Ukrainian–Slovenian Business Forum on Energy Sphere strengthens bilateral cooperation and opens new opportunities for partnership

Ukrainian–Slovenian Business Forum on Energy Sphere strengthens bilateral cooperation and opens new opportunities for partnership

10. 12. 2025 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, Ukraine

Mengeš, 10 December 2025 – CEP hosted the Ukrainian–Slovenian Business Forum on Energy Sphere — a platform aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy field and fostering partnerships that support Ukraine’s urgent reconstruction and modernization needs while encouraging Slovenian companies to engage in future recovery and green transition projects.
The event brought together approximately 70 representatives from companies and institutions across the energy sector, who shared their projects, exchanged expertise, and explored new paths for collaboration. Ukrainian partners presented the scale of current challenges — including the need to rebuild 9 GW of power capacity due to Russian aggression — highlighting the importance of resilient and innovative solutions, as well as the financial and institutional support mechanisms available through the EU and the Energy Community. The Forum ultimately laid the groundwork for long-term cooperation and joint project development between Ukrainian and Slovenian stakeholders.

Just before the forum, CEP and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding, marking an important step toward strengthening cooperation between our institutions.
A key message of the Forum was that there are immediate business opportunities for the Slovenian private sector in Ukraine’s energy market. Ukrainian energy companies expressed a strong interest in building new partnerships and view Slovenian know-how and innovative solutions as highly valuable in addressing both reconstruction and long-term sustainable growth.
A heartfelt thank you to all partners for their essential contributions to this successful event.

The event was organised in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia, the Energy Industry Chamber of Slovenia, SPIRIT Slovenija, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Slovenia, and the Ukrainian CCI.

The event was supported by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs under the Slovenian Aid programme.

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Concluding event of the nursing and midwifery project taking place tomorrow in Skopje

Concluding event of the nursing and midwifery project taking place tomorrow in Skopje

8. 12. 2025 | North Macedonia - Nursing and Midwifery, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance

Tomorrow, 9 December, the project Advancing Nursing and Midwifery Education and Establishing the System for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in the Republic of North Macedonia will conclude with a final workshop and closing event in Skopje. The gathering will bring together representatives of the Ministries of Health and Education, higher education institutions, and professional nursing and midwifery associations to review progress over the past two years and outline next steps to sustain reforms.

The concluding workshop will focus on two core pillars of the project:
• Operationalising the regulatory framework for nursing and midwifery professions, including institutional responsibilities, future processes, and sustainability requirements.
• Implementing the reformed undergraduate curricula in higher education institutions, bringing together decision-makers to discuss practical steps for roll-out and alignment with EU standards.

These discussions build on extensive work carried out throughout 2024–2025, including the analysis of existing study programmes, the development of proposed national curricula, technical workshops on regulation, and training sessions dedicated to strengthening nursing roles in primary care.

Joining the concluding event from the Slovenian side are Slovenian experts from the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia (Zbornica – Zveza) and the Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care, as well as representatives of the Slovenian Embassy in Skopje.

The project is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia [through the International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Programme] and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of North Macedonia, with technical support from the WHO Office in North Macedonia.

Conclusion of the Mentorship Visit of Zarichne Municipality to Slovenska Bistrica

Conclusion of the Mentorship Visit of Zarichne Municipality to Slovenska Bistrica

1. 12. 2025 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine

Over the past two weeks, Slovenska Bistrica hosted representatives of Zarichne Municipality as part of a mentorship visit within the Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine programme. The visit was organised by the Centre for European Perspective under the auspices of Bridges of Trust.

The mentorship programme enabled the Ukrainian delegation to gain first-hand insight into best practices of Slovenian local governance, public services, and local economic development. The focus was on practical solutions and transferable approaches that can support the preparation and implementation of development projects in Zarichne Municipality.

During their stay, the delegation visited several institutions and companies in Slovenska Bistrica:

  • Komunala Slovenska Bistrica – presentations on digitalisation of public services, sustainable utility management, and innovative approaches to citizen engagement;

  • Impol d.o.o. – an overview of modern aluminium production, advanced manufacturing processes, and the role of industry in local economic resilience;

  • Slovenska Bistrica Agricultural Cooperative – insights into cooperative organisation, support mechanisms for local farmers, and strengthening local food systems;

  • Dom dr. Jožeta Potrča Poljčane – examples of good practices in social care, senior inclusion, and community-based services.

These visits were complemented by in-depth discussions with practitioners, allowing participants to reflect on how similar models could be adapted to the Ukrainian local context.

In addition to field visits, the programme included targeted workshops on project planning, funding opportunities, and implementation strategies. Through guided sessions, participants developed concrete ideas for future cooperation between Slovenska Bistrica and Zarichne, with an emphasis on sustainable local development and post-war recovery needs.

The mentorship visit concluded with the formal signing of a cooperation agreement by the mayors Bohdan Kvachuk (Zarichne) and Dr Ivan Žagar (Slovenska Bistrica). The agreement confirms a shared commitment to continued knowledge exchange, joint initiatives, and long-term municipal partnership, marking an important step toward stronger international cooperation at the local level.

The activities were supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia within the framework of Slovenian Aid, and implemented in cooperation with U-LEAD with Europe.

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First set of workshops in Montenegro successfully concluded

First set of workshops in Montenegro successfully concluded

28. 11. 2025 | Montenegro - finance, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance

Our programme in Montenegro has come to a close after intensive workshops with police units and prosecutors across the country. Sessions were held in Bijelo Polje, followed by workshops in Podgorica for the central and southern regions.

Yesterday, we also held a focused session with the working group preparing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Montenegrin police, an important step toward strengthening institutional processes.

Participants explored key elements of effective financial investigations, including:
🔹 the Slovenian legislative framework (ZOPNI) and prosecutorial leadership
🔹 early identification of financial elements in police work
🔹 practical case-based insights and police–prosecution cooperation
🔹 challenges in practice and priorities for 2026

The activities were carried out within the project “Strengthening capacities in the field of financial investigations in Montenegro (2025/2026)”, implemented with the support of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, in cooperation with the Slovenian Police and the Slovenian Ministry of Interior.

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Upcoming workshops in Montenegro: Strengthening capacities for financial investigations

Upcoming workshops in Montenegro: Strengthening capacities for financial investigations

20. 11. 2025 | Montenegro - finance, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance

Next week, the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) is launching the first set of workshops in Montenegro as part of the project “Strengthening the capacities for financial investigations in Montenegro.” The workshops will take place on 26 November in Bijelo Polje and on 27 November in Podgorica, bringing together police officers and prosecutors from regional centres across the country.

Building on the findings of the needs analysis and the successful October study visit to Slovenia, the workshops will focus on strengthening the operational and institutional capacities of Montenegrin authorities involved in financial investigations. Participants and Slovenian experts will discuss:

  • good practices stemming from the Slovenian legislative framework (including ZOPNI),

  • the role of prosecutors in directing financial investigations,

  • practical case analysis based on real Slovenian investigations, with emphasis on overcoming bottlenecks,

    • early detection of financial elements in criminal cases and operational coordination between police and prosecution,

    • inter-institutional cooperation and shared challenges within the Montenegrin context.

    Each workshop includes a dedicated discussion session to identify current obstacles and training needs for 2026. A specialised working group will also convene in Podgorica to advance the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for financial investigations, a key next step of the project.

    These activities mark another important milestone in strengthening professional expertise and cooperation between Montenegrin institutions in the fight against organised crime, corruption, and money laundering.

    The project is implemented by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) with the support of the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through Slovenian Aid & Partnerships, in cooperation with the Slovenian Police and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia.