The President of the Pan-Slovenian Shareholders' Association Kristjan Verbič, MA, concluded his official meetings in Madrid by visiting one of the most distinguished and influential law firms Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo. Representatives of the World Federation of Investors (WFI) and International Financial Litigation Network (IFLN), on Friday concluded the joint section of both meetings by having gala reception and dinner. On this occasion, more than 40 participants gave speeches, and they presented their activities and views on the possibilities of cooperation. VZMD President stressed, in a memorable speech, an exceptional importance of the parallel WFI and IFLN sessions, and the possibilities of further cooperation between small shareholders and individual investors, on a global as well as on a national level, and he also pointed out that the inclusion of respectable and influential law firms is inevitable. Mr. Verbič expressed his support for implementation of Class Action to European Legislation, because this legal regulation has proved to be effective in the USA and in Netherlands. 

The President of the Pan−Slovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD), Kristjan Verbič, MA, attended at the seat of The Central Bank of Spain in Madrid a discussion about the future and relevance of Central Banks in the European Union. At the same time protesters gathered in front of The Central Bank of Spain, and they welcomed the legal action brought by the law firm Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo against The Central Bank, because of fraud against small shareholders, for which Spanish State Bank Bankia is also held responsible.

Between September 24 and 27 an Establishment Congress of the international network of esteemed law firms - International Financial Litigation Network - will take place in Madrid. The President of the Pan-Slovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD), Kristjan Verbič, MA, is also attending the congress of the newly established network, which is taking place on the initiative of one of the leading and the most esteemed law firms in Spain - Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo. Mr. Verbič is attending the congress in the framework of efforts for protection of shareholders and investors.

VZMD President Kristjan Verbič, MA, welcomed in VZMD (PanSlovenian Shareholders Association) premises Senior Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Budapest Mr. Bradwin Niblock who arrived in Ljubljana on Monday, and he attended Tuesday's meeting of business representatives and Slovenian Honorary Consuls – Mr. John Domo, from Toronto, and Mrs. Ginette Gagne Koch from New Insbruck. The possibilities of the economic co-operation, and the programme of the forthcoming visit of the Slovenian delegation to Canada were also presented at this meeting, which was held at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.

In the framework of Monday's meeting the high-profile guest became familiar with VZMD efforts and activities, primarily those related to the international business-investment programmes Invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and International Investors` Network (invest-to.net). The two partners in dialogue also discussed the possibilities of presenting the above mentioned programmes in the framework of the Slovenian business delegation's visit to Canada. The Slovenian delegation will most likely visit Toronto and its surrounding area between November 14 and 20, 2103, and it is, among other things, planning to attend Food and Wine Trade Fair »Gourmet Food & Wine Expo Toronto«, and power conference APPrO 2013.

A strong economic delegation visited the Ukrainian capital Kiev and participated at the Slovene-Ukrainian Business Conference at the Kiev Chamber of Commerce, this Monday and Tuesday. Among the 20 delegation members, representatives of the Slovenian companies and institutions, was also VZMD President Kristjan Verbič, M.Sc., who was attending this important conference in the framework of endeavours of international business-investment programmes VZMD Invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and International Investors` Network (invest-to.net). A considerable interest has been shown in the Slovene companies and investment projects included in the investo.si programme, and additionally, the Ukrainian Investor Relations Agency has expressed an interest in the inclusion in the highly respected international organizations - European Federation of Financial Services Users (EuroFinUse) and World Federation of Investors (WFI) - represented during this visit by VZMD President, who is an active member of these organizations.

Between 1^st and 3^rd September the 8^th Bled Strategic Forum took place under the title 'A Changing Europe in a Changing World'.

The Forum was attended by over 350 respected participants, among others Mr. Borut Pahor, President of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Alenka Bratušek, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Heinz Fischer, Federal President of the Republic of Austria, Mr. Enrico Letta, President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Mr. Karl Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

As a guest, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, President of the PanSlovenian Shareholders` Association (VZMD) and Member of the Board of Directors of the European Federation of Financial Services Users (EuroFinUse), also actively participated at the Forum in the context of the international investors' programs Invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and the International Investors' Network (invest-to.net).

The Bled Strategic Forum is one of the leading international conferences in the region and has in the past seven years grown into a successful platform for high-level strategic dialogue among leaders from the private and public sectors focusing on key issues facing Europe and the world in the 21^st century. Welcoming prominent guests from Europe and beyond, the Bled Strategic Forum has established itself as an important annual gathering aimed at making commitments for the implementation of new strategies designed to confront the most pressing issues of today's Europe and the world.

This year's Forum focused on current economic issues facing Europe, especially prospects for the EU Economic and Monetary Union. Respected guests also discussed the economic perspectives of Russia and Central Asia, where the VZMD and its international investors' programs investo.si and investo.international are also strongly present.

Within the framework of the Forum, a commercial contract has been signed between the Slovenian companies Riko, Marmor Hotavlje and Stilles for the supply of furnishings for the Kempinski Hotel in Minsk, Belarus. The whole project is worth over 150 million €, making it the biggest project of this kind led by a Slovenian company. On this occasion, Mr. Janez Škrabec, CEO of Riko Company, thanked the Economic Diplomacy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their assistance and help.

On 18 October 2013 the international conference "The Financial Repression of Savers and Investors" will take place at the Vienna Insurance Group in Vienna, organized by Interessenverband für Anlege (Austrian investor society) and the European Federation of Financial Services Users (EuroFinUse).

At the conference, distinguished guests and participants will discuss the negative short and long term real returns on pensions savings, various taxations and increase thereof, the weaknesses in the protection of investors in the life and pension insurance. EuroFinUse recently published a study on this titled "The Real Return of Private Pensions", which points out a troubling statistic published by OECD and showing that real returns of private pension funds in the last five years were negative in many EU members. They also point out that the OECD study only deals with pension funds, but not with all of the costs, impact of taxation and some other aspects. Read more on the study HERE.

Pan-Slovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD), which is among the most active members of EuroFinUse and whose President is a Board member of EuroFinUse, included among the panel speakers a representative of Slovenian insurance industry, expectedly Member of the Management board of Zavarovalnica Triglav, which is one of 26 companies participating in the VZMD investor programs.

As this year's European Business Angel Network Association (EBAN) conference EBAN 2013 in Vienna (click on the image right to watch the VIDEO REPORT) and the EuroFinUse international conference at the European Parliament (click on the image left to watch the VIDEO REPORT), this conference will also be monitored by the investo.tv team, which will prepare a video report.

As part of its international investors' programs invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and International Investors' Network (invest-to.net), VZMD will introduce the companies, institutions and investment projects included in the two programs.

VZMD invites all to communicate their esteemed interest in participating at the aforementioned and other events in 2013 to the investo.si program coordinator at VZMD by phone at ++386 31 770 771 or by sending e-mail to tratar@investo.si.

The 19thgeneral meeting of Gorenje, d.d. took place in Velenje on 5 July 2013. On that occasion, the president of VZMD (Pan-Slovenian Shareholders' Association), Mr. Kristjan Verbič, acted as an agent of 68,064 shares under authorizations by 322 shareholders, which he received as the ninth nominated authorized agent in view of organized collection of proxies,where 1,282 shareholders (out of 17,718 of Gorenje shareholders in total) granted their authorizations.

The seminar on "How to do business with the Russian Federation" took place in the premises of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia yesterday. The seminar which was organized by SPIRIT Slovenia, the Association of Slovenia and Russia and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Slovenia, was attended by 59 representatives of Slovenian companies and by numerous representatives of diplomacy, institutions and associations, including the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Ljubljana H.E. Mr. Doku Zavgaev, the acting manager of the Public Agency SPIRIT Slovenia, Boštjan Skalar, President of the Slovenia-Russia Society, Saša Geržina, Director of the Russian Scientific and Cultural Centre Rifat Pateev, Director and President of the Slovenian-Russian Business Council Janez Škrabec, President of the Slovenian-Russian Business Club in Moscow, Metod Dragonja, and the owner of Kondor Union in Moscow, Oleg Abramov.

During the seminar, the business conference in Moscow was announced, and the President of the PanSlovenian Shareholders Association (VZMD) Mr. Kristjan Verbič introduced the activities related to their international investors' programs invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and International Investors' Network (invest-to.net). Mr. Verbič also brought forward the possibilities of Slovenian-Russian cooperation at the planned autumn conference "Slovenian Investors Day", which is organized by both the Russian Federation of Investors and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Moscow.

On Monday June 17, 2013, the President of the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD) Mr. Kristjan Verbič met with economic adviser Mr. Denis Mancevič in the presence of the President of the Russian Federation of Investors Mr. Aleksey Smirnov and the Presidium member Mr. Andrew Lesovoy at the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow (in the photo).

The conversations revolved around possible cooperation and efforts to intensify business relations, and among other things, the joint organization of the Slovenian Investors Day was decided upon. It will be carried out with the Russian Federation of Investors and the international investors' programs at VZMD: invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and Intenational Investors' Network (invest-to.net) and will take place at the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow in the fall with the support of the Slovenian economic diplomacy.

Joint meeting was agreed upon after the return of the Ambassador of Slovenia to Russia H.E. Ms. Ada Filip-Slivnik, Mr. Mancevič and Mr. Verbič from the visit of the Slovenian economic delegation in the Kazakh capital Astana and business center Almaty.

VZMD invites you to share your esteemed interest in participating in the aforementioned and other events in 2013 with the coordinator of the investo.si program at VZMD, by telephone: +386 31 770 771 or by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Last week, the Kazakh capital Astana and the Kazakh business, cultural and science center Almaty hosted the Kazakhstan-Slovenian business conferences. The conference in Astana was opened by the Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Karel Erjavec, the Kazakh Minister of Health Ms. Salidat Kairbekova and the Vice President of the Kazakh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Ajana Erenova. The conference in Almaty was opened by the Slovenian Director-General for Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Stanislav Raščan and the President of the Almaty Chamber of Commerce and Industry M.N. Bijarova.

As a member of the Slovenian business delegation, the President of the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD) Mr. Kristjan Verbič (in the picture beside the Ambassador of Slovenia to Russia Her Excellency Ms. Ada Filip-Slivnik and other distinguished participants at the opening of the business conference) actively participated in both conferences. In the context of B2B conversations, he also discussed the possibilities of Kazakh companies cooperating with particular Slovenian companies involved in the international investors' programs Invest to Slovenia (investo.si) and Intenational Investors' Network (invest-to.net), especially in the fields of logistics, IT, financial advisory services, construction, engineering, science and technology.

The conferences were attended by over 200 Kazakh companies and 28 representatives of Slovenian companies, who constituted the Slovenian economic delegation. Otherwise, the delegation concluded its visit with a gala meal and a trip to the Kazakh National Museum.

The World Bank, or rather its Centre for Financial Reporting Reform (CFRR) held a very important international conference in Bucharest yesterday, titled "The Audit Committee: the keystone of the financial reporting and audit process – from policy to practice". Mr Kristjan Verbič, President of PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD), also participated (link to the presentation) in the conference as an invited speaker and representative of the European Federation of Financial Services Users (EuroFinUse), where he acts as a member of the Board.

On this occasion Mr Verbič presented to the public for the first time the VIDEO REPORT from the international conference EuroFinUse "The Audit Reform - Impact on Investors", which took place in the European Parliament. The team at VZMD.TV and investo.tv had prepared the video for the European federation (to view click on the image to the right).

The notable conference was attended by more than 200 guests and visitors in addition to distinguished speakers from all over the world, including Henri Fortin – Head of CFRR (in the picture with Mr Kristjan Verbič), Chris Hodge – Director of Corporate Governance at the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), United Kingdom (also Chairman of the European Corporate Governance, Codes Network), Horia Neamtu – President of the Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania, Arnold Schilder – Chair of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, Hilde Blomme – Deputy Chief Executive of the European Federation of Accountants, Krzysztof Szułdrzyński – Partner in PWC Poland and many others.