The end of last year saw a change at the top of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning in Slovenia. Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj recently met with the new minister Jože Novak in Ljubljana to discuss the status of the current Slovenian Presidency, which has just passed its half-way milestone.
One of the topics on the table was the upcoming XVIII Alpine Conference, which will take place in Brdo pri Kranju on 22 January 2025. The Minister and Secretary General discussed the preparation and steps leading up to the Conference including the status of activities under the three Slovenian Presidency priorities (education on climate change, biodiversity, and quality of life). The conversation also touched on concrete aspects of Slovenia’s participation in the Alpine Convention’s working bodies and processes over the past years and in the future.
Secretary General Smerkolj expressed her appreciation for the constructive cooperation between the Permanent Secretariat and the ministry, especially the Presidency team, and highlighted the valuable work done so far.