Lebanese capital of Beirut is hosting the meeting of the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance) and the World Federation of Investors (WFI). The high-level meetings and the high-profile international conference are taking place under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Lebanon, General Michel Aoun, and are organized by the distinguished law Office Boulos with the support of both international associations and Belgian Business Council in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Dublin hosted an important convention of the European Securities Exchanges (FESE) attended by over 300 important representatives of European institutions and financial industry, decision-makers and experts from 31 countries. The current expert discussion primarily addresses the role of stock exchange and capital markets, the influence of the MiFID II/MiFiR financial market reform and Brexit, the European future and strategic need for a sustainable union of capital markets.

At the organizers' invitation, this important event is attended for the third time by the VZMD President Mr. Kristjan Verbič. On the Tuesday night gala reception, Mr. Verbič took the opportunity to engage in discussions about the proposals and efforts from the VZMD and Better Finance, where he is a member of the Executive Board. Mr. Verbič spoke to the President of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Mr. Steven Maijoor, who was the keynote speaker at the reception, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance in Ireland Mr. Michael W. D'Arcy, the Better Finance Managing Director Mr. Guillaume Prache, the FESE President Mr. Petr Koblic, Head of the Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union at the European Commission Mr. Olivier Guersent, Director of the financial markets division at the European Commission Mr. Ugo Bassi, and numerous other FESE representatives, directors of European stock exchanges and regulatory authorities.

Through the discussions, Mr. Verbič also addressed the VZMD and Better Finance warnings regarding the non-compliance of the Slovenian Financial Instruments Market Act (ZTFI) with EU Directive no. 909/2014, which represents a hazard which could lead to the final destruction of the individual possession of securities in Slovenia. Additionally, he discussed the VZMD proposal to establish the European Tribune institute i.e. an Ombudsman for the economic rights in the EU, the unsuccessful efforts to resolve the issue of expropriated investors in Slovenian banks and the pertaining unconstitutionality, and the current changes of the Book Entry Securities Act (ZNVP-1B) where its authors failed to listen to constructive and well-supported suggestions prepared by the VZMD (in collaboration with Slovenian Consumers' Association).

Mr. Verbič had also discussed these issues with some of the attendees of the annual congress of the European Business Angel Network  (EBAN) in Helsinki, before he traveled to Dublin.

The annual European Business Angel Network congress (EBAN), one of the biggest international events in the field of start-up capital and business angels in Europe, organized for the 20th time by EBAN together with the national members’ organization, has concluded tonight in Helsinki. In addition to the Finnish Business Angel Network FiBAN), this year’s congress was co-organized by the Arctic15 conference, which is considered one of the most successful networking events for start-ups in Europe.

Following the recent 17th global Convention of independent financial advisors (CIFA) at the United Nations (UN) headquarters, entitled "How to mobilize private finance towards funding the Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)?", both the UN Web TV and the CIFA published video reports and interviews with individual participants, among others with the VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič (VIDEO).

Last week, Ljubljana hosted the 8th international conference "Africa Day", which was organized by the Bled Strategic Forum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Club of former Slovenian ambassadors. During the two days' event, over 300 international visitors discussed the future and perspectives of African-European relationships, and their collaboration – specifically in light of demographic changes, employment possibilities and migration patterns while taking into consideration the commitments and the goals of sustainable and inclusive growth. The introductory speeches were held by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Miro Cerar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Gana, Mr. Mohammad Habibu Tijani, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cape Verde, Mr. Luis Filipe Lopes Tavares (on photo with Mr. Verbič at the Mayor's reception). The VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, met with the latter in the Cape Verde capital of Praia on the island of Santiago back in 2014 as a member of the "Mission for Growth" delegation. The VZMD has been taking part in international "Africa Day" conferences actively since the very inception of investo.TV (VIDEO from the 2nd conference in 2013) – specifically in terms of efforts regarding their international business-investor programs Invest to Slovenia – investo.si and International Investors' Network – investo.international.  

Yesterday, the United Nation Organization (UN) in New York, USA, hosted the conclusion of the 17th International Forum of the Convention of Independent Financial Advisors (CIFA), this time titled "How to mobilize private finance towards funding the Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)?". The high profile conference, organized in cooperation with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), was attended by numerous prominent guests, decision makers, business persons, representatives of diplomacy, international organizations, universities and institutes as well as financial consultants and other renowned experts from around the world.

Details pertaining to the criminal charge by the National Bureau of Investigation (NPU) filed at the Specialized Office of the State Prosecutor (SDT), which was last week disclosed by the Mladina weekly (summarized in the headlines of the Slovenian Press Agency and numerous national media), among others, reaffirm the long-standing argumentations, procedures, charges and warnings given by the VZMD indicating that the pre-rehabilitation of Slovenian banks and wipe-outs or expropriations of investors actually did represent the plunder of the century (VIDEO). Therefore, the VZMD appeals to the public and would like the media or journalists to publish and acquaint the public with the entire criminal charge by the NPU, and to disclose offical findings regarding scandalous actions taken by the European financial vultures and local mischief-makers and traitors, who by doing all of this all the time have kept inflicting increasingly greater national damage!

This weekend, the United Nations (UN) in New York, USA, will host the beginning of the 17th International Forum of the Convention of Independent Financial Advisors (CIFA), this time titled "How to mobilize private finance towards funding the UN-SDGs?". At the organizers' invitation and as part of the VZMD's international business-investor programs Invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and International Investors' Network (investo.international), this important event will be attended by the VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, as well. The VZMD has been working successfully with the CIFA for many years, and in 2016 Mr. Verbič was an invited speaker at the highly visible 14th CIFA forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

On the occasion of Romanian presidency of the EU Council, Bucharest, Romania, hosted four high-level international meetings in regard to investing, capital and financial markets, corporate governance as well as the meaning and the rights of minority shareholders. At the invitation of the organizers, the VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič - apart from the annual meeting of the European Federation of Investors (Better Finance), where he was elected for the 4th term to the Executive Board, and their international conference »A New Deal for European Financial Services Users« - actively participated in the 23rd conference "European Corporate Governance Conference" – organized by the ecoDa European Confederation of Directors Associations and Ernst & Young – meeting of Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE), and Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) and the eminent "EUROFI High Level Seminar 2019" and their traditional gala dinner.

On the occasion of Romania's presidency of the EU Council, Bucharest, Romania, hosted four high-level meetings last week on investing, capital and financial markets, corporate governance as well as the role and rights of minority shareholders. At the organizers' invitation, the high-profile meetings and conferences were also attended by the VZMD President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič. Besides the annual meeting of the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance), during the three days Mr. Verbič also attended the 23rd "European Corporate Governance Conference" – organized by Ernst & Young and the Romanian Independent Directors Association, as a member of the European Confederation of Directors Associations ecoDa – the meeting of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) and the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) as well as the eminent "EUROFI High Level Seminar 2019" and their traditional gala dinner.

On Wednesday, the Chairperson of the National Council Mr. Alojz Kovšca and his expert associates received the VZMD President Mr. Kristjan Verbič. The focus of their meeting was the bill of the Act on Judicial Relief Granted to Former Holders of Qualified Bank Credit (ZPSVIKOB), prepared by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia. Mr. Verbič took the opportunity to present the comments on the new bill, which were drafted by the VZMD, and expressed the hope that the National Council will continue its constructive and proactive approach in addressing the issue of  expropriated investors in Slovenian banks and participation in the pertaining legislative procedure intended to remedy the resulting unconstitutionality. This is particularly important in light of the downright scandalous Bill of the Ministry of Finance, which, given the ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia (VIDEO), additionally aggravates the proven unconstitutionality!

This year's 3rd tour of the international business-investor programs investo.si and investo.international kick-started last week with a visit to Moscow. As part of the tour, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, VZMD President also visited Istanbul, Luxembourg and Brussels. In Moscow, Mr. Verbič participated in several meetings scheduled at the eminent Gaidar Forum, at which he actively participated in January. The meetings were characterized by efforts towards strengthening business and investment cooperation between Slovenia and Russia, also in light of the planned visit from the Prime Minister Šarec to the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Medvedjev.