ESA News
http://www.esa.int

9 June 2008

Slovenia signs Cooperation Agreement with ESA

An agreement on closer cooperation between ESA and Slovenia was signed on 28
May, by Rene Oosterlinck, ESA Director of Legal Affairs and External
Relations, and Mojca Kucler Dolinar, the Slovenian Minister of Higher
Education, Science and Technology.
 
In the ceremony at the Sneznik Castle (east of Ljubljana), the Prime
Minister of Slovenia, Janez Jansa, welcomed the ESA delegation and confirmed
the support his Government is ready to give to this new agreement.

In May 2006, a Slovenian delegation led by Mr Peterle (former Slovenian
Prime Minister and currently a Member of the European Parliament) visited
ESA's European Space Research & Technology Centre (ESTEC).

As a follow up, an ESA delegation went to Ljubljana in February 2007 to
exchange information with the State Secretary in the Ministry of Higher
Education, Mr Lesjak, and with many potential partners in the Josef Stefan
Institute and with entrepreneurs in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Slovenia is the second recent EU Member State to sign a Cooperation
Agreement with ESA. Estonia did so in June 2007. The adoption of the
European Space Policy by both ESA and the EU confirms the importance of
ESA's space activities for EU Member States. Several other EU members have
approached ESA with a request to participate in ESA's activities.

ESA participated through its Earth Observation Directorate in the 'Bridging
the gap' conference in Portoroz, 14-16 May 2008, which was organised by the
Slovenian Environmental Agency.

This Cooperation Agreement is a first step. It is expected that Slovenia
will in a few years become a European Cooperating State, with an increased
financial contribution to space activities.

For more information, contact:
 
Anabelle Fonseca Colomb
ESA International Relations Department
Tel: +33 1 5369 7238
Email: anabelle.fonseca.colomb {at} esa.int

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