Third annual meeting under the second Swiss Contribution

State Secretary, Ambassador of Switzerland, and head of National Coordination Unit | Author Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development in their role as National Coordination Unit, the Embassy of Switzerland, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, the Budget Supervision Office of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of Finance.

Her Excellency Gabriele Schreier, Ambassador of Switzerland, and Marko Koprivc, State Secretary responsible for Cohesion Policy, opened the meeting. They underlined the importance of successful bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Switzerland and expressed appreciation for the constructive collaboration to date.

State Secretary Marko Koprivc said: "Cooperation Programme is now entering its operational phase that is expected to deliver results on the ground. An important milestone in this process is the public call for proposals for educational institutions, marking the transition from strategic planning to concrete investments in solar energy and geothermal energy solutions with measurable environmental and social impacts."

The goal of the annual meeting was to review the progress made in the implementation of the second Swiss Contribution in Slovenia and of the Cooperation Programme that is operated by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy. The representatives of the National Coordination Unit and the Programme Operator outlined key achievements of 2025, presenting milestones and planned activities for 2026 and 2027.

After the meeting, the delegations visited Ilirija Sports Centre and Prule Primary School where they were joined by the representatives of the City of Ljubljana and the Geological Survey of Slovenia. At Ilirija Sports Centre, the delegations learned about the facility's energy-efficient design, which utilizes solar energy and geothermal water, and toured the pumping system beneath the swimming pool. The visit continued at Prule Primary School, where extensive renovation and construction work is in progress, together with the preparations for the installation of geothermal heat pumps.