6. 1. 2023 | POTC, PR
POTC’s Work Programme for 2023 has arrived and it is filled with trainings, courses and seminars that will enhance peace operations capacities in our region.
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku. 
All in all, we aim to deliver 11 diverse activities. Some are new such as the Climate Change, Peace and Security Pilot Training, while others are Work Programme musts such as the Gender Equality Training. Check out the whole list of planned activities for 2023 below:
- Protection of Civilians Training
- Disruptive Military Technologies Training
- International Humanitarian Law – Module II
- African Security and Defence Architecture Seminar
- Engagement with the Local Community – Pilot Training
- Stabilization and Reconstruction II
- Training on Trafficking of Human Beings – International Operations and Missions Context – Train the Trainer (ToT)
- Gender Equality
- HEAT Slovenia – Hostile Environment Awareness Training
- Climate Change, Peace and Security – Pilot Training
- Basic training for Civilian experts
POTC aims to deliver valuable skills and knowledge with a diverse course/training schedule that will ensure a more peaceful and secure international environment.
Check out our new LinkedIn page >>
3. 1. 2023 | POTC, PR
The POTC Team is happy to announce that we now have an official LinkedIn company page.
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
Creating a LinkedIn page for Peace Operations Training Centre is a logical next step when it comes to our online presence. LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to showcase what we do and connect with people who attend and carry out our programme, as well as connect with prominent figures in our field and all those interested in it.
Our plan is to engage and expand our network and also relay relevant information to our stakeholders. Our aim is to post and share relevant news from our field and consequently add to the overall peace and security conversation on LinkedIn.
Click on the following link and follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peaceoperationstrainingcentre/
19. 12. 2022 | North Macedonia - Communication, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektnih aktivnostih v slovenskem jeziku
The third workshop for the Working Group in charge of communication in the negotiation process on the content of Chapter 24 was held in Strumica, North Macedonia, from 13-15 December. During the workshops, the members of the group, coming from the Ministry of the Interior, the Financial Police, the Customs Administration, the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the National Security Agency, continued to strengthen their communication capacities both in the area of content and in the area of communication skills and techniques.
After years of waiting, North Macedonia finally started its EU membership negotiations this summer. The first reviews of alignment with the EU acquis have already started, so adequate and good communication of the Working Group with all stakeholders and in all directions is of utmost importance. Practical exercises and experiences from other countries are particularly welcome.
The participants of the workshops in Strumica received training in communication on the fight against organised crime (financial investigations, money laundering), migration (legal and illegal migration, readmission), and border management through interactive exercises and based on current messages from the latest EC Progress Report on North Macedonia. The exercises were conducted in two directions: on the one hand, training in understanding or interpreting the messages and information provided by the EC in the Progress Report, and on the other hand, training in information transfer or reporting back to the EC team members on the achievements and work carried out by North Macedonia.
The workshops also gave participants the opportunity to learn about the experience of communication in the negotiation process with colleagues from Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. They were very grateful for guidance on their good practices and advice on how to avoid bad ones.
The practical exercises also offered the participants training to improve their oral and written communication skills and techniques, both with domestic and foreign audiences.
These were the last workshops of the project Communication in Negotiation Chapter 24, which is implemented with Slovenian international development assistance from January 1, 2021, and ends on 31 December, 2022. The members of the Working Group in charge of communication in the negotiation process on the content of Chapter 24 confirmed that their communication capacities have been greatly strengthened and that they have made significant progress in this area. They expressed their deep appreciation for the knowledge, guidance, and training they have received and considered it extremely useful for the work they are doing and the work that lies ahead of them on the road to the EU.
The project is part of the activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
13. 12. 2022 | Danube, PR
The TalentMagnet consortium is happy to present the last eNewsletter of the project!
Two years of the project have already gone by in a flash, and the consortium has created important outputs, completed their pilot actions, tried out the tools prepared in the scope of the project, and more. Presentation of local plans for talent attraction and retention, all project activities, and a chat with TalentMagnet stakeholders were all a part of the final conference in Ptuj, Slovenia.
But we won’t spoil more about the content of the eNewsletter – you can read it here.
For more information about the TalentMagnet project, check out the Danube Transnational Programme website or TalentMagnet Facebook page.
7. 12. 2022 | POTC, PR
On December 5th POTC’s Program Council successfully concluded its 4th session with an agreement on an ambitious lineup of upcoming courses and trainings.
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
The session included an overview of this year’s activities, the proposed outline of activities in 2023, future financing, and recommendations for the programme ahead.
The Program Council expressed satisfaction with the work done by POTC in 2022. The Council Members shared their priorities regarding upcoming activities and also discussed ways of improving inter-departmental cooperation in order to support POTC’s future work and particularly the delivery of activities that require a greater deal of support from the official institutions.
The Program Council concluded with an official confirmation of the planned activities for 2023. The 2023 Work Programme will be published shortly.
6. 12. 2022 | PR
Yesterday, on 5 December 2022, we hosted a delegation of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia headed by its Chairperson, Prof Dr Nikoloz Samkharadze, for a discussion on the current situation in Georgia and the region.
Moderated by the Executive Director of CEP, Ms Katja Geršak, the stimulating discussion focused on the current state of affairs of Georgia, its Euro-Atlantic aspirations and the effects of the Russian aggression on Ukraine on Georgia.
During the discussion, Mr Samkharadze emphasised that in 2008 Georgia was the first victim of Russia’s aggression, and they warned the West that they will not be the last one. We can now see the story repeating in Ukraine. Russia still poses a substantial danger to Georgia’s sovereignty and statehood since it still hosts several thousand Russian soldiers on the occupied territories that can be mobilised at any moment.
Russia’s appetite for Georgia was not triggered by the talks of Georgia’s NATO accession but was present from Georgia’s independence onwards and has been manifested on several different occasions when the territorial integrity of Georgia was violated. Nonetheless, Georgia is a stabilising country in the Caucasus region and could further strengthen this role if it would be a member of NATO and the EU. The support of Euro-Atlantic integration is widespread – more than 80% of the population supports joining NATO and the EU; moreover, the integration is supported by all the political parties. Whereas “in reality, Russia has veto power over NATO accession”, there is no “reasonable explanation” why the EU did not grant EU Candidate status to Georgia. Mr Samkharadze and his colleagues see no other option than Georgia firmly embarking on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.
5. 12. 2022 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini.
On 28 and 29 November 2022, the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), in the scope of the project European Digital Diplomacy Exchange (EDDE), conducted a training in North Macedonia aimed at bolstering capacities of their strategic government communication capacities. The training brought together government communicators coming from different state institutions. Fully packed agenda aimed at strengthening their skills to be better prepared for the fast-paced and ever-changing digital communication environment.
At the beginning of the training, we were addressed by H.E. Ms Angela Agler, U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia and Mr Bojan Maricikj, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia.
After the welcoming remarks and icebreakers, participants took a closer look at the digital future, the policy as a lifestyle, digital campaigns, and how to work with Influencers. All four theoretical sessions were followed by short practical follow-up sessions in which local representatives presented the practical application of the theory through case studies. Understanding, identifying and responding to disinformation and social media analytics sessions were the last two theoretical sessions of the training. On the other hand, the practical part, consisting of three sessions, allowed participants to enhance their photography, videography, and graphic design skills.
The project is a result of cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, and the Centre for European Perspective.
The project is partially financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the scope of the program activities of international development cooperation.
The project is partially financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the scope of the international development cooperation program activities.
2. 12. 2022 | Danube, PR
With the Opening event held on 1 December 2022 at Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia begins its year of the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). The event’s participants were welcomed by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Marko Štucin, who, in his opening address, emphasised Slovenia’s support for Ukraine – the country that presided over the Danube Strategy before Slovenia.
In his address, Mr Štucin encouraged further cooperation in macro-regions. He emphasised the unique role of EU macro-regions, which offer the possibility for all countries, both EU members and non-members, to participate equally.
Sławomir Tokarski, Director of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), focused on the importance of continuing to facilitate the enlargement process in his address, commending the decision that Slovenia puts facilitation of enlargement as one of its focuses during the Presidency. Nataša Goršek Mencin, Deputy Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia, emphasised the importance of quick action and support of the EUSDR for Ukraine in the face of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and welcomed Slovenia’s decision to continue supporting Ukraine in its Presidency programme and support the empowerment of all actors in the Danube Strategy. The first part was concluded by Ms Nadija Afanasieva, representative of the Ukrainian National Coordination of the Danube Strategy. She thanked the TRIO Presidencies for their support and expressed her satisfaction that Slovenia will include the topics addressed by Ukraine during its EUSDR Presidency in its programme.
In the second part, Ms Petra Česen Čatar, Slovenian National Coordinator for the Macroregional Strategies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, presented the programme of the Slovenian Presidency and its institutional priorities. The thematic priorities of the Presidency were touched upon by Mr Jernej Grahor, representative of the Centre for European Perspective and coordinator of Priority Area 10, Mr Peter Volasko, representative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Slovenia and Mr Franc Žepič, representative of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Republic of Slovenia and coordinator of Priority Area 1b.
The Slovenian EUSDR Presidency will focus on the future development of the Danube Region and on the empowered cooperation of all EUSDR participating countries. Given that the Danube Region is one of the most heterogeneous and diverse regions in Europe, with nine EU and five non-EU countries, the Slovenian Presidency will prioritise the involvement and capacity-building of key stakeholders participating in the EUSDR.
To act as a promoter and facilitator of macro-regional cooperation between all countries and all macro-regional strategies, the Slovenian EUSDR Presidency has the following institutional priorities:
- Empowering involvement in the EUSDR
- Improving the strategic governance of EUSDR and macro-regional strategies
- Youth involvement and its role in the EUSDR
- Embedding process – evaluation and further steps
Taking into account the acceleration of the green and digital transition that will steer the transformation of societies and affect cooperation and connectivity, and recognising the challenges to transport and energy security in the region, the thematic priorities of the Presidency will focus on the expected transformation of societies and the role of knowledge in such societies and professions of the future, as well as transport and energy challenges in the region.
The Opening event of the Slovenian Presidency of the EUSDR continued with an informal discussion among EUSDR National Coordinators and Priority Area Coordinators, focusing on empowering involvement, strengthening the ownership of countries in the EUSDR and unlocking the potential of macroregional cooperation for non-EU countries.
Slovenia will hold the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023, with the conclusion at the 12th EUSDR Annual Forum, which Slovenia will hold on 24 and 25 October 2023 in Brdo pri Kranju.
