On Monday, the Slovene business delegation arrived to Pristina, accompanying the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr. Karl Erjavec, on his official visit, at the invitation of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Behgjet Isa Pacolli. The visit was organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the public agency SPIRIT Slovenia, the Slovenian Business Club in Pristina (EAC), and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS). In addition to the meeting of the joint commission for economic cooperation between Slovenia and Kosovo, Monday and Tuesday saw a number of events and activities aimed at fostering the economic cooperation between the two countries. The individual presentation programs were followed by a reception at the residence of the Slovene ambassador in Pristina, while Tuesday was dedicated to the resounding Kosovo-Slovenia Economic Forum.

In the procedure for the review of the constitutionality, initiated by brokerage firm ALTA INVEST, d.d. (in collaboration with ILIRIKA d.d., GBD BPD d.d., and NLB d.d.), the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia decided to repeal the Book Entry Securities Act (ZNVP-1) in the part limiting the expenses for trading account management for natural persons to a maximum of 0.5% of the average share price on the account. This is yet another serious and possibly crippling blow to over 100,000 minority shareholders in the Republic of Slovenia, mostly those, who had to transfer their shares from free-of-charge registry accounts to payable trading accounts due to the amendment of ZNVP-1. It was also thanks to the PanSlovenian Investors' & Shareholders' Association (VZMD) protest and appeal that in September 2015 members of the Parliament included in the Act at least the limitation on the amounts charged by financial intermediaries, which the latter have now abolished through the Constitutional Court!

Last week, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, President of the PanSlovenian Investors’ & Shareholders’ Association (VZMD), sent an official letter to the Speakers of the National Assembly and the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, leaders of deputy groups, and presidents of parliamentary parties. The letter included his well-supported objections to the proposal for the change of Paragraph 10 of Article 296 of the amendment to the Financial Instruments Market Act (ZTFI-1) as proposed by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. The experts from VZMD firmly believe that the suggested change, which came only a year after the last aggravation of the situation, is evidently a new attempt to suspend the successful program called "Share SUPPORT" (VIDEO) and a step towards implementing additional unreasonable limitations to the lawyer's trust account of securities used for executing shared sales. These sales proved to be an extremely efficient part of the "Share SUPPORT" (VIDEO). In December 2017 alone, resounding shared sales were executed for shares, which up until that moment were considered worthless, yet brought to 1,100 shareholders collectively more than EUR 260,000 from sales. The realized values of such shares always significantly exceeded (sometimes even by six times) the previous market values attained by "professional" financial intermediaries.

THE GOVERNOR PULLS UP STAKES ‒ After the institutional robbery of the century in Slovenia, the Governor retreated to a sinecure with the higher authorities, where he would be as a Board member of the Single Resolution Board ‒ the central resolution authority within the Banking Union ‒ in charge of resolution planning and decision-making, of "bank bailouts with minimum consequences for taxpayers" – AN OVERVIEW OF HIS OUTSTANDING REFERENCES for the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The past weekend, the president of the Republic of Malta, Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, has hosted the Slovene delegation ‒ the representatives of the Hiša Sonca society and the Druga Violina restaurant, who were on a three-day official visit to the presidential palace. On Saturday, they organized a high-profile charity dinner and formal reception together with the Maltese "Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation" society (MCCFF). The reception took place in support of efforts by Maltese hosts to follow the successful Slovene example and establish a concept of a restaurant which also employs special needs persons.

Last Thursday, accompanying the visit from a high-level business and political delegation from the Republic of Serbia, and following the joint meeting of both governments in Brdo pri Kranju, an important business conference took place at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS), attended by more than 200 of the most prominent representatives from Slovene and Serbian enterprises, numerous ministers, and other prominent guests from both countries.

VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk1kEYT4z8U 

VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSnChdRokn8 

VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8lFOoKI-5E 

Other Related International Activities:

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from Wroclaw - 4 days of exceptional opportunities in »Slovenian Center«, juncture for business, investment and promotional interests

SLOVENIAN CENTER IN WROCLAW - large attendance and numerous opportunities for Slovenia's promotion, as well as promising business collaborations, also within the VZMD's business-investor programs and the premiere of its PRESENTATIONAL VIDEO

VIDEO INVITATION – Opportunity for company presentations - »SLOVENIAN BUSINESS CENTER« at the European handball championship

VIDEO REPORT from 10^th Bled Strategic Forum - the largest foreign affairs event in Slovenia

VIDEO REPORT on the 6^th this year's tour of the VZMD's international business-investor programs and its focal part - business angels delegation in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia

VIDEO REPORT and a brief VIDEO IMPRESSION from the Better Finance, the high visibility international conference in Brussels – readily applicable also to the circumstances and perspectives in Slovenia

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from Istanbul - the European Business Angels Investment Forum 2014

EXSCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT »Radenci-Gorica-Ljubljana-Portorož-Helsinki-Praia-Brussels« about this year's 8th tour of the international business-investment programmes VZMD – four important conferences across Slovenia, the European Business Angels Network Conference in Helsinki, the European Commission delegation »Mission for Growth« at Cape Verde, and the »European Small and Mid-Cap Awards 2014« in Brussels

BRUSSELS – conclusion of a tree-week tour of the VZMD international business investment programmes, and the prestigious »European Small and Mid-Cap Awards 2014«, as well as preparatory meetings related to investo.si in investo.international activities in 2015

PRAIA – VZMD President attending a special reception hosted by the President of the Cape Verde Republic. The VZMD President has also discussed the possibilities of a better cooperation with the Prime Minister and some members of the government, along with the visit of the »Mission for Growth« delegation led by the European Commission – an intense interest in the VZMD international investment programmes

PRAIA – VZMD President attending a special reception hosted by the President of the Cape Verde Republic. The VZMD President has also discussed the possibilities of a better cooperation with the Prime Minister and some members of the government, along with the visit of the »Mission for Growth« delegation led by the European Commission – an intense interest in the VZMD international investment programmes

WARSAW - a two-day international conference "Warsaw Capital Market Summit 2014" with influential participants from more than 40 countries with active presence of VZMD along with the business investment programs investo.si and investo.international

VIENNA – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the Annual Meeting and the Investor Conference of the World Federation of Investors (WFI)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT - Annual Meeting and Conference of the World Federation of Investors (WFI) in Vienna, Business delegation to Yaroslavl (Russia) & the BetterFinance Conference in Brussels

BRUSSELS – European Federation of Financial Services Users (EuroFinUse-Better Finance) yesterday presented an important report »Private Pensions: The Real Returns« with warnings and recommendations – apart from numerous representatives of the European Commission and Parliament, banks, stock-exchanges, funds and associations, the VZMD President Mr Kristjan Verbič also attended the Conference in Brussels

YAROSLAVL – Slovenian business delegation on a visit to an important Russian region – VZMD international business-investment programmes actively present in Yaroslavl, prior to the Annual Meeting and Conference of the World Federation of Investors in Vienna

VIDEO REPORT - 2nd High-level Symposium of THINK TANKS of China and Central and Eastern European countries

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT about the events at the Eurovision 2014 in Copenhagen – Slovenian representative Tinkara Kovač performed excellently and presented Slovenia also in the framework of the VZMD international investors & business programme investo.si and Slovenian business day in Denmark

SLOVENIAN DAY IN DENMARK – an exceptional presentation of Slovenia, its companies and trademarks accompanying the Eurovision 2014 Semi-finals – more than 500 guests from practically all participating countries were enthusiastic about the Slovenian culinary delicacies, Tinkara Kovač’s special live concert and the VIDEO REPORT about the team's journey to Copenhagen by camper vans - VZMD and investo.si received a great deal of praise and are preparing additional activities

VIDEO INVITATION for the Slovenian Business Day at Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen - Exclusive offer by Slovenian representative and VZMD’s international business-investors’ program investo.si − Invest to Slovenia

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the awards ceremony, organised by »IFIMES« International Institute on Bled, and from the gala event accompanying an exceptional international visit with promising business, political, and diplomatic contacts (Bled, February 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT about the week of the MOSCOW-VIENNA-CAPETOWN conferences involving the following: active participation of the international business-investment VZMD programmes, signing a memorandum with the Russian Federation of Investors, and protection of rights of the Slovene and European shareholders at the Viennese conference »The Financial Repression of Savers and Investors« (Moscow, Vienna, Cape Town, October 2013)

MOSCOW – At the Slovenian Embassy about a joint investors’ conference in the fall – an arrangement between the Russian Federation of Investors, VZMD and the Slovenian Embassy (Moscow, June 2013)

KAZAKHSTAN – a successful visit of the Slovenian business delegation in Kazakhstan – strong interest displayed in the international investors’ programs of the PanSlovenian Shareholders’ Association (VZMD): investo.si and investo.international (Astana, Almaty, June 2013)

WORLD BANK – President of VZMD and EuroFinUse Board Member speaker of the first panel at the international conference about audit reform and the importance of audit committees (Bucharest, June 2013)

VIENNA – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the European meeting of venture and start-up capital funds and the congress of business angels’ network EBAN 2013 – an active role of VZMD and its international investors’ programs investo.si and investo.international (Vienna, May 2013)

VIDEO REPORT – Variegated happening at the 19th financial fair KAPITAL 2013 at Cankar Hall, along two-day presentation of the international investors’ programs and the lecture of VZMD President (Ljubljana, April 2013)

VIDEO REPORT – exclusively from the European Parliament: the EuroFinUse international conference and the Election Assembly, the announcement of the new President and Board of directors of this influential European association, into which a representative of Slovenia is also re-elected (Brussels, March 2013)

BRUSSELS – Slovenia with VZMD once more elected to the top of the European Federation of Financial Services Users – intensive international activities today continue with a conference in the European Parliament (Brussels, March 2013)

TOKYO – conclusion of the visit of Slovene economic and political delegation with Slovenian-Japanese Business & Investment Forum and the reception at Japanese investors’ association – the active role of VZMD with its international investors’ programs investo.si and investo.international(Tokyo, March 2013)

INDIA – visit of Slovenian government and business delegation – on the basis of Memorandum between ICPE and VZMD international investors' programs investo.si and investo.international also present (New Delhi, February 2013)

Memorandum of cooperation signed between the International Center for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE) and VZMD, with additional expansion of activities within the framework of international investment programs investo.si and investo.international (Ljubljana, January, 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT of “International Conference on Benefits and Challenges of Public Private Partnerships for improving Energy Efficiency” – key statements of prominent participants (Ljubljana, October, 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - Prominent Participants of Two Key International Conferences in Bled, India and Slovenia as Business Partners and CloudForum, Show Interest in the Investors’ Week in September in Slovenia (Bled, March 2012)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from Slovenian - Azerbaijani Business Forum in Baku (Baku, January, 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from EuropeanIssuers International Conference on »The future of European Equity Markets« at the Milan Stock Exchange – programs investo.si in investo.international also at the upcoming International Investors´ Conference in Wiesbaden (Milano, November 2012)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT - Investors' week and the view of business potentials and investment opportunities during the visit of distinguished international guests at the Slovenian coast (Postojna, Koper, Piran, September, 2012)

VIDEO REPORT "Ljubljana declaration" – historic decision on unification of 50 organizations of shareholders and investors under one association and VZMD award »Polet« for »Model corporate governance in multinational corporation« to Gorenje company (Ljubljana, September 21, 2012)

Gala reception and dinner before International Conference on financial education and investors` exposition »investo Expo« (Ljubljana, September 19, 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia(Brussels, March 2012)

"Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" Exceptional Interest of Funds, Investors, and the Financial Media for Slovenian Companies and Its Investment Environment - The Introduction of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia's Newly Founded Affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro (Warsaw, October 2011)

SLOVENIA PRAISED IN PARIS – acclaimed presentation of reputable Slovenian companies at the largest European investment convention, Actionaria, and the General Assembly of the World Federation of Investors Corporation (WFIC) – VZMD.TV EXCLUSIVE BROADCAST (Paris, December 2010)

www.vzmd.si – More on the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association

www.vzmd.tv and www.investo.tv – Over 300 videos from VZMD.TV and investo.tv

www.investo.si – More on the investo.si – Invest to Slovenia Program

www.invest-to.net – More on the network of 65 national organizations of shareholders and investors – investo.international

"SLOVENIA CENTER ‒ I FEEL SLOVENIA" ‒ exceptional meeting point for business and social gatherings in Zagreb at the European Handball Championships (January 12‒28, 2018) ‒ will open tomorrow. In the Slovenia Center, whose partner and Golden Sponsor is also the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD) within the framework of its international business-investor programs Invest to Slovenia ‒ investo.si and International Investors' Network ‒ investo.international, sports, economic, investment and promotional interests will be combined in one-place. The opening ceremony and the following events will be attended by Mr. Kristjan Verbič, the VZMD President, and Ms. Jella Benner-Heinacher, the President of the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance), who will give a presentation of the Better Finance and international business-investor programs of the VZMD, which are celebrating the 10th anniversary of successful operation this year (Preliminary Programme 2018).

Until the end of the week, Malta will be hosting the annual meeting of the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance), which began yesterday with the meeting of the Legal Committee of Better Finance. At the latter, the PanSlovenian Investors’ & Shareholders’ Association (VZMD) President, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, was kindly asked to present the conditions and ramifications of inclusion of the Slovenian Central Securities Clearing Corporation (KDD) into the T2S Settlement Platform. Exactly this is about to incur new and disproportionate costs for shareholders, which, according to the assurances of the relevant Slovenian decision-makers, supervisors and financial industry, is recognized throughout Europe, but which is obviously not true. Each and everymember of the Legal Committee of Better Finance (reputable legal experts from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Sweden) was extremely shocked to hear about the conditions and circumstances regarding minority shareholders in Slovenia, and they were especially surprised at the practices regarding the compensations for the dividend payout, of which they first heard from Mr. Verbič.

After the PanSlovenian Investors' & Shareholders' Association (VZMD), upon adoption of the altered Act on book-entry securities (ZNVP-1), made persistent and  informed efforts to point out to the adverse effects of abolishing free-of-charge registry accounts of the securities belonging to natural persons, over the past few months, the association has come to the conclusion that “in fact there is an outbreak of extortionate practices conducted by the financial industry, with which the dividend payout turned into transactions which do not imply any income for the minority shareholders, but net expenses, despite being treated as an income in all property calculations and exercise of social rights. To regulate untenable, unlawful and detrimental actions, we have addressed an appeal to the National Assembly for an additional Authentic interpretation of the Act”, was how Mr. Kristjan Verbič remarked on the letter to legislator.