enewsletter EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA IN TEL AVIV July-August 2015

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1 enewsletter EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA IN TEL AVIV July-August 2015 HAPPENING NOW The 10 th Bled Strategic Forum Visions of New Partnership 31 August-1 September 2015 This year s Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) is marking its 10th anniversary. Over the years, the event has become one of the most visible international forums in the region. The Forum has developed into a platform for in-depth strategic discussion among decisionmakers in the public and private sectors about the major challenges facing Europe and the world in the 21st century. Its 10 th installment is expected to bring together 700 participants from different countries to deliberate on "Visions of New Partnership" over two days on 31 August and 1 of September. Bled Strategic Forum will be attended by prominent guests from Europe and beyond, state presidents and prime ministers, ministers of foreign affairs and others, high representatives of international organizations, businesspeople, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and young future leaders. The forum is organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective. More at: Dobrodošli doma Welcome Home 2015 For the fifth successive year, the Government s Office for Slovenians Abroad, organized the annual homecoming event for Slovenians living abroad, entitled Welcome Home. This year, the festival took place on July 4 in the medieval town of Ptuj. The main

2 ceremony began in the afternoon in the town center and was addressed by the Minister for Slovenians abroad, Gorazd Žmavc, and Ptuj s Mayor, Miran Senčar. The ceremony included performances by choirs, folklore groups, orchestras and theater groups by Slovenian minorities and expatriates, who came mostly from Croatia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Austria, Argentina, Germany, and Italy. Earlier in the morning, the government council for Slovenians Abroad met in a session to discuss the activities of organizations of Slovenians abroad and debate the board s initiatives. The session was attended by Prime Minister, Miro Cerar, who after the meeting stressed that the government would overhaul the country s strategy on cooperation with Slovenian communities around the world and would try to improve communication with them. The Minister for Slovenians Abroad, Gorazd Žmavc, pointed out that Slovenian expatriates are great ambassadors of Slovenia and that the government would prepare by the end of the year a plan to boost cooperation with the younger generations of expats. The meeting was also attended by Boris Pleskovič, president of the Slovenian World Congress, who believes the government should - among other things - simplify the procedure of recognizing education of those who studied abroad and want to return home. Next year s meeting "Dobrodošli doma!" will take place on the first Saturday in July.

3 ECONOMY Slovenian Exports Up 6%, Imports 4% in the first half of 2015 Slovenia recorded an increase in trade in the first half of the year, as figures released by the Statistics Office show a 5.8% jump in exports and 4.1% increase in imports year-onyear. Exports reached EUR 11.93bn between January and June, while imports were at EUR 11.57bn. The trade surplus reached EUR 355.7m. Data for June are also optimistic, with exports going up by 10.9% compared to the same month last year to EUR 2.15bn, while imports were up 6.6% to EUR 1.98bn. The import to export ratio was at 108.4% in June and the export surplus reached EUR 167.3m, the highest monthly value this year. The surplus was created due to an increase in exports to EU members and a drop in imports from countries outside the EU, the Statistics Office also said. In June, trade between Slovenia and EU members accounted for over three-quarters of the country's total trade. More than 76% of exports came from other EU countries and nearly 80% of imports came from there. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) welcomed the favorable trends, saying the value of Slovenia's exports significantly surpassed the value from the record year In the first half of 2008, exports were up 6.6% year-on-year to EUR 10.27bn, with the trade gap at EUR 1.37bn. From Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity: What did Slovenia export in 2013?

4 ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME LARA BOHINC Lara Bohinc is more than a name. It is a luxury brand of women s jewelry, shoes, bags, sunglasses and home accessories. Lara Bohinc is a young Slovenian and an industrial designer by profession. However, the jewelry and other design products that bear her name, and her design style, are anything but industrial. The Lara Bohinc brand is with a byword for prestigious and high quality products. Journey to the top Bohinc s journey to the world of fashion design started in Slovenia some 20 years ago. After graduating in industrial design in Ljubljana, her desire to design jewelry took her to London. She studied at Central Saint Martins and continued at the Royal College of Art. Her innovativeness and creativity were soon recognized by the esteemed fashion magazine, Vogue, and featured Bohinc s headwear, a pair of sterling silver headphones, designed as an accessory for a fashion show. Her steep path to the top of the fashion world began there. Nevertheless, fame and reputation in the fashion business, where only the best survive in the long run, did not come at once.

5 Bohinc has gained reputation with jewelry. Her collection for women was gradually upgraded with other fashionable accessories and footwear. At the 2014 London Design Festival she presented home accessories for the first time. There s no difference for me when I design jewelry, bags or anything else. It s all design. It s not even a jump from one line of products to another". The Lara Bohinc brand before establishing her own company, Bohinc worked for renowned fashion designers such as Lanvin, Gucci and Julien Macdonald. She then concentrated on creating her own brand. The Lara Bohinc brand is now a luxury trademark. Her company has its headquarters in London and is catering to numerous celebrities world wide. Solaris kinetic table by Lara Bohinc Besides jewelry and accessories, Lara Bohinc brand designs products for home such as glasses, candle holders, book stands, bottles, and exquisite accessories such as exclusive cigarette cases. In cooperation with the company Skultuna, Purveyor to the Court of Sweden, she designed home accessories. She has left a distinctive mark as a prestigious jewelry designer on these products. Jewelry consists of small items for the body, while items for the interior are jewelry for the home, she explains about designing home accessories. Her journey through the field of fashion is far from over. She has many plans, which she refuses to reveal. Source:

6 Tourist Arrivals in First Half Surge by 10% TOURISM Slovenian tourist providers recorded a 9.6% increase in tourist arrivals in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period last year, while overnight stays went up 6.6%, the Statistics Office reported on Friday. Foreign tourists generated 65% of all arrivals and 60% of all overnight stays. The number of foreign tourists in the first half of the year was up by 10.3%. The number of domestic tourist arrivals, meanwhile, increased by 8.5%. They generated almost 6% more overnight stays compared to the same period in2014. The biggest leap in overnight stays in the first six months on a yearly basis was observed in Ljubljana, where 19% more overnight stays were recorded, while another noticeable increase was seen in mountain resorts (8.1%). Source: ONE DESTINATION AT A TIME Novo Mesto Marks 650 Years since Founding Novo Mesto in the south-east of Slovenia is celebrating the 650th anniversary of the founding of what is now the seventh biggest city in the country and the capital of the Dolenjsko region. Several cultural and sports events are organized to mark the jubilee throughout the year. The area of Novo Mesto and the heart of Dolenjska were settled without interruption at least from 10 th century BC. It ranks as one of the most important moveable heritage of Slovenia since it comprises numerous unique objects especially from the time of early Iron Age known as the Hallstatt period. It is considered to be the very pinnacle of European archaeology. Novo Mesto has been nicknamed the "City of Situlas" after numerous situlas, elaborate bucket-shaped vessels from the Iron Age, were found in the area. "Two situlas from Novo Mesto" Source:

7 The city of Novo Mesto was founded by Habsburg Archduke Rudolf IV of Austria on 7 April The town was named Rudolfswerth, but the locals soon renamed it to Novo Mesto (New City). Photo: The city was officially renamed only after World War I and the dissolution of Austria- Hungary, when it became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Today the city, located on a bend of the Krka river, spreads over an area of some 30 square kilometres, and has, according to the last census, a little over 22,000 inhabitants. Novo mesto is the regional administrative, economic, educational and cultural center of Dolenjsko, which boasts some of the country's most successful companies such as Krka, Revoz, Adria Mobil and TPV. It is also home to a regional museum, Dolenjski muzej Novo Mesto, and one of the most progressive and avant-garde theatre outfits in the country, the Anton Podbevšek Teater. In 2006 Novo mesto also became the center of the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto, which is one of the three youngest dioceses in the country, next to that of Celje and Murska Sobota. The city is especially honoring athletes who have gained international acclaim, among them late gymnast Leon Štukelj, who won four Olympic medals and was declared Athlete of the Century in Source:

8 CULTURE & ART Ljubljana Puppet Theatre with Turlututu, at the International Festival of Puppet Theatre, Jerusalem Ljubljana Puppet Theatre with Turlututu, puppetry show, took part at the International Festival of Puppet Theatre, Jerusalem, on Monday, August 10, and Tuesday, August 11. The performance was for children ages 2 6. Source: Luciana Kaplun's solo show in Ljubljana Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana, Tobačna 001 Cultural Centre are hosting artist in residence Luciana Kaplun. Luciana Kaplun (born in 1981 in Argentina, lives and works in Tel Aviv) is the winner of the artist community scholarship from the Israeli Ministry of Culture and Sports for the year in which she was working with asylum seekers and migrant workers. She exhibited among others at Tel Aviv, Bat Yam Museum, Gallery Proclamation, Shulamit Gallery in Los Angeles and more. As a member of the artist group "Public Movement"she participated at a group exhibition curated by Avi Pitchon at the Tobačna 001 in Ljubljana in Kaplun is the fourth Israeli artist taking part in the artist in residency exchange between museum and galleries of Ljubljana and Israeli Digital Art center Holon. The opening of the exhibition curated by: Alenka Trebušak took place on August 11 and will close on September 4, The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra at Ljubljana Festival On 24 August Zubin Mehta is conducting the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert at Cankarjev dom with the following programme:

9 R. STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel s Merry Pranks, Op. 28 A. SCHOENBERG: Transfigured Night, Op. 4 P. I. ČAJKOVSKI: Symphony in B minor, No 6, Op. 74, Pathétique JUDAICA The Night that silenced the Violins On the eve of the 2 August 1944, the Nazis abolished the Zigeunerlager ( Gypsy camp ) in Auschwitz-Birkenau and in one single night killed several thousand Sinti and Roma in gas chambers. In memory of this tragic event is the 2nd of August in individual countries marked as the International Genocide of the Roma Remembrance Day. The memorial event "The Night that silenced the Violins" was held on Friday, 31 July 2015 at Židovski Square with the cultural program performed by the Romani society Ređina from Dolga vas near Lendava and with the presentation of Austrian-Romani writer Ceija Stojka. Memorial event. Photo: The event was officially opened by Alja Klopčič, deputy head of the Human Rights Department of the Directorate for Global Issues and Multilateral Political Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. The event was organized as part of the Stone Tears project, which is financially supported by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and Maribor Municipality. Source: Maribor synagogue

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