Regional cooperation - CEP

Signing of sister-cities agreement between Hrastnik and Drohobych

14. 11. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine

14 November, Drohobych, Ukraine – Today, we have marked a significant step in cooperation between Drohobych Urban Hromada and Municipality Hrastnik.

The signing was celebrated with a discussion on inter-municipal cooperation and a public discussion on the role of local communities and international partnerships in supporting Ukraine’s recovery and rebuilding efforts, with the signing and the accompanying activities in Drohobych organised under the auspices of the project “Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Ukraine”. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia (Slovenia Aid and Partnerships Programme) and implemented by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) in Slovenia in partnership with the EU Programme U-LEAD with Europe implemented by GIZ Germany.

Signing on behalf of Municipality Hrastnik was Mr Marko Funkl, Mayor Hrastnik. Slovenian Ambassador to Ukraine, H.E. Ms Mateja Prevolšek, and representatives of U-LEAD with Europe Programme also attended the activities marking this significant step in the cooperation between the two municipalities.

The partnership between Hrastnik and Drohobych dates to 2021, when the first contacts were made under the U-LEAD with Europe framework, with initial cooperation plans focused on youth, culture, and tourism. At the outbreak of war, Hrastnik’s citizens showed their solidarity by sending significant humanitarian aid directly to Drohobych. The ongoing project with CEP has deepened the partnership, allowing for the development of concrete project plans, including equipping a rehabilitation centre in Drohobych and providing essential medical equipment to the local hospital. The cooperation will also aim to collaborate on enhancing the local and regional tourism sector in Drohobych, which will further strengthen our partnership through new joint ventures. Becoming a sister city has strengthened cooperation on multiple levels for years.

Seventh mentorship visit in Slovenj Gradec begins

13. 11. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine

13 November 2024, Slovenj Gradec – Today, we kicked off the seventh three-week mentorship of 2024 between the City Municipality Slovenj Gradec and Municipality Ladyzhyn under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.

The event was opened with a welcome speech and presentation of City Municipality of Slovenj Gradec by Mr Tilen Kligler, Mayor of Slovenj Gradec, who welcomed mentees Mr Maksym Chekryhin, Deputy Mayor of Ladyzhyn and Ms Olena Fadiievska, the Head of the Municipal Institution “Local Economic Development Agency of Ladyzhyn”. Mayor Klugler welcomed the mentees with an optimistic outlook, expressing his hope for a successful mentorship and possible future cooperation. Following was a presentation by Ms Ana Novak, CEP Project Manager, who presented the project and its objectives and Ms Nuša Blatnik, CEP Project Assistant, who presented the logistical aspects of the mentorship. Mentees from Ladyzhyn presented the municipality, the current reconstruction process and their

The three-week mentorship in Slovenj Gradec will cover project development and fund absorption, business development, the EU enlargement process on the local level, and alternative energy sources.

The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. The U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland, and Slovenia, to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the Ukrainian population.

“New Technologies and Cybersecurity” WB3C Training

11. 11. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation

Between 5 and 8 November 2024 CEP supported Government Information Security Office of the Republic of Slovenia (URSIV) in organizing a “New Technologies and Cybersecurity” training at the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Center (WB3C) in Podgorica, gathering 18 cybersecurity experts from public institutions of the Western Balkan countries for an intensive training.

The aim of the training was to strengthen participants’ understanding of new technological tools that can significantly enhance cybersecurity frameworks within their institutions, ensuring a proactive approach to emerging cyber threats. Participants explored the deployment of three cutting-edge technologies—artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and honeypots.

Nine Slovenian experts shared their insights on various aspects of these technologies and their role in cybersecurity, covering topics such as AI governance, cryptographic advancements, and the use of honeypots as threat intelligence tools.

Signing of sister-cities agreement between Drohobych and Hrastnik

30. 10. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, Ukraine

On 14 November, the events marking the signing of the sister-city agreement between the Drohobych Urban Hromada and Hrastnik Municipality, Slovenia, will be held in Drohobych, Ukraine. The signing ceremony and the accompanying activities in Drohobych are organised under the auspices of the project “Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Ukraine”. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia (Slovenia Aid and Partnerships Programme) and implemented by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) in Slovenia in partnership with the EU Programme U-LEAD with Europe implemented by GIZ Germany.

The partnership between Hrastnik and Drohobych dates to 2021, when the first contacts were made under the U-LEAD with Europe framework, with initial cooperation plans focused on youth, culture, and tourism. At the outbreak of war, Hrastnik’s citizens showed their solidarity by sending significant humanitarian aid directly to Drohobych. The ongoing project with CEP has deepened the partnership, allowing for the development of concrete project plans, including equipping a rehabilitation centre in Drohobych and providing essential medical equipment to the local hospital. We also aim to collaborate on enhancing the local and regional tourism sector in Drohobych, which will further strengthen our partnership through new joint ventures. Becoming sister cities aims to solidify cooperation on multiple levels for years.

Seventh UA-SI mentorship in Slovenj Gradec

30. 10. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, Ukraine

13-27 November 2024, Slovenj Gradec – We are finalising the activities to kick off the seventh three-week mentorship under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’, which will take place in the municipality Slovenj Gradec. Joining the mentorship are representatives from Ladyzhyn (Ukraine). Mentors from Slovenj Gradec will share their experience and good practice on project preparation, business cooperation and energy efficiency. The visit will conclude on the 27 November 2024 at Jable castle.

The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.

Fact-finding visit in Skopje begins

21. 10. 2024 | North Macedonia - Nursing and Midwifery, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance

Novico v slovenskem jeziku najdete tu.

In Skopje, within the project “Advancing the Nursing and Midwifery Education and Profession in the Republic of North Macedonia”, a two-day professional visit began, with the participation of experts from Slovenia, including Prof. Dr. Brigita Skela Savič from the Angela Boškin Faculty of Health, Andrej Vojnovič and Anita Prelec from the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia.

The purpose of the visit is to meet with various stakeholders in the field of education and regulation of the professions of nurses and midwives in the Republic of North Macedonia. The aim is to obtain key information for the preparation of recommendations to improve the educational process and establish a comprehensive approach to the regulation of professions in nursing and midwifery care.

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.