investments in Slovenia, its being a EU member
and introducing the euro in the beginning of 2007,
would be safer and not exposed to such risks as if
a company decided on direct investment in the area
of the Balkans. At the same time, foreign investors
could also use the understanding of the markets of
southeast Europe that Slovene partners have.
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS
FDI to Slovenia by countries (as of 2005)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Austria 28.9 per cent
Switzerland 16.3 per cent
The Netherlands 10.6 per cent
France 8.7 per cent
Germany 8.6 per cent
Italy 5.7 per cent
Croatia 4.8 per cent.
FDI to Slovenia by industries (as of 2005)
Existing foreign investments to Slovenia are
predominantly in service sector, but we have some
very large investments in the fields of the automobile
industry (Renault), pharmaceuticals (Novartis or the
Sandoz Group), rubber (Goodyear) and the electro
industry (Siemens, Bosch).
• Financial agency 18.6 per cent
• Manufacture of chemical products 15.7 per
cent
• Other commercial activities 9.3 per cent
• Agency, wholesale trade 8.5 per cent
• Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
5.1 per cent
• Manufacture of paper and paper products 4.8
per cent
• Manufacture of motor vehicles, caravans and
trailers 4.3 per cent
• Supply of electricity, gas, steam 4.2 per cent
• Manufacture of machinery and equipment 4
per cent
• Retail trade (without motor vehicles) 2.9 per
cent.
Slovenia is investing a great deal in building
infrastructure, which will enable even faster links
with all parts of Europe, also using the advantages
offered by the 5th and 10th pan-European corridors,
In 2005, the Government founded the Public Agency
of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship
(JAPTI), which offers foreign investors comprehensive
support and assistance in investing in Slovenia. The
being in place since 2000, which reduce the entry
costs for foreign companies.
As sectors which could be on the grounds of available
knowledge and existing capacities of interest for
foreign investment, we would highlight the automobile
industry, tourism, power supply, ICT, R&D, chemical
and pharmaceutical industries, electronic and
electrical industries, logistics and distribution, and
other service and consultancy activities.
Slovenia in Focus
24
Slovene Railways
economic counsellors at our embassies abroad also
assist in this (there are currently 19).
The activities of internationalisation of the Slovene
economy, including foreign investments promotion,
will shortly be strengthened with the opening of
representative offices of the Slovene economy abroad,
in Milan, Düsseldorf, Istanbul and Bucharest, and in
the coming years we plan to open new representative
offices in relation to the needs of the Slovene
economy.
SLOVENIA – ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Population
Area
Capital
Currency
2,009,029
20,273 sq km
Ljubljana
Euro (EUR)
GDP (2006 estimate)
€29.7bn
GDP (2005)
€27.4bn
GDP real growth rate (2006
estimate)
5.2%
GDP real growth rate (2005)
4.0%
Inflation (end of the year 2005)
2.3%
Inflation (end of the year 2006
estimate)
2.8%
*Source: Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development,
2007
The proposal was made to India to take advantage of
the opportunities offered by the Ministry of the Economy
of the Republic of Slovenia or the Public Agency for
Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investment (PAEFI) (in
2007) within the public invitation to tender to promote
foreign direct investments. The Decree on financial
incentives for foreign direct investments (hereinafter:
decree) was published in the Official Gazette of the
Republic of Slovenia on February 9, 2007, and it was
notified to the EC as state aid scheme.
In the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia
No 39/2007 of May 4, 2007, the Public Agency for
Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investment published
a public invitation to tender to promote foreign direct
investments in 2007 and 2008 (total value of tendered
funds accounts for approx. SIT 1.4 billion or EUR
5,842,000, whereas in 2008, approx. SIT 660 million
or EUR 2,754,131 – 80 per cent of this value).
The content of the public tender stems from the Decree
taking into consideration the EC guidelines for regional
state aid, whereas the decree itself contains Article
22 laying down the possibility of allocating financial
incentives without public tender, but only in exceptional
investments of national significance (consent given by
the Government of the Republic of Slovenia).
Photos: Government Communications Office,
Republic of Slovenia
25
Slovenia in Focus
ECONOMY REVIEW
Slovenia
Your Business Partner
Natasa Turk, Area Manager, of the Chamber of Commerce
and Industry of Slovenia provides an outline of the
Slovenian economy
S
lovenia was the first Yugoslav republic which
declared free elections in the spring of 1990. The
country opted for its independence in December
1990 and declared independence, supported by a
great majority of population, on June 25, 1991.
from a regional economy to a national economy.
Entering the euro area in 2007 has been the most
important step for Slovenia towards becoming
a modern, advanced and competitive European
economy since the EU accession in 2004.
First years of independence were tough, especially
for business entities. Previously, more than 60% of
Slovenia’s production was sold to the markets of
other republics of former Yugoslavia and suddenly
those markets were lost overnight, because of the
independence conflict. Through diligent efforts
and reconstruction of the economy, the country
managed to overcome the tough times. Slovenia is
now a prosperous country, with a good economic
potential.
The GDP growth was sustainable in the last decade,
meaning 4 per cent on average. The Slovenian
economy flourished in the run-up to the euro
adoption. In the year 2006, the economy grew at
5.2 per cent in real terms year-on-year. Along with
an impressive build-up of investments and moderate
private consumption, exports were the major impulse
to GDP growth.
Changes in the Slovenian economy might be
illustrated by the following figures: in 1991 there
were only 3,000 companies registered, while today
the number of registered companies is over 65,000
and 98 % of those companies are dynamic small
and medium sized companies, most of them private
owned. The State still owns important shares in rail
transport, telecommunications, energy sectors and
some strategic companies through so called Capital
and Compensation funds.
What are the achievements of Slovenian economy,
16 years after its independence?
The economy has gone through basic transitions: from
a centrally planned economy to a market economy,
Slovenia in Focus
26
According to the Eurostat’s latest forecast of January
2007, Slovenia is seen to achieve 84 per cent of the
EU25 average GDP per capita by purchasing power
parity and was ranked 16th among the Member
States.
Slovenian exports and imports of goods and services
in 2006 surpassed 41 billion Euros. Foreign trade is
balanced; exports contribute 68 per cent of GDP.
In fact, Slovenia is one of the most export-oriented
countries in Europe.
The inflation rate was kept low in the last four years
and reached 2.5 per cent in 2006.
The unemployment rate remains below the EU
average. According to ILO standards, it was 6.2 per
cent in 2006.
ECONOMY REVIEW
The analysis GDP real growth rates reveal that for the
most of the past 10 years Slovenian GDP growth was
as twice as high as the EU average. The forecasts for
forthcoming years remain optimistic in that aspect.
A glimpse at the general economic structure reveals
that service sector represents over 62.5 per cent of the
Slovenian GDP. The manufacturing sector contributes
35 per cent – out of that industry contributes 30 per
cent and construction five per cent. The agricultural
sector contributes less than three per cent of the
Slovenian GDP.
Metal, textile, shoe-making and wood industry have
a long industrial tradition in Slovenia. The main
manufacturing activities, which contribute a major
share to the overall value added today, are: metals
and metal products, especially automotive industry;
chemical industry, especially pharmaceutical
industry; electrical and optical equipment; machinery
and equipment and food processing industry which
is losing its pace due to European competition.
Paper and publishing industry is also very important,
followed by transport equipment, rubber, plastics,
textiles, and non-metallic mineral products.
As mentioned before, Slovenia is a very open,
competitive and export oriented country. The EU
market is the most important export market for
Slovenian exporters and accounts for 68.5 % of total
Slovenian exports. The countries of South East Europe
account for 18.4 % of total Slovenian exports, the
Russian Federation – 3.6 %, USA – 2.3 %, and India
0.2 %. These facts show rather low diversification
of Slovenian exports, a problem which should be
certainly addressed, soon.
80.3 % of imports come from the EU market, followed
by countries of South East Europe with 8.4%. Imports
from Russian Federation account 1.9%, from USA
1.0% and from India 0.3%.
The main product groups in trade are: motor cars
(Renault), parts and accessories for motor vehicles,
pharmaceuticals, furniture, refrigerators and freezers,
paper and paperboards, electric water heaters, new
pneumatic tires and carpentry products.
27
Slovenia in Focus
ECONOMY REVIEW
Our principal trade partners are Germany, Italy,
followed by Austria, Croatia and France. The most
important trade partner of Slovenia is Germany
with a 20 per cent share in the export and import
of goods.
countries and lately more and more to the Russian
Federation.
PROSPEROUS INDUSTRIAL SECTORS
Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
Slovenia’s most successful companies are in the
pharmaceuticals sector. They have excellent network
of offices and subsidiaries abroad and invest heavily
in R & D.
Their key products include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pharmaceutical formulations
Coatings, paints and varnishes
Tires and other rubber products
Basic chemicals
Plastic products
Fibres
Advanced and polymer materials
Let’s start with the chemical and pharmaceuticals
industry, reinforced by rubber and plastics it
represents 4.5 % of the entire Slovenian GDP and
21 % of value added in manufacturing industries.
20% of Slovenian exports is related to that industries
and also 20% of foreign direct investments is placed
in this sector.
The latest available official information on FDIs
in Slovenia shows that a year-end-stock of inward
foreign direct investment in Slovenia amounted close
to 6 billion Euros. 40% of investments come from
neighbouring countries, meaning Austria, Italy and
Croatia, followed by Switzerland – mostly due to a
takeover in the pharmaceutical industry, Netherlands,
France, Germany and Belgium.
The latest available official information on Slovenian
FDIs abroad shows that a year-end-stock of Slovenian
investments abroad is almost 3 billion Euros. The
most preferred investment destinations for Slovenian
companies are countries of former Yugoslavia, where
Slovenian companies maintain good economic
position and enjoy a status of desirable business
and investment partners. Close to 57 per cent of
Slovenian investments abroad are placed in that
region. Investments are made with the intention
of developing trade and distribution networks,
manufacturing facilities and services. Important
investment destinations are also to some “old” EU
Slovenia in Focus
28
In general, the most successful Slovenian companies
are based in this sector – especially in the field of
pharmaceuticals. Typical is very well developed
network of offices and subsidiaries abroad. As
said, Slovenian chemical and rubber industry is
quite internationalised, not only in terms of foreign
trade and inward investments but also in terms of
outward FDIs. Companies have established their
own production units in Romania, Poland, Russian
Federation and other courtiers, including former
Yugoslavia. One of the reasons for success is off
course high level of investment in research and
development.
The main products, also present in exports, are
pharmaceuticals, paints, tires, basic chemicals, plastic
products, products from polymer materials and manmade fibres.
Electrical & Electronic Equipment
Electrical & Electronic Equipment manufacturing has
a long tradition in Slovenia. Its key competencies
lie in R&D and production. This sector is well
established in European markets and beyond and
has good experience in value added-supply chain
industry. This sector also invests a lot abroad. Not
only representative offices but also production units
are organized in former Yugoslavia, Czech republic,
Spain, Poland, Belarus, Russian Federation, USA,
ECONOMY REVIEW
China, India, even Ecuador and Iran. It’s quite clear
that industry has experience in value added-supply
chains and can provide “blue-print” solutions - tailor
made for specific users. Being in such a good shape,
the industry attracts considerable interest of foreign
investors, such as Siemens, Danfoss and others.
Their key products include:
• Household appliances
• Electronic and electro-mechanical
components
• Electrical motors, transformers
• Telecommunications equipment
• Electricity power meters
• Electrical and electronic components for
automotive industry
Metal Processing
The economic activity which makes up to a quarter
of exports of entire Slovenian industry is the metal
processing industry. The average share of exports
in its total sales amounts to 62 per cent. The most
important export markets of the metal processing
industry are Germany, France, Italy and Austria,
followed by Croatia, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Serbia & Montenegro, Poland, Great Britain, Hungary,
Russia, Switzerland and Czech Republic.
The metal industry experienced its greatest
development in the 1960s and 1970s and suffered a
lot after the break-up of the traditional Yugoslavian
markets. In 1990s they adopted their production,
technical regulations and environmental standards
to western European markets. The Slovenian metal
processing industry has been facing prosperity again
from 1995 onwards.
This industry is especially competitive in market
niches such as special machinery and metal products.
The flexible production enables them to meet
special requirements and demands. Due to high
quality professional staff the industry can act as a
development-intensive supplier to the leading EU
and world automobile industry companies, machine
building and construction.
There are three main industries included in metal
processing activities: metalworking – meaning
manufacturing of metal products, the manufacturing
of (non-electrical) machinery and equipment and
manufacturing of transport equipment or better
vehicle components.
Automotive Cluster of Slovenia - ACS
Interests of Slovenian automotive supplier industry
are represented by the association of automotive
suppliers and motor vehicles manufacturers – the
Automotive Cluster of Slovenia. The cluster was
established in 2001 by 12 members and today
operates as an open network of 54 members including
seven faculties and R&D institutions. By establishing
of the “Polycentric Technology Centre”, the cluster
aims to become an innovative association involved
in global research and development.
The tradition of the industry goes way back to the
end of 18th century when first cars were driven in
Ljubljana and first auto repair shop opened. The
serial production of cars began already in 1906 by
engineer Janez Puh aka Johann Puch, whose surname
is still kept in famous Austrian car production factory
(Daimler-Chrysler-Puch). Large bus and truck
production also took place very early. Although those
productions were abolished during the transition
period, the production of Renault cars which started
in early 1960s and was taken over by French in
1970s remained. Today REVOZ-Renault is the biggest
Slovenian exporter and importer.
Eighty per cent of the sales of the cluster, which is
1.5 billion euros, are directed to exports. Indicative of
their orientation towards research and development
is the fact that 2000 employees out of 17,000 are
registered researchers.
The main activities of the members of the cluster are
production of automobile seats, car body parts and
mechanical, electrical and electronic components
for engines. We could also say that cluster is
“producing” new technologies, for example in the area
of robotisation, microelectronics and mechatronics
components. The term mechatronics describes a
convergence of metals, other materials, electronics
and information technologies.
The main markets of the Slovenian automotive
suppliers industry are Germany, France, Italy, Austria,
United Kingdom and USA. Their list of customers
includes VW, BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Opel, Audi,
MAN, Ford, PSA, Renault, Fiat, Magna Steyer and
so on.
Information & Communication Technology
(ICT)
ICT is a relatively new economic branch, characterised
by intensive development. Companies belonging to
this activity come from different fields. In respect
of ICT Slovenia qualifies as one of more highly
developed countries. In Slovenia there are more than
2000 ICT companies registered and two per cent of the
active population is involved in the activity. The last
available data show, that the Slovenian ICT market
is growing in all respects faster than the average.
The growth of the ICT sector in 2003 surpassed five
per cent.
29
Slovenia in Focus
ECONOMY REVIEW
The sector can roughly be divided into production
and selling of hardware, office equipment,
software, information technology services and
telecommunication services. Slovenian ICT companies
are mostly service providers, with the strongest sector
being telecommunications. Slovenia incidentally,
has one of the highest mobile phone penetrations
worldwide at 93 per cent.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS OF THE REPUBLIC
OF SLOVENIA
YEAR
EXPORTS
VALUE
000 EUR
IMPORTS
VALUE
000 EUR
TOTAL
VALUE
000 EUR
1996
9,002
12,351
21,354
1997
9,620
15,785
25,406
1998
9,540
17,255
26,795
1999
8,695
19,932
28,627
2000
18,217
24,334
42 ,551
2001
16,758
34,190
50,949
2002
18,828
33,996
52,824
2003
24,632
39,307
5.
7228 other bars and rods of other alloy
6.
3824 prepared binders for foundry
moduls
7.
4810 paper and paperboard
8.
9028 electric meters
9.
3003 medicaments, not for retail sale
10.
2934 other heterocyclic compounds
Imports
Rank
CODE
GROUP OF PRODUCTS /**
1.
2933
heterocyclic compounds
2.
2932
heterocyclic compounds
3.
2941
antibiotics
4.
7202
ferro-alloys
5.
2934
other heterocyclic compounds
6.
6302
bed linen, table linen, toilet linen
7.
4112
leather further prepared after tanning
or crusting
63,939
8.
2921
amine-function compounds
0901
coffee
2935
sulphonamides
2004
17,215
*42,325
59,540
9.
2005
17,843
47,649
65,492
10.
2006
31,907
52,834
84,741
• Note that Slovenia has entered the EU on May
1, 2004 and took over new methodology of data
collection. Therefore data on import value for
the year 2004 is not directly comparable with
data for the time before the year 2004.
** Names of product groups are made on the basis
of 4 digit TARIC codes. A complete specification of
TARIC code is available on http://europa.eu.int/comm/
taxation_customs/dds/cgi-bin/tarchap?Lang=EN
Major Importers and Exporters of 2006
Exporters
SLOVENIA-INDIA
Exports
Rank CODE
GR OUP OF PRODUCTS /**
1.
LEK D.D., LJUBLJANA
2.
ACRONI, D.O.O., JESENICE
3.
METAL RAVNE D.O.O., RAVNE NA
KOROSKEM
4.
AGB LAB D.O.O., Portoroz, PIRAN
5.
PLAMA-PUR D.D. PODGRAD, ILIRSKA
BISTRICA
6.
RADECE PAPIR, D.D., RADECE
7.
ISKRAEMECO, D.D., KRANJ
8.
ETI D.D., ZAGORJE OB SAVI
9.
PGP TRZIC, D.O.O., TRZIC
10.
MELAMIN d.d. Kocevje, KOCEVJE
Importers
1.
2932 heterocyclic compounds
1.
KRKA, D.D., NOVO Mesto
2.
7219 flat-rolled prod of stainless steel
2.
LEK D.D., LJUBLJANA
3.
3921 other plates, sheets of plastics
3.
KOVINTRADE D.D. CELJE
4.
9031 measuring instruments and machines
4.
ALPINA, D.D., ZIRI
Slovenia in Focus
30
ECONOMY REVIEW
5.
TOSAMA D.D., DOMZALE
6.
GALEX D.D., MURSKA SOBOTA
7.
BETI MODA D.O.O., METLIKA
8.
BPT - SVILANIT D.O.O., KAMNIK
9.
MILCOM D.O.O., KOPER
10.
MERCATOR-EMBA, D.D., LJUBLJANA
***Note: Data for the last year are provisional.
6th Session of India-Slovenia Joint Committee Meeting and 5th
Session of India-Slovenia Joint Business Council organized by
FICCI in New Delhi, India on November 10, 2005
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
OF SLOVENIA (CCIS)
With over 150 years of tradition behind it, the Chamber
of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS)
represents the interests of Slovenia’s economy. The
country’s new Chambers of Commerce Act, adopted
in late 2006, introduced voluntary membership
of the CCIS, and provides a free market with all
the opportunities and challenges that such entails.
Concern for the interests of all our member companies
remains the primary objective of the CCIS’s 160
employees, the 26 branch associations and 13
regional chambers.
The CCIS provides accurate and up-to-date
information on:
• Slovenian companies
• Economic outlook in Slovenia
• Business environment and current economic
policy
• Foreign trade policies and procedures
• Statistical data and information
• Customs regimes
• Market data and research analyses
The International Co-operation Department of the
CCIS organizes seminars, business conferences
for incoming and outgoing business missions in
order to assist establishing business links between
businessmen from Slovenia and India.
The CCIS has signed MoUs with National Centre
for Trade Information, The Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry in the Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Indian
Merchant’s Chamber of Bombay.
Meeting of Mr. Tarun Das, Chief Mentor of the CII with
the Slovenian business community, organized by CCIS
in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 16, 2007
The CCIS can be contacted at:
Dimiceva 13, SI-1504 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Phone: +386 1 5898 000
E-mail: [email protected]
www.gzs.si/eng
31
Slovenia in Focus
AMBASSADOR'S INTERVIEW
Slovenia – India’s Door to Europe
H.E. Dr. Villur Sundararajan Seshadri, Ambassador of India to Slovenia
outlines the potential of India-Slovenia ties to Paul J. Menezes
in a written interview
S
lo ven ia is gen er ally
regarded as a gateway
to Eastern as well as
Western EU member states.
Could you elaborate on
how this would help Indian
exporters targeting the EU?
Slovenia could form an important
gateway for India to countries in
south eastern and central Europe.
On the one hand, the port of Koper
in Slovenia, which has expansion
plans, could provide an easier and
quicker access for India’s exports
to not only Slovenia but also to
all other neighbouring countries
which can be reached by road
or by rail within a matter of few
hours. This position could also get
further strengthened as Slovenia
embarks on its plans to expand
the rail and road infrastructures
to ensure speedier movement from
Koper to all these destinations.
Secondly, I notice that Slovenian
companies have a good presence
in some of the South-EastEuropean countries, where they
have subsidiaries, collaborative
ventures or representative tie-ups.
Trade and investment cooperation
between Indian and Slovenian
companies can, therefore, have a
potentially wider reach.
When is the next Government
level visit between the two
countries?
Several Governmental visits are
expected later this year. We are
hoping that as and when the
Chancery premises for the newly
established Embassy of India
becomes ready in Ljubljana, a high
level visitor from India will be able
to visit and formally inaugurate
the premises. Apart from this,
the Foreign Office Consultations
Slovenia in Focus
32
H.E. Dr. Villur Sundararajan Seshadri, Ambassador of India to Slovenia
between the two countries are
scheduled for 28th August, 2007,
when the Secretary in the Ministry
of External Affairs Mr. Nalin Surie
is expected to visit Slovenia.
Dates are also under discussion
for holding the next session of
the Joint Commission on Trade
and Economic Cooperation and
the Joint Commission on Science
and Technology both of which
are also expected to be held in
Slovenia later this year.
Imports from Slovenia though
still half of Indian exports
to that country, are growing
at more than four times the
rate of Indian exports. What
is your Embassy doing to
promote Indian products and
services in Slovenia?
Promoting greater trade and
technology and other economic
exchanges between the two
countries will be a key priority
for the Embassy. While the
existing trade levels in both
directions are encouraging, the
potential for expansion are much
more considering the various
opportunities available. Our
immediate task will be to make
businesses here become better
aware of the attractive trading
prospects that India presents
– both in terms of sourcing their
imports or for contracting their
services requirements. Investment
opportunities should also be of
interest for many of the investment
funds in Slovenia.
Moser Baer India recently
acquired a 40 per cent stake
in a Slovenia based firm. Are
there any India-Slovenia JVs in
the pipeline that you are aware
of? How does your Embassy
facilitate this activity?
Indian companies have yet to
build any significant investment
or business presence in Slovenia
and this again I think is due
to lack of adequate awareness
and familiarity among them
AMBASSADOR'S INTERVIEW
"Our immediate task will be to make
businesses here become better aware of
the attractive trading prospects that India
presents – both in terms of sourcing their
imports or for contracting their services
requirements."
about the trade and investment
opportunities available here. We
need to have greater exchange
of business delegations and
participation in business summits
by the two countries. For example,
it would be good if our businesses
can come and participate in the
major business events held here
including the one to be held in
November in the coastal town of
Portoroz which is being organized
by the Faculty of Economics
of Ljubljana University and
the ‘Finance’ daily newspaper.
Similarly it would be good if
some of the Slovene companies
can participate in the business
summits organized by CII, FICCI,
etc. in India.
What in your opinion are the
sectors that hold the most
promise for India-Slovenia
economic cooperation?
There are several areas that can
be of mutual interest. Sectors like
automobile components, steel,
chemical and pharmaceuticals,
bio-technology and IT are some of
them. Both countries also have a
strong interest in promoting SMEs
where some assistance may be
needed for facilitating contacts
among them. All these are areas
which, I am sure, will be addressed
by the Joint Commission on Trade
and Economic Cooperation when
it meets later this year in Ljubljana.
Science and Technology and
Research collaborations are
areas where reputed institutions
from the two sides, including
the Joseph Stephan Institute
and the National Institute for
Chemistry in Ljubljana and the
Indian Institutes of Technology
and Indian Institute of Science
are already in contact and these
can be further expanded. In
fact, eleven projects are already
under implementation and this
will come up for review when the
Joint Commission on Science and
Technology meets next, which is
expected to be held soon.
Travel to Slovenia from India
is circuitous at best, with
travellers often having to go
as far as Paris before catching
another flight into the country.
What moves are afoot to make
travel links easier and more
direct?
While direct flights, no doubt, can
be the most convenient and will
be a force multiplier in boosting
tourism, I am not sure, if we
need to wait for that to happen
for enhancing tourist travel
between India and Slovenia.
What is important, till we have
the volumes for a direct flight,
is to make the people of the two
countries become better aware
of the tourist attractions in the
two countries. Participation in
tourism promotion fairs, exchange
of cultural troupes and holding of
film festivals, facilitating shooting
of feature and other films in each
other’s countries and bringing
about more business travel can all
contribute to this process.
The International Centre for
Promotion of Enterprises
(ICPE) is located in Ljubljana.
How do you see ICPE’s role in
promoting greater interaction
between Indian and Slovenian
trade and industry?
ICPE has unfortunately run
into some difficult times and
is in immediate need of some
revival and revitalization. Mr.
Priyadarshi Thakur, its Director
General, is already taking some
initiatives towards enhancing its
scope of activities in collaboration
with reputed institutions and by
making it relevant to today’s
The Sariko shop in Ljubljana
AMBASSADOR'S INTERVIEW
context. The successful holding
of an International Conference
on Lending to SMEs for Bankers
by ICPE recently marks a good
beginning in this regard.
The Government of India is
committed to strengthening
ICPE and this is reflected in
the fact that India has recently
doubled its contribution to ICPE.
Furthermore, from my various
interactions here, my sense is that
Slovenia is also very interested in
seeing this International institution
located in Ljubljana grow in
structure and substance. I do
hope, therefore, that this process
of revival succeeds since ICPE
has not only very good potential
for enhancing interaction between
the businesses but also academic
and other institutions among all
its member countries including
India and Slovenia.
Indian universities and
institutes for higher learning
attract thousands of foreign
students every year. How
popular is India as an
education destination in the
minds of Slovenian students?
And what moves are afoot to
make travel links easier and
more direct?
Higher education is another area
that opens up vast possibilities. I
am happy to note that a Slovenian
student has just been offered,
and she has also accepted, a
scholarship by the Indian Council
for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to
undergo a masters’ programme
in Arts and Aesthetics in the
Jawaharlal Nehru University
in New Delhi for the academic
session 2007-08. The Mission will
also endeavour to make aware to
the Slovenian student community
about the programmes available
in our other universities and
institutes of higher learning.
How big is the Indian
community in Slovenia? And
what sectors are they mostly
concentrated in?
Slovenia in Focus
34
"It would be good
if our businesses
can come and
participate in the
major business
events held here
including the one to
be held in November
in the coastal town
of Portoroz"
There is a small Indian community
in Slovenia. Some among them are
professionals working for different
international companies or are
doctors or IT experts providing
software or other services. There
are also some who are involved
in trade and other businesses,
including in the promotion of
Indian handicrafts.
Are there adequate cultural
contacts between India
and Slovenia? How do you
intend forging closer cultural
cooperation?
This is very important in
promoting greater understanding
and awareness. At present, there is
paucity in the exchange of cultural
troupes, the holding of various
exhibitions of various forms of art
or in holding film festivals. These
need to be augmented. While
some Slovenian poets, scholars
and thinkers have focused on
India and there are also some
courses devoted to Indian studies
in Slovenia, there is great potential
for expanding them further.
Photos: Harun Riaz
A young Slovenian couple
enjoying an Indian meal
at Namaste an Indian
Restaurant in Ljubljana.
INSET: Vesna Dolinar (left),
owner of the restaurant
with her mother Koki Veber,
business woman in Slovenia
BUSINESS INTERVIEW
‘Port of Koper – the Better
Choice for India-EU Trade’
The Vice President of Luka Koper, Aldo Babic in a written
interview to Harun Riaz explains the importance of this port
to enhance cargo business between Slovenia and India
L
uka Koper Port is very
keen to attract container
cargo business from
India. Can you provide details
about this interest?
India, as one of the fastest
developing countries with fast
growing export and one of the most
favourite geographic locations,
intersecting busiest transport
routes is very interesting for our
port. At this moment most of the
cargo coming to Europe from
India is manipulated in Northern
Europe ports. With its location
and other advantages (hinterland
communications, effectiveness,
flexibility…) and of course its
plans for future development, we
think Koper is good alternative
for Northern ports.
What are the advantages, if
Indian business will use Luka
Koper for cargo transport?
Beside fast and reliable port
operations we see our main
advantage in the short transit
time from India, passing Suez,
to the Central Europe. Moreover,
good railway and road inland
connections of Koper to Central
Europe have equal importance.
Can you provide figures or
statistics on existing business
from India at Luka Koper?
In last years through Port of
Koper goes approximately 20,000
tons of cargo per year. Cargo
mostly arrives in containers,
which means approximately
Koper skyline with the Port in the background
BUSINESS INTERVIEW
A Cargo ship with 8,000 cars at the Car Handling
Terminal of the Koper Port
3,000 CNT/year. There is a variety
of cargoes; most common are
timber, coffee beans, paper and
iron products. In the past it was
very important the import of cars
to European countries (Tata and
Maruti Suzuki).
Have you any
plans to organise
a business or
investment meet
in India from
Luka Koper?
India’s rapid
economic growth
represents an
opportunity for
both, Port of
Koper and Indian
exporters, that’s
why a business
meeting in the
future seems quite
a must.
Would you be interested in
inviting an Indian business
delegation to visit Luka Koper
from the Shipping Lines
sector?
Yes.
What have been the major
achievements, milestones and
developments at Luka Koper
in the past two years since last
Slovenia in Focus magazine was
published in June 2005?
Total cargo throughput grew to 14
million in 2006 tons (13 million tons
in 2005). Remarkable growth was
registered in the container and car
handling but also in other cargoes.
In 2005 Luka Koper, d.d. bagged
the European Business Excellence
Award, while in 2006 the company
entered the competition for the most
prestigious European Business
Excellence Award, and became an
Excellence Award Finalist. Many
development projects started in
the past two years, including
capacity enhancement at the
Adria terminals and the passenger
terminal project.
Photos: Luka Koper
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Slovenia to Join the Schengen
Area at the End of 2007
Vesna Zarkovic
confirmed delays in implementing
the SIS II information system,
which is one of the prerequisites
for the enlargement, it became
clear that the process might stall.
New member states, including
Slovenia, reacted vigorously and
reproached the Commission with
the assertion that the reasons for
the delay were political rather
than technical.
SIS I Project for Everyone
Ljubljana -the capital city
S
lovenia is to become a
member of the Schengen
area (which has no internal
border controls) in December
2007. The enlargement of the
Schengen area from December
2007 to March 2008 at the
latest was approved at the EU
summit, while the prerequisite of
meeting all the conditions was
still emphasised. Slovenia’s Prime
Minister Janez Jansa stressed
that Slovenia would meet these
conditions in time.
Slovenia is supposed to join
the Schengen Aggrement before
assuming the presidency of the
EU in the first half of 2008.
Eliminating control on the borders
with Austira, Italy and Hungary
would be symbolic. According to
the new schedule approved by
the interior ministers of the 25
EU member states, the internal
land and sea border controls in
Slovenia in Focus
38
the new member states are to
be abolished in December 2007,
while international airports, where
changes are possible only twice a
year due to the seasonal basis of
local times, are to adopt the new
regime in March 2008.
According to the original plans,
the area without internal border
controls should have been enlarged
in October 2007; however,
after the European Commission
After several months of trying to
find a solution for the Schengen
delay, in which Portugal and
Slovenia played the major roles,
on December 5, 2006 EU interior
ministers gave the green light to
the enlargement of the current
Schengen Information System, or
a temporary solution which will
enable new members to connect
to the current information system,
the so called ‘SIS I for all’ project.
According to some estimates, this
should shorten delays, which
could otherwise be as long as
two years. The final decision on
the enlargement of the Schengen
area, which currently comprises
thirteen EU member states (all
‘old’ members, excluding the
UK and Ireland) and Norway,
and Iceland. The preparedness
of each candidate will play a
decisive role, which was again
emphasised at the December
EU Summit, where an appeal
was made to new members to
continue their endeavours to
meet all the Schengen conditions.
A country can only join if the
EU assesses that it is prepared
to implement the Schengen
acquis in the areas of police
cooperation, data protection,
CURRENT AFFAIRS
“SLOVENIA CAN EXPECT
TO ELIMINATE INTERNAL
EU LAND AND SEA BORDER
CONTROLS BY 31 DECEMBER
2007 AND THUS JOIN THE
SCHENGEN AREA IN 2007.
THIS IS AN ATTAINABLE
GOAL.”
Interior Minister Draguitn
Mate (Meeting of EU interior
Ministers, Brussels, December
5, 2006)
Vineyard from Stajerska Region
issuing visas, and land, sea and
air control, and can connect to
the computer system, in this case
SIS 1+. The spring evaluation
showed that Slovenia had to
eliminate deficiencies regarding
the inadequate infrastructure
at the Brnik Airport. According
to plans, the airport will meet
the Schengen standards at the
beginning of July, which means
that domestic and foreign traffic
will be physically separated.
According to the Slovenian
interior minister Dragutin Mate,
the problem of crossing the Sloven
ian-Croatian border with IDs will
be solved in time.
How will the connection to
‘SIS 1 for all progress?
As explained by Mr Mate at
the beginning of December, the
technical work will end in August
2007, and in September the
countries will begin to connect to
the Schengen Information System.
Tests of the connections and the
functioning of the system will take
place in September and October;
the results will be published in
October, and on the basis of these
results and other assessments the
interior ministers will reach the
final decision on the enlargement
of the Schengen area in November
2007.
Rafting on the Soca River
Expanding and implementing
the ‘SIS I for all’ includes costs.
Slovenia will spend about 1 million
euro on joining the Schengen
Information System, and 100,000
on the so-called historical cost
and the expansion of SIS 1+. The
United Kingdom and Ireland,
which are not members of the
Schengen area, but nonetheless
want to connect to the Schengen
Information System (SIS II, when
it is ready) do not want to pay
their share of the costs arising
from ‘SIS I for all’, so the other
countries have to cover them.
At the beginning of December
the interior ministers agreed to
the enlargement of the current
information system, Le. the ‘SIS
I for all’ project, which should
shorten the delays which have
arisen with SIS II - according
to the European Commission,
the project would otherwise be
39
Slovenia in Focus
CURRENT AFFAIRS
“TODAY’S DECISION ON A NEW
TIMELINE IS A ‘POLITICAL
DECISION’, AS THE EU HAS
A COMMON ‘POLITICAL
GOAL’ - TO UPGRADE THE
ENLARGEMENT OF 2004. WE
CANNOT PROVIDE EQUALITY
TO NEW CITIZENS, UNTIL
THE INTERNAL BORDER
CONTROL IS ELIMINATED.”
European Commissioner for
Justice, Freedom and Security,
Franco Frattini (Meeting of
EU interior ministers, Brussels,
December 5, 2006)
Visiting the Postojna Cave
delayed by one or even two years,
but this should now be only a few
months at most.
Mr Mate said that the go-ahead
for the ‘SIS I for all’ project
“means that according to the new
timeline, Slovenia will Slovenia
will gain access to the Schengen
Information System next year.”
The minister explained that “In
August the technical work will
end; in September countries will
start connecting to the Schengen
Information System which is a
prerequisite for lifting the internal
borders.”
“We do not expect technical
problems, and the shortcomings
in all new member states which
have been discovered when
assessing them will be remedied.
Therefore, we expect to abolish
land and sea border controls in
2007, while the target date at
the airports remains the same, as
this is connected to the seasonal
change in timetables,” said Mr
Mate.
“I am quite certain that Slovenia
will fulfil its commitments,” said
Slovenia in Focus
40
Lipica Horses
the Minister, but he cautioned
that Slovenian and Portuguese IT
experts have a lot of work to do to
ensure the perfect functioning of
the information system according
to plan. Slovenia will have to
construct new facilities at Brnik
Airport. If it is to meet the
Schengen standards, passengers
flying on internal and external
flights have to be separated. Mr
Mate also said he was convinced
that other candidate countries
would meet the criteria for joining
the Schengen area. At meetings in
Brdo pri Kranju and Vilnius new
members committed themselves
to offering mutual expert and
technical support, and the older
members vowed to do the same.
“The development of SIS II
continues and definitely remains
our top priority,” stressed the
Slovenian Minister of the Interior,
representatives of the Finnish EU
presidency and Commissioner
Frattini.
“SIS II is not being developed
because of new members, but
to provide security in managing
data,” explained Mr Mate, adding
that so far, only the legal basis for
SIS II has been adopted.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
job excellently,” said Mr
Frattini.
With the expansion of the
SIS I + information system,
Slovenia, Estonia, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, the Czech Republic
and Slovakia will join the
Schengen area.
Krvavec Ski Slope
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
“For everyone, SIS I is only a
tool which will facilitate the new
countries joining,” he stressed.
“Our citizens will be equal to
other EU citizens and thus one
of the key points in the Hague
programme will be achieved freedom of movement within the
EU,” he said.
190-2007_KRKA_SOJ_ad_FanDek_184x1 1
Commissioner Frattni said
Slovenia had played a very
important role in finding a solution
to the Schengen delay, with Mr
Mate leading efforts to integrate the
new members into the current SIS
I +. “I have publicly congratulated
the Slovenian minister. He did his
The Schengen area, which
was established in 1995 (the
first Schengen Agreement
was signed in 1985),
does not include United
Kingdom and Ireland.
However, three non-EU
countries have signed the
Schengen Agreement: Iceland,
Norway and Switzerland. The first
two are already members, while
Switzerland has not yet decided
on further steps.
Source: Sinfo – February 2007
Government Communications Office,
Republic of Slovenia
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23.5.2007 8:59:12
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Goal: To Reach the Average EU
Development Level
Resolution on National Development Projects –
a Bold and Courageous Government Project
Highway in Slovenia
T
he government decided on
12 October that in the next
ten years, or as early as
2013, the average EU development
level had to be achieved, and
therefore approved a Resolution
on National Development
projects for the Period 20072023. This document includes
key development and investment
projects aimed at speeding up
Slovenia’s development and
achieving the main goal. Priority
areas are development networks
of Slovenia, including projects
Slovenia in Focus
42
to build business centres, which
should provide 17,000 new jobs
and increase the development
potential of approximately 2,000
small and medium-size companies.
Priorities also include linking
natural and cultural potential,
and developing a scholarship
scheme, efficient environment
management, sustainable energy,
mobility to support business
development, for which building
road and railway infrastructure
is planned, and institutional and
administrative knowhow, which
includes modernising the judicial
and health systems.
A selection of thirty-four projects
will influence government budgets
in the next few years. “It is an
important white paper, which
Slovenia has never drawn up
before,” said Prime Minister Janez
Jansa. The selection includes
projects which are already in
their initial phases or being
implemented, but do not have a
financial breakdown yet, such as
the hydro-electric power plants
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
on the lower Sava River and the
National and University Library
2, and the modernisation of
the railways. The deadline for
the latter, the most financially
demanding project, coincides with
the end of the Resolution. The
Resolution encompasses two and
a half EU Financial Perspectives
and presents “a big picture”,
which will help the MPs decide
on each year’s state budget.
When approving budget funds,
it is advisable to have a broader
overview of the funds needed to
implement goals. According to the
Minister of Finance and leader of
the New Slovenia party, Andrej
Bajuk, the required amounts are
extremely high, “more than the
budget can handle”. Therefore it
is important that the Resolution
opens up a discussion which
will stipulate areas in which
we can expect public-private
partnerships to implement the
goals. The resolution defines
the priority tasks necessary to
fulfil Slovenia’s ambitions, thus
putting into practice Slovenia’s
Development Strategy, which is
based on an economic and social
reforms framework.
A package of 35 projects to
cost 24 billion euros
All projects will be funded by
the state budget, EU funds and
private investments, which have
been stipulated by law for the first
time. The latter should contribute
more than 14 billion euros, while
7 billion would be earmarked
in the budget. Most projects
will start at the beginning of the
Financial Perspective 2007-2013.
The funds will be more or less
uniformly distributed across the
whole period until 2023, which
is important for ensuring the
sustainability of public finances.
Implemented projects should
increase purchasing power by
3.3 per cent by 2010 and by
6.8 per cent by 2013. By 2008
the Resolution projects should
have created 12,000 new jobs
and lowered the number of
unemployed by 15,000, while in
2013, 50,000 new jobs should
have been created and the number
of unemployed persons should
have been reduced by 30,000.
Development projects in
North-Eastern Slovenia
Besides building business centres
called ‘Eye’ in the Pomurje region
Megalaksija amusement park in
Hajdina near Ptuj, and Terme
Janezovci spa. The latter is to
be set up at a crossroads of
major roads, boast 163,000
square metres of space, give
work to at least 300 people, and
indirectly contribute to creating
more than 2000 new jobs. Its
value is estimated at 100 million
euros, while Terme Janezovci,
Ptuj Castle and the old part of the town
and ‘Noordung’ in Koroska,
the most interesting project is
a multi-modal logistics centre
in the Podravje region, which
will include a business and
university incubator, scientific
park, the Ormoz industrial zone
a project included in the Alureg
programme in Slovenska Bistrica,
and particularly the Oreh logistics
centre in Hoce. North-eastern
Slovenia is the fastest growing
tourist region in the country. The
Resolution does not specifically
mention the city of Maribor;
however, the government will
continue to strive to revive the
local airport, which is important
for developing this industry.
The Resolution envisages the
with hotels and guest houses
offering 800 beds, and a golf
centre, is estimated at 53 million
euros and will offer 200 new jobs.
Podravje will also benefit from
the introduction of a national
broadband network with which
the government aims to provide
equal opportunities to all citizens
and connect with the countryside.
The goal of the government is
to facilitate broadband internet
connections to as many citizens
as possible. Energy projects
are divided into three areas:
developing new energy facilities,
transmission and distribution
networks, and the storage of
energy products. Even though
all these projects are of national
43
Slovenia in Focus
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
significance, Kozjak Pumping Hydro
Power Station, worth 168.8 million
euros, is particularly important.
The project will ensure flexible and
optimal operations for the Dravske
Elektrarne Maribor (DEM) hydro
power plants, as well as the entire
electric power system, and improve
the conditions of operation for part
of the DEM in terms of increasing
available power.
Tehnopolis business centre,
main project in Savinjska region
The centre was opened on 26 October,
and in the next few years a university
incubator, a higher education centre
and adjoining facilities, regional
network incubator and a network of
technology centres, a big business
and industrial logistics centre of
national significance, and a design
centre in Velenje will be established.
The main purpose of the project is to
build a central cooperative strategic
technological centre for Southeast
Europe, facilitate establishing 230
companies and institutions, and
create 2,000 new jobs. Regarding
energy projects, the Celje region is
closest to Sostanj Thermal Power
Plant, which will invest in building
Unit 6, while closing down Units 1,
2 and 3, thus increasing production
by 10 per cent. The region also plans
a gas depot in Senovo, a new unit at
the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant, the
construction of hydro power plants
on the lower Sava River, and the
modernisation of electricity networks
and Kozjak Pumping Hydro Power
Station.
Nine billion euros for railway
modernisation
Between 2008 and 2020 almost 9
billion euros are to be invested in
modernising the railway network in
Slovenia. In financial terms this is
the most ambitious project in the
Resolution on National Development
Projects. The amount represents
more than two thirds of all required
funds - 12.2 billion euros - needed to
implement the four transport projects
of the Resolution. The main goal of
Slovenia in Focus
44
investing in the railways is to
increase maximum axle load and
facilitate an increase in speed on
the main routes to 160 kilometres
per hour or more, modernise
signalling and safety devices, and
provide remote control for stable
electo-traction devices. The line
between Pragersko and Hodos is
to be electrified and a new doubletrack line, which allows greater
speed, is to be constructed. It is
imperative that Slovenia, which is
a transport hub of corridors V and
X, modernises its railway network,
or transport routes will circumvent
it. Priorities include shortening the
time of travel by changing traffic
capacity, facilitating increased
speed and greater maximum
axle load.
million are to be allocated from
the EU Funds, while 200 million
euros should come from publicprivate partnerships. Concrete
proposal for financing the latter
have not yet been drawn up.
As private partners will need to
see a return on their investment,
either from the state budget or a
concession, some development
axes will be toll roads, which will
be of a higher standard than state
roads, sometimes at least highspeed roads, such as between
Celje and Novo Mesto.
This speeds up the modernisation
of the road network. About 170
kilometres of road on the third
development axis (from the
border with Austria in Koroska
through the Savinjska Valley
Shepherds' cottages at Velika Planina
State road network on three
development axes by 2020
The Resolution on National
Development Projects by 2023
also stipulates modernising the
state road network according to
priority development axes. The
value of the project is estimated at
1.446 billion euros. To implement
the projects, the state budget
should earmark 963 million euros
between 2007 and 2020; 283
towards Novo Mesto and through
Dolenjska and Bela Krajina to the
border with Croatia) will connect
important business centres and
reach across the border. The road
should shorten the road distance
from Celje to Novo Mesto by a
quarter, and travel time by a half.
The selected version of the project
is estimated to cost 1.23 billion
euros and should be finished by
2020.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Nordic sports centre in
Planica for 100 million euros
Planica will host a new Nordic
centre by 2013, and in the next
few months the government will
initiate the first procedures for
drawing up refurbishment and
construction plans. The renovation
of ski jump hills and equipment,
building an athletic stadium with
a system for artificial snow, ski
lifts, a football stadium with an
EU Funds will provide 60 million
euros, while private investors will
contribute 10 million euros. The
Slovenian island in the Adriatic
Sea, which will measure 30,000
square metres and three metres in
height, will be built from material
left over from constructing the
Semedela Tunnel on the highspeed road connecting Koper and
Izola. The island, which will run
along the current coastal road
Kanin with Mt. Triglav in the background
athletics track, accommodating
bike lanes and walking routes,
and a park of cultural heritage
are scheduled to be carried out
in several phases. The works will
start next year. The state budget
will allocate 15 million euros,
EU Funds of 40 million and the
remainder from private sources.
An artificial island on the
coast among the main
development projects
In the Resolution on National
Development Projects 2007-2023
a Slovenian island in the Adriatic
Sea is one of the investments
which will be realised between
2013 and 2020. The project is
estimated to cost approximately
100 million euros. About 30
million will be earmarked in state,
regional and municipal budgets;
between Koper and lzola, will
have one peninsular beach on
each side. The main area, called
Sun Island, will be connected to
the land by a beach promenade.
The island will have facilities
promoting sea and health tourism
and offering entertainment, and a
pier. This project will create many
new jobs, boost the development
of tourism in the coastal area and,
while promoting the destination,
provide additional opportunities
to small and medium-sized
companies. Southern Primorska is
of vital importance for Slovenian
tourism, therefore other tourism
projects might be added at a
later date. The Resolution also
mentions connecting the natural
and cultural potentials of the
Karst region by upgrading Lipica’s
tourist offer, renovating Stanjel,
expanding the infrastructure in
the Skocjan Caves area, and
establishing a Karst regional
park.
South-Eastern Slovenia
entrepreneurship and the
third development axis
According to the Minister of
the Economy, Andrej Vizjak,
the main projects in this region
include establishing a business
and industrial area in Novo
Mesto, which is to become a
regional centre. Realising the
entrepreneurial incubator and the
third development axis should
facilitate the development of
the wider region, including Bela
Krajina.
In the planned development
period, economic breakthrough is
to be achieved by creating better
conditions for establishing small
and medium-sized companies.
Mr Vizjak stressed that the Novo
Mesto region is industrially welldeveloped; however, there are
not enough small companies
which would facilitate additional
development and employment.
Vizjak sees great potential in
developing the business sector.
The second important project is
the third development axis, which
should provide better development
opportunities for Bela Krajina.
The goal of the Ministry of the
Economy is to create 1,300 new
jobs and provide 100 million euros
for business and industrial zones
in the area. The third development
axis is part of the project to build
and modernise road infrastructure,
which is one of the priorities. As
Novo Mesto is to be the centre of
Dolenjska, the Ministry envisages
establishing higher education
institutions to satisfy the needs of
the business sector, and building a
university campus. To meet these
needs, a scientific and technology
park is also to be constructed.
Source: Sinfo – February 2007
Government Communications Office,
Republic of Slovenia
45
Slovenia in Focus
Slovenia Invites Indian Tourists
Brina Cehovin, Marketing & Communications Director, Slovenian Tourist
Board lists all the myriad and close at hand attractions of her country
T
he thermal spas, the sea,
the Alps and the unique
cave world – all Europe’s
variety is united here in one
compact area.
This small country is a big
attraction. Extending over 20,273
square kilometres and situated in
Central Europe between Austria,
Italy, Hungary and Croatia,
Slovenia has become a tourism
magnet that can easily be reached
using all forms of transport. Within
a few hours drive holidaymakers
in Slovenia can enjoy the majestic
peaks of the Alps, relax in modern
thermal spas, admire the lively
towns of Ljubljana and Maribor,
spend a wonderful time on sunsoaked beaches and swim in
the Adriatic Sea. Beside that
there are other highlights, such
as the cave systems of Postojna
and Skocjan, unique across the
world, and a cuisine that unites
many influences from different
European countries in the best
possible way.
Slovenia in Focus
46
The Euro and the EU
Presidency
Holidaying in Slovenia has now
become even easier since the Euro
became the legal currency after
January 1,2007. Slovenia was the
first of the newly joined countries
that could satisfy all the conditions
regarding economic and political
stability for the introduction of
the European single currency. It
eliminated the annoying money
change for tourists and with that
and the prices are also easily to
compare for consumers on holiday.
Nobody should fear that the
introduction of the single currency
could lead to a solid price push.
Comparisons with Slovenia’s
direct neighbouring countries on
the Adriatic Sea illustrate the great
restraint in prices for hotels and
other services.
On the January 1,2008 Slovenia
will take over the presidency of
the European Union for the first
time and therefore will be in the
limelight of world politics. For
six months numerous meetings
of leading European politicians
will take place across the country,
which will lure many guests and
representatives of the media to
the country.
The Julian Alps
With the Julian Alps in the North,
Slovenia can call one of the most
beautiful parts of the European
mountains its own. Between
Kranjska Gora, Bled, Bohinj and
Bovec nature enthusiasts and
active athletes will find a unique
paradise for walking, biking,
mountain biking, kayaking and
fishing. The 84,000 hectares
of the Triglav national park is
outstanding with its untouched
plant and animal world, with its
majestic peaks and thundering
waterfalls. It is one of the oldest
protected areas in Europe and is
ideally suited for hikers because
of its excellent labelled paths.
The crystal-clear lakes of Bled
and Bohinj and the wild emerald
TOURISM STRATEGY
waters of the Soca River also lure
water enthusiasts. The history of
tourism in Bled, one of the most
renowned holiday destinations in
Slovenia, dates back to the 19th
century.
Splendid hotels, marvellous
villas and the all dominating
castle shape the picture of the
lake and its surroundings, with
its typical church island in the
middle. Besides a very large
choice of sporting facilities, such
as walking, mountain biking,
tennis or golf, the place also offers
to its guests top cultural events all
year round.
Ski Centres for Everyone
The winter sports facilities have
become the focus of attention
more and more. The Slovenian
ski centres in the Alps and in the
Pohorje mountains stand out due
to their high snow safety, fair prices
Dimitrij Piciga, M.Sc.
Director General, Slovenian Tourist Board
and family suitability. Kranjska
Gora is Slovenia’s most famous
ski centre. It has 30 kilometres of
light ski-runs of medium difficulty
– mostly family friendly and 18 ski
lifts. Besides the modern hotels
and studio apartments, there are
also a large number of private
rooms and farms where winter
guests can experience Slovenian
TOURISM STRATEGY
If you are looking for a chic ambience,
entertainment and typical beach flair on
your holiday, you should come to Portoroz.
This bathing and spa resort, which has
everything that demanding guests looking
for entertainment could wish for, was
already popular in the time of the AustrianHungarian Monarchy.
Golf Bled
Slovenia in Focus
48
hospitality first-hand. Ski-runs
of light to medium difficulty also
await skiers in Bohinj at the Vogel
ski centre, at 1,800 meters above
sea-level. A family-friendly skiing
area with 21 ski lifts also awaits
its guests on the other side of the
Alps, in Pohorje, near Maribor.
This is a densely wooded ski area
at 1,350 meters above sea-level
that also has a good international
reputation and every year the
world cup women’s racing takes
place here. Fifty kilometres of skiruns in an area of 220 hectares
are prepared for skiers each day.
A skiing school, a skiing school
for nursery children, a rental
company for ski equipment and
a five kilometres long ski-run with
floodlights for night time skiing are
at the guests’ disposal. The hotels
in the town and in the skiing area
offer first-class comfort, some of
them having thermal spas for
wellness after the ski-runs. And
finally, at the southern slope of
Pohorje Mountain, there is Rogla,
an insider’s tip for families and
skiing enthusiasts.
The Slovenian Riviera
The Slovenian share of the
Adriatic coast is 46 kilometres
long, between the Italian and
Croatian borders. As the nearest
sea to Central Europe it can be
reached easily, particularly thanks
to the new motorway system.
The standard of the hotels, the
gastronomy, entertainment, the
variety of events and the tourism
infrastructure are among the
best in the Adriatic area and
can stand any comparison with
other European top holiday
destinations.
If you are looking for a chic
ambience, entertainment and
typical beach flair on your
holiday, you should come to
Portoroz. This bathing and spa
resort, which has everything that
demanding guests looking for
entertainment could wish for, was
already popular in the time of the
TOURISM STRATEGY
between April and August the
importance of this treasure is
substantially celebrated by the
population.
Magical Worlds under the
Earth
Skocjan Caves
The Skocjan caves are another highlight of
the Karst landscape. The uniqueness of this
cave system prompted UNESCO to include it
in the list of world natural heritage sites.
Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy.
There is a typical beach life on
the fine sandy beaches of the neat
bathing resorts during the day.
One strolls along the promenade,
enjoys a cappuccino in a beach
cafe and watches the colourful
hustle and bustle. Numerous
boutiques and sale stands invite
you for shopping. In the evening,
however, Portoroz shows its
special charm. Everything is
possible: Thrills at the casino, a
romantic dinner in a restaurant
or dancing at a disco. Numerous
leading 4 and 5 star hotels
with pleasant ambience and all
imaginable possibilities of leisure
are situated in prime locations
along the coast. The place can
also boast a thermal spring with
a Thallasso centre and numerous
other facilities for wellness. It is
quieter in the smaller places and
bays of the Slovenian coast.
cedars, it has a particularly mild
and salubrious climate because
of the ancient salt pans. With its
modern therapy centre by the sea,
Strunjan is not just a good choice
for bathing holidays but also for
health cures and wellness.
A particularly interesting place to
visit is the salt pans of Socovlje,
situated at the coast south of
Portoroz. Designated a national
park since 2003, the fields for
salt production that have existed
since the 14th century, present
themselves as a unique nature
reserve, containing over 200
different sea and migratory birds
and rare plants.
At traditional public festivals
World-class attractions are
hidden under the earth in the
area stretching up from the
coast. Postojna has enjoyed an
international reputation for more
than 800 years. More than 30
million tourists from all parts
of the world have visited this
approximately 20 kilometre long
cave system, 5.2 kilometres of
which are now developed for
tourists with 3.5 kilometres of it
even comfortably passable on an
electric train. The concert hall,
with a capacity for 10,000 guests,
where concerts and other events
regularly take place-between
the stalagmites and stalactites is
extraordinarily impressive, even
for visitors who come again and
again.
The Skocjan caves are another
highlight of the Karst landscape.
The uniqueness of this cave
system prompted UNESCO to
include it in the list of world
natural heritage sites. The paths
for visitors are built into the steep
walls which are about 100 metres
high in some places. Underground
rivers spanned by bridges roar
through mysterious canyons.
Outside the caves in the Skocjanske
Caves Park a variety of historical
museums and unusual flora await
Olimia Spa
Romantics and those interested
in culture will prefer the small
medieval fishing towns of Piran,
Izola and Koper. Silence is the
great advantage of the bay of
Strunjan. In the midst of rich
Mediterranean vegetation, with
pleasant smelling pines and
49
Slovenia in Focus
TOURISM STRATEGY
When enjoying the air-dried Karst ham
– prsut, olives and the noble red Teran
wine, even the most experienced gourmets
will begin to clamour for more.
interested visitors. Near Lipica
there is another attraction of
world renown. The horse stud
farm, founded in 1580 by the
Habsburgs, has lost nothing of
its elegance and grace in these
modern times. In a typical Karst
landscape of pleasant smelling
woods filled with oaks, limes and
beech groves, horse enthusiasts
can take courses for either
beginners or advanced riders.
square metres of waterfront offer
a variety of possibilities for guests
all the year round. From a classical
health cure to a relaxing holiday,
everything is possible. Different
forms of alternative medicine
from traditional Chinese medicine
to Ayurveda are currently very
popular. Depending on the
tourist’s personal preference
and taste, Slovenia can offer
both spas with an international
reputation and rich tradition or
relatively unknown new thermal
negative ions through to the
Aquaviva sauna with colour
and sound effects. The Olimia
thermal spa, with two new water
slides and a varied animation
programme, also offers fun and
relaxation for children and adults.
Top luxury in the hotel business
is available at the Moravske
Toplice spa since the opening
of the new hotel Livada. The
hotel has 122 luxurious rooms
with 221 beds and 95 additional
couches, 28 of those being junior
and 4 senior suites, equipped with
period furniture. LCD television
sets and Internet connection.
Besides a classical bath, all the
rooms also have a thermal bath
with black water – the healing
water of the Moravske Toplice
spa. With the opening of the new
Ljubljana City Center
Those who are less active can
enjoy the riding demonstrations
and familiarise themselves with
the long tradition of the stud
farm.
Modern Spas for a Wellness
Holiday
Slovenia boasts of 87 thermal
springs on its territory and 15 very
well equipped medicinal thermal
springs and spas are spread over
the whole country, offering healthoriented tourists both classical
health cures and modern wellness
spas. Luxurious hotels, therapy
centres and more than 38,000
Slovenia in Focus
50
centres. There are special spas
for families and also just to
relax for a quiet holiday. The
spas in Rogaska, Radenci or
Dolenjske toplice have a long
tradition and they offer innovative
health programmes in relaxing
and natural surroundings. With
about 12,000 square metres of
waterfront the spa Catez belongs
among the biggest spas in Europe
and offers entertainment and
fun especially for families with
children. The sauna park is also
one of the biggest of its type in
Europe, with a variety of saunas
from salt or crystal saunas with
beauty and relaxation centre, the
Thermalium, two years ago, the
Moravske Toplice spa offers its
guests a total area of 3500 square
metres of various programmes
according to most modern
European standards. The unique
“black” thermal mineral water is
really extraordinary, supporting
classical and alternative therapies
for the treatment of rheumatism,
diseases of the respiratory tract
and skin diseases as well as
rehabilitation after injuries and
operations on the mobility
apparatus. Finally, Portoroz and
Strunjan achieve the combination
TOURISM STRATEGY
100 Women on highest peak of Slovenian Alps - Triglav
of wellness and health holiday
with the holiday by the sea.
Ljubljana – Slovenia’s
Charming Capital
Ljubljana is Slovenia’s metropolis,
but at the same time it is an
easily comprehensible town worth
living in, with numerous cultural
attractions, shopping and the
flair of a lively restaurant and
entertainment scene. The interest
of foreign tourists in Ljubljana is
increasing constantly, as growth
rates of more than 10 percent
compared with the previous
year illustrate. The perfectly
preserved art nouveau ensembles
and baroque buildings give a
special flair to the centre of the
city. Slovenia’s famous architect
Joze Plecnik has left his stamp
on numerous buildings for the
future generations. With a more
than 50-year long tradition the
“Ljubljana Summer Festival”
is the greatest cultural event of
its kind in Slovenia. For seven
weeks in July and August, the
Slovenian capital is filled with
opera, dance, symphony concerts,
chamber music, jazz and folk.
There are also numerous stage
performances and exhibitions by
artists from Slovenia and abroad.
As a shopping paradise, Ljubljana
has many new boutiques and
shops in the lovely shopping
streets of the old town as well as
modern shopping centres to cater
for all tastes. Those who need
refreshment after shopping will
be happy with the great variety of
trendy cafes and restaurants and
their pleasant ambience. Then, for
those who want to be seen in the
new, stylish clothes they just have
bought, the nightlife is extremely
diverse and exciting, making a trip
to Ljubljana truly rewarding.
Culinary Discoveries for
Connoisseurs
Slovenia has a lot to offer
gourmets. Slovenian cuisine has
taken over the best of the Slavonic,
Austrian, Hungarian and Italian
cooking pots, producing many
interesting delicacies. Excellent
wines can be enjoyed in many
first class restaurants, the number
of which is growing every day.
The quality of accommodation
and gastronomic facilities is also
growing constantly, in order to
satisfy the high expectations of
the gourmet tourists, who become
more and more critical. Slovenia
has been regarded as an insider’s
tip among the trend setters and
culinary connoisseurs. The real
highlight for them might be to
enjoy the sour cream of Styrian
soup or the ricet, the barley soup.
Gnocchi, goulash variations or
numerous types of strudel remind
us of the common history with
the neighbours in the West and
the North. When enjoying the
air-dried Karst ham – prsut,
olives and the noble red Teran
wine, even the most experienced
gourmets will begin to clamour
for more. The wine routes that
spread over the whole country are
especially rewarding for culinary
discoveries. The Brda, Vipava
or the Karst wine routes will
make you feel the Mediterranean
atmosphere and the Jeruzalem
and the Ormoz wine routes are
also well known outside the
Slovenian borders. And those
who are very curious should
investigate the cooking pots and
cellars of the still little known wine
routes in Bela Krajina or between
Novo Mesto and Krsko.
Slovenian Central Tourist
Reservations System
The Slovenian Central Tourist
Reservations System (CRS), one
of the most important projects
of the Ministry of the Economy
and the Slovenian Tourist Board,
began operations on January18,
2007. The Austrian company
Feratel Media Technologies AG
of Innsbruck was selected to set
up and maintain the technical
applications of the CRS, while the
company TGTs6 - Odisej d.o.o. of
Kranj will be responsible for its
management.
This project is large and very
demanding, because the CRS
represents both the most up-todate market communication and
promotional tool, and also an
important distribution and sales
channel. The CRS will enable
the Slovenian accommodation
and tourism service providers
to advertise their offers on the
Internet, while the tourists will be
able to make on-line reservations.
CRS registration will be free
of charge for tourism service
providers; however, the CRS
administrator will be entitled to a
maximum 10 per cent commission
on the value of the booked service
or accommodation.
Photos: Slovenian Tourist Board
www.slovenia.info
51
Slovenia in Focus
BILATERAL DIPLOMACY
ICPE: The Indo-Slovene Platform
for International Cooperation
Priyadarshi Thakur, Director General of the International Centre for Promotion
of Enterprises (ICPE), Ljubljana on the Centre’s multifarious activities
T
he ICPE, Ljubljana is the
only inter-governmental
International Centre with its
headquarters on Slovene soil. It
traces its origin to the International
Centre for Public Enterprises in
Developing Countries set up on
a UN initiative in 1974 by the
then Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (SFRY), which became
a fully-fledged international
Centre in 1980 with more than
40 NAM countries as its MemberStates. After the independence
of Slovenia, the new Republic of
Slovenia inherited the Centre and
took over the obligations of SFRY
and the role of the host country
of the ICPE. Later, in 1997, the
formal name of the Centre was
changed to International Centre
for Promotion of Enterprises, by a
Resolution of the ICPE Assembly,
in order to give to the Centre a
more ‘inclusive’ and broad based
mandate in keeping with the
changed economic and political
priorities of Slovenia and many
of the leading member states
including India.
The ICPE has 19 countries of
Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin
America in its membership, but
of late Slovenia and India, one of
its founding members, have been
the two main pillars of support
for the Centre. So much so, that
it may not be inappropriate
to describe, the Centre as an
Indo-Slovene platform for
international cooperation in the
field of entrepreneurship and
management.
The ICPE also has close ties
with the University of Ljubljana,
Faculty of Economics (FELU), with
Slovenia in Focus
52
project on Information Literacy,
and published its Report on
the Project in 2006 which has
been widely acclaimed as an
authoritative summary of the
status of Information Literacy,
an emerging area of research in
transitional economies.
Priyadarshi Thakur, Director
General of the International Centre
for Promotion of Enterprises
(ICPE), Ljubljana
whose academic collaboration it
has been conducting, for the
last eighteen years, an intensive
one-year international MBA
Programme for the officers and
executives from it member states.
This programme is one of the
foreign training courses approved
by the Department of Personnel
& Training of the Government of
India (GOI). The GOI and its PSEs
have been nominating a number
of participants for this course
every year. The quality of this
MBA programme can be gauged
by the fact that the FELU which
is the affiliating faculty for it was
granted EQUIS Accreditation in
2006 by the European Foundation
for Management Development
(EFMD), the same Accreditation
as enjoyed by 97 of the best
Business Schools/Management
Faculties worldwide (See www.
efmd.org).
The ICPE has also recently
concluded a UNESCO research
A new series of extension lectures
“Distinguished Speakers at the
ICPE” has also been recently
started. The idea is to bring
intellectuals, industry and
business leaders, outstanding
professional managers etc. to
address international gatherings,
including participants of MBA
Programme and other short-term
programmes, on subjects which
could lead to greater international
understanding and cooperation.
So far, Prof. Dr. Danilo Turk,
an eminent Professor of Law
in the University of Ljubljana
and a Human Rights expert
(formerly Asstt. Secy. General
of the UN) and Ambassador
Mr. Tim Simmons, the British
Ambassador in Ljubljana have
been “Distinguished Speakers at
the ICPE” and have addressed
gatherings on “Human Rights and
the UN system” and “Britain in
European Union”, respectively.
The ICPE is currently busy in
planning and executing a number
of activities, of which special
mention may be made of the
following:
• International Conference on
SME Lending for Bankers,
22-25 May ‘07 at Ljubljana.
The Conference was the
result of careful planning
over the last eight months.
BILATERAL DIPLOMACY
•
The Centre
is in touch with
the internationally
renowned Institute
of Technology in
Ljubljana, the Jozef
Stefan Institute and
Indian institutes of
Dr. Andrej Bajuk, the Finance Minister of Slovenia
excellence like the
formally inaugurated the International Conference
Indian Business
on SME Lending for Bankers and also addressed the
School, Hyderabad
Inaugural Session in Ljubljana in May 2007
(ISB) and the
Indian Institute of
It brought around the table
Management, Bangalore
about 30 bankers and SME
(IIM(B)) to plan for initiating
experts from Slovenia, India,
super-speciality Information
Serbia, Austria, Hungary
& Communication
etc, including nominees
Technology (ICT) Masters
representing the Government
Programmes in selected
of India, Reserve Bank
fields. In order to ensure
of India and the Bank
that these are selected in a
of Slovenia, who would
need-based manner, global
focus on facilitation of easy
IT companies like INFOSYS,
access of the SME sector
WIPRO etc. are also being
to institutional finance.
consulted. The Centre is
The ICPE organized this
upbeat that, depending
Conference in association
on the enthusiasm of the
with Bankworld Inc., a
academic partners who
Washington DC based
have been approached, it
consultancy firm and the
will be able to start some of
British Embassy, Ljubljana
these one-year programmes
who arranged for the
in 2008.
consultancy of Ms. Sarah
• The ICPE is also looking
Livingston, a noted British
at starting short-term skillSME expert.
development exchange
• Later in the year 2007, ICPE
programmes for private
is expecting to receive a
sector executives on
group of 24 trainees from
“Understanding Business
the National Institute of
with EU/Slovenia/Central
Financial Management
Europe” (for India and
(NIFM) for a split-location
other Member-States) and
interaction of two weeks
“Understanding Business
with local academia and
with India” (for Europeans).
European industry and
This suggestion has been
business leaders.
recently made by one of the
• Also in 2007, plans are
Professors at IIM(B) during
afoot to have a week-long
our interaction with them.
Symposium on Multilateral
• Slovenia, though a small
Trading System and
country, is now an important
WTO-related matters in
Member of EU and will
association with ASTRO and
be the President of EU
WTO experts.
in Jan. 2008. It has also
adopted, legally, the mantle
of the Donor country. It
has been suggested that
International Centre in
Slovenia with its past and
present connection with the
developing countries can be
a huge asset for Slovenia in
discharging its Development
Aid obligations in a fruitful
manner.
• The ICPE is in the process
of revamping its Web site
www.icpe.si to make it more
informative, interactive and
user-friendly.
The ICPE which derives most of its
financial and participation support
from Government of India and the
Government of the Republic of
Slovenia is engaged in the task
of rebuilding its potential under
the joint leadership of Dr. Andrej
Horvat, ICPE Council President
and former State Secretary in the
Office for Growth of the GORS
and Mr. Priyadarshi Thakur,
Director General, ICPE who is a
former Secretary to Government
of India.
The Government of India have
demonstrated their commitment
to developing closer ties with
Slovenia by recently opening
their first-ever resident diplomatic
mission in Ljubljana under the
able stewardship of Dr. V. S.
Seshadri, the Ambassador of India
to Slovenia, and by unilaterally
doubling their annual membership
contribution toward maintaining
the ICPE, Ljubljana. The Centre
has been informally assured of
similar reciprocal measures from
the host-country Government
and is looking forward to the
same being announced formally
in the near future. With the
consensus of commitment of these
two leading Member-State), the
ICPE is capable of becoming a
vibrant international Centre of
Excellence in entrepreneurship
development and knowledgebased innovation.
53
Slovenia in Focus
BUSINESS PROFILE
Telsima Raring to Capture Wi-Max Market
T
elsima Corporation is a
leading developer and
provider of WiMAX based
Broadband Wireless Access
(BWA) and mobility solutions
for media rich applications. The
Company also has a product line
of voice compression solutions
for emerging markets where
bandwidth is scarce. Telsima‘s
technologies offer service
providers economic advantages
of disruptive cost structures, new
business models and more capital
efficient network investment
profiles. The Company has been
an active Principle Member of the
WiMAX Forum since 2004
Telsima‘s vision is to become the
leading innovator and provider
of mobile telecommunications
solutions and subscriber devices
for the emerging markets and for
the innovators in the established
markets.
Telsima‘s mission is to leverage
global sources of technology
innovation, software development,
and hardware design to create
world-class mobile WiMAX
products and services.
Telsima‘s innovative technologies
transform WiMAX standard
infrastructure into innovative
networks enabling service
providers to deploy and manage
the ever-increasing complexity of
mobile, broadband, media-rich
services delivering multimedia
experiences to mobile subscribers.
The Company continues to
increase its Intellectual Property
portfolio in strategic areas related
to the implementation of mobile
broadband networks delivering
media rich applications.
The Company is structured to
leverage worldwide leadership,
technology innovation, software
development, hardware design,
Bojan Bostjancic, PhD, President
Bojan joined Telsima in 2005, bringing more
than 12 years of experience in IP and wireless
networking, telecom regulatory framework and
business development. Prior to joining Telsima he
was co-founder and CEO of a startup company
focused on the development of WiMAX technology,
CTO of Iskra Transmission and a Deputy Minister
of Telecommunications in Slovenian Government.
Earlier he had also co-founded Mibo Communications, a successful
company in networking integration business. Bojan Bostjancic holds
a PhD in High Energy Physics from DESY, Hamburg and spent
several years as Research Associate at CERN, Geneva.
marketing, and manufacturing
competencies to bring its leading
edge WiMAX system solutions
to market. Telsima has created
a worldwide network of core
competencies to succeed in the
markets with some of the most
growth potential, namely Eastern
Europe, Russia and India. To
best leverage regional capabilities
on a global scale the Company
has its headquarters in Silicon
Valley (California), design center
in Ljubljana (Slovenia), software
development in Bangalore and
sales and customer support in
New Delhi (India).
Telsima’s operations in Ljubljana,
Slovenia offers the Company
world-class embedded software
development, hardware design and
system engineering capabilities in
addition to regional access to the
markets of eastern Europe and
Russia. In addition, Telsima’s
EMEA sales and marketing efforts
are based in Ljubljana. These
markets represent opportunities
to market the Company‘s
WiMAX products today to enable
broadband connections otherwise
unavailable due to the lack of
wired infrastructure and adopt
the Company‘s Mobile WiMAX
platforms when they become
available.
The Company develops and
markets base station and subscriber
station systems and network
management software for the
WiMAX telecommunications market.
Telsima‘s WiMAX Forum Certified
products are differentiated by the
integration of innovative embedded
software, enabling provisioning and
management, to deliver advanced
mobility and multimedia services
over the network.
Telsima develops and markets
WiMAX Forum Certified Base Station
and Subscriber Station systems
complimented by the Company‘s
innovative TRUFLE, T-STORM and
SMARTS technologies and supported
by market leading provisioning and
network management software.
Telsima addresses the needs of the
WiMAX service providers today
by offering Unique broadband
mobility framework, Products
bearing WiMAX, Mobility
solutions, D+E=>DualMode
capability protecting your WiMAX
investment, Interoperable WiMAX
Forum Certified products and Native
support of Voice-Data-Video Triple
Play services.
Source: Telsima
www.telsima.com
With best compliments from
LITOSTROJ E.I., Slovenia - Manufacturer of Hydro Power
Generation and Industrial Equipment
PROJECTS IN INDIA:
BHAVANI KATTALAI BARRAGE HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECTS – SAXO TURBINES
YAMUNA I, II – KAPLAN TURBINES
JALDHAKA – FRANCIS TURBINES
SHOLAYAR I, II – FRANCIS TURBINES
THOUBAL – FRANCIS TURBINE
KARANJAWAN – FRANCIS TURBINE
KODAYAR – FRANCIS TURBINES
PERIYAR – FRANCIS TURBINE
SAL – FRANCIS TURBINE
M/S. LITOSTROJ E.I.,
Litostrojska cesta 50, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
Email: [email protected] • tel.: **386 1 5824 102 • fax.:**386 1 5824 171