Slovenia reopens embassy in Ukraine

Slovenia has reopened its embassy in Kiev, after it evacuated all its diplomats from Ukraine on February 26 two days after Russia launched its full scale invasion.

The Embassy was reopened on Monday by temporary charge d'affaires Bostjan Lesjak, while Slovenian Ambassador to Ukraine Tomaz Mencin continues to work from the Polish city of Rzeszow which lies close to the Ukrainian border, the Foreign Ministry in Ljubljana said in a statement

"Upon arriving in Kiev, Lesjak said that he can hear alarms and detonations in the distance but that the life of the people who remained in Kiev continues as normal," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa visited Kiev on March 15, along with his Polish and Czech counterparts, during which they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to express their support.

"We are back. The Slovenian and European flags flutter again in front of the (embassy). When the team travelled to the capital (Kiev) yesterday, they saw many civilians returning to the city," Jansa said on his Twitter account on Monday.

A government representative said on Monday that about 7,000 refugees from Ukraine have so far asked for a temporary protection in Slovenia, which lies between Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy.