On Wednesday, March 28^th, 2012, Kristjan Verbič, the President of the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association, and Sarah Kavšek, the Secretary General, along with over 70 other business professionals, actively participated at the "India and Slovenia as Business Partners" Roundtable, which was organized by the Embassy of India to Slovenia, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, and the IEDC School of Management in Bled, where the event was also held (click on the picture to the left to view the VIDEO REPORT).  The welcome speech and introductions were given by Danica Purg, the President of the IEDC, H.E. Jayakar Jerome, the Ambassador of India to Slovenia, Marjan Hribar, the General Director of the Slovenian Directorate for Tourism and Internationalization, and Samo Hribar Milič, the President and General Manager of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.  The keynote speech, which was addressed by Dilip Chaudhary, the Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises for the Government of India, discussed the opportunities that India possesses and the advantages that Slovenian companies have by entering this market.   The very interesting and invigorating panel delved into the numerous various Slovenian businesses that have penetrated the Indian market and their overall experiences.

After the discussion on the Indian and Slovenian business potential, the VZMD representatives joined the first-ever CloudForum, which organized by BledForum, the Center for e-Governance Development, and Consalta.  It emphasized the necessity and potential of Information technology, which is one of the driving forces behind a successful and lucrative business.  The keynote speech given by Jose Cordeiro, the Director of the Venezuela Node of the Millennium Project, spotlighted the future of technology and technology of the future from the IT standpoint.  Other prominent speakers also included Blaž Golob, the Director of the Center for e-Governance Development in Southeast Europe, Biljana Weber, the General Director of Microsoft Slovenia, and others.

The numerous participants of both events in Bled were very enthusiastic about the upcoming Investors' Week 2012, which will be hosted by the VZMD through its investo.si – Invest to Slovenia program, and will be taking place from the 19^th to the 23^rd of September in Ljubljana.  It will comprise of over 100 representatives and over 50 national associations of investors and shareholders, including members of EuroFinuse – European Federation of Financial Services Users, Euroshareholders – European Organization of Shareholders Associations, and the WFIC – World Federation of Investors Corporation, which together just in Europe embody over 4 million individual investors and shareholders.

This will mark the first time that all three prominent organizations and its members will meet simultaneously.  Numerous investors' representatives from many national organizations will visit Ljubljana including the Chairman of the WFIC, Roger H. Ganser (USA), the President of the WFIC, Jean-Pierre Paelinck (Belgium), the Vice President of the WFIC, Frank Fumio Kaneko (Japan), Robert Dannenberg (Brazil), Aldo Sicurani (France), the Vice President of the Russian Federation of Investors, Aleksey Smirnov, the President of Euroshareholders and EuroFinuse, Jella Benner-Heinacher (Germany), the Secretary General of Euroshareholders, Guillaume Prache (Belgium), the Vice Presidents of Euroshareholders, Günther Mårder (Sweden) and Jan Maarten Slagter (the Netherlands), along with many other representatives.  The VZMD, through its investo.si program and along with other partners, will organize the first-ever "Investors' Week," which will be a two-day investors' convention where a wide range of Slovenian and international industries and products will be represented and promoted with the hope of establishing new relations and capital for the participating guests. Furthermore, at the Investors' Week, conference sessions, discussion groups, educational workshops, and an Expo will be offered for visitors and guests, providing a proactive approach to gain knowledge from experts.

We cordially invite all companies, institutions, and the Slovenian as well as international community in general to partake and participate at the event. We also warmly welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas to truly make this a memorable experience for all participants who will be attending this event of the year, where the investors' world will meet in Ljubljana.

Other Notable International Activities:

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)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from the Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party, and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia (Ljubljana, December 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony (Ljubljana, December 2011)

Very Successful Visit of the AEMEC Conference and at the Headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid (Madrid, November 2011)

EUROSHAREHOLDERS General Assembly - Slovenia voted as Member of the Board; Russia and EFES Accepted as Associate Members; General Secretary, President, and Vice-Presidents Elected to Another Term; Next Assembly to Be Held in Slovenia (The Hague, October 2011)

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member (Warsaw, October 2011)

"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)

On Friday, March 16^th, 2012, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, the President of the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association, and Ms. Sarah Kavšek, the Secretary General, along with the VZMD.TV and investo.tv film crew, actively participated at the opening ceremony of the Brussels Stock Exchange, the EuroFinuse and Euroshareholders' International Conference on Financial Services Users' Protection, and the Press Conference discussing the call for further EU actions in 2012.  

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Jella Benner-Heinacher, the President of Euroshareholders, the European federation of shareholders' organizations, and of EuroFinuse, the European organization of Financial Services Users, known before as EuroInvestors, was joined by Mr. Frédéric de Lamine de Bex, the director of Institutional Relations at the NYSE Euronext, Mr. Guillaume Prache, the Managing Director of EuroFinuse and the Secretary General of Euroshareholders, and Mr. Jan Maarten Slagter, the Vice-President of Euroshareholders.  With the ringing of the ceremonial bell, she commenced trading on the Brussels, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Paris Stock Exchanges.

Following the bell ceremony, the representatives of the VZMD partook at the EuroFinuse and Euroshareholders' International Conference on Financial Services Users' Protection and a Press Conference discussing the call for further EU actions in 2012.  One of the main objectives and topics for discussion of the International Conference in Brussels was to how restore trust in the capital markets, since in light of the global financial crisis, is presently a heavily debated and deliberated theme.  The key note speech addressed by Mr. Jonathan Faull, the general director of Internal Market and Services of the European Commission, also highlighted this issue and many others, including current issues regarding retail investors' protection, the point of view of the European Commission, and the steps that the European Commission has taken and will take in the following years to protect individual investors. 

Other prominent speakers included Mr. Vincent J. Derudder, the Chairman of FECIF – European Federation of Financial Advisers and Financial Intermediaries, Mr. Jarkko Syyrila, the Deputy Director General of EFAMA – the European Fund and Asset Management Association, and other renowned contemporaries from financial themes.  

In addition, the preceding Press Conference on the call for further EU actions in 2012 tackled five major points, which included: EU sovereign bonds, financial transaction tax, investment advice regarding MiFID, PRIPS, and IMD directives, shadow banking, and the collective redress scheme.

Above all, the numerous investors, journalists, and experts in these fields were very enthusiastic about the upcoming Investors' Week 2012, which will be hosted by the VZMD through its investo.si – Invest to Slovenia program, and will be taking place from the 19^th to the 23^rd of September in Ljubljana.  This will be the world's largest meeting of investors' representatives and the first time that Euroshareholders, EuroFinuse, and the WFIC-World Federation of Investors' Corporations will simultaneously convene at the investors' summit and convention.  In Brussels, many of the prestigious and esteemed guests have already confirmed their participation at the conference in Slovenia.

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony

On the 17th of December, by invitation of the VZMD - Panslovenian Shareholders' Association, Dr. Jean-Pierre Paelinck, President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation and the long-term Honorary Secretary General of Euroshareholders, the organization of European shareholders associations, arrived in Slovenia.  At the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, Dr. Paelinck and his wife were awaited by the President of the VZMD, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, M.Sc., and the VZMD Secretary General, Ms. Sarah Kavšek.  After their arrival, Dr. Paelinck and his wife toured the center of Ljubljana, including the always exciting and jovial Plečnik's open market, and left for an excursion to the Primorska and Karst regions of Slovenia.

The honored guest, during his four day stay in Slovenia, will have a hefty schedule including Monday's Award Ceremony, where Mr. Jean-Pierre Paelinck will present the recipients of the Euroshareholders' and VZMD's Award for the "Most Shareholder Friendly" company and for the company that took the "Most Courageous Capital Market Steps" and meet with many distinguished businessmen, diplomats, and journalists.  At the VZMD annual celebration, Dr. Paelinck will also announce next year's meeting of the WFIC, Euroshareholders, and the EFI - European Federation of Investors, which the VZMD and its investo.si - Invest to Slovenia program will organize in September in Ljubljana.  This will be the first time that all three organizations, which comprise of over 100 representatives and over 50 national associations and embody over 4 million individual investors just in Europe alone, will have their meetings simultaneously.  Through the investo.si program, an investors' convention will also be organized, where a wide range of Slovenian, Southeastern European, and international industries and products will be represented and promoted with the hope of establishing new relations and capital for the participating guests.  Furthermore, at the investo.si Investors' Convention, conference sessions, discussion groups, and educational workshops will be offered for visitors and guests, providing a proactive approach to gain knowledge from experts. 

We cordially invite companies, institutions, organizations, and businesses to partake and participate at the event and also warmly welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas to truly make this a memorable experience for all participants.

Implementation and Supplementation of the Strategy and the Requirements of Euroshareholders and EuroInvestors for a New EU Financial and Investment Regulation; Intensive Preparation for the Largest International Meeting of Investors' Representatives in Slovenia

Madrid, November 14, 2011 

On November 14, 2011, the President of the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD), Mr. Kristjan Verbič, returned from his very successful, work-intensive visit in Madrid, where he, as a guest of the Spanish Association of Shareholders (Asociación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas - AEMEC), partook at their 4^th Annual Congress entitled "The Hour of the Minority Shareholder in Europe and Spain" (see program below).  The aforementioned congress was visited by numerous, prominent representatives of Spanish issuers of stocks, financial institutions, market regulators, representatives of the EU, and the well-distinguished representatives of the Organization of European Associations of Shareholders (Euroshareholders) and the European Federation of Investors (EFI - EuroInvestors).

Following the congress, the Euroshareholders/AEMEC "Most Shareholder - Friendly" Award was given to Don Emilio Botín (see picture, right), President of Banco Santander, one of the largest banking groups in the world and the largest in the Eurozone, at the bank's headquarters.  There Mr. Verbič met with the renowned owner and his closest co-workers and exchanged the views and perspectives, as well as some ideas, of the possibility of the bank's participation at next year's investors' meeting and convention, which the VZMD is organizing in Slovenia through its investo.si - Invest to Slovenia program.  

The VZMD President, during his trip, was also actively engaged in numerous bilateral and multilateral discussions aimed at relaying the Euroshareholders' and EuroInvestors' strategy regarding the changes and supplements to the EU Directive and Regulation on the financial and capital markets concerning the protection of minority shareholders and individual investors.  A brief summary of the activities, perspectives, and current status of these activities was presented at the congress by the Secretary General of Euroshareholders, Mr. Guillaume Prache (please click on the document, left). 

Mr. Verbič, at this extraordinary event and opportunity, also highlighted the meeting of over 100 global representatives of the investors, which through their national associations will participate at the Annual Meetings of the World Federation of Investors Corporation (WFIC), Eurosharesholders, and EuroInvestors next year in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  This will be the first time that all three notable organizations, which embody over 4 million individual investors, will have their meetings at the same time and at the same place.  Through the investo.si program, an investors' convention will also be organized, where a wide range of Slovenian, Southeastern European, and international institutions, industries, and products will be represented and promoted with the hope of establishing new relations and capital.

EUROSHAREHOLDERS - Slovenia voted as Member of the Board; Russia and EFES Accepted as Associate Members; General Secretary, President, and Vice-Presidents Elected to Another Term; Next Assembly to Be Held in Slovenia

The Hague, October 28, 2011

The General Assembly of the Organization of European Shareholders' Associations (Euroshareholders), which took place on Friday, October 28, 2011 in The Hague, was for Slovenia and the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association very fruitful.  It was confirmed that next year's General Assembly will be hosted by the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association in Slovenia.  Also, the President of the VZMD, Kristjan Verbič, M.Sc., was unanimously nominated as a Member of the Executive Board, the highest functioning body of this prestigious international organization, which was established in 1992 and unites 31 national associations of shareholders and investors.    

In addition to Mr. Verbič's election to the Board, others were also selected: Euroshareholders' President, Jella Benner-Heinacher (DSW, Germany), Bolli Hedinsson (ISA, Iceland), Paul Huybrechts (VFB, Belgium), Euroshareholders' Vice-President Günther Mårder (Aktiespararna, Sweden), Aldo Sicurani (FFCI, France), Euroshareholders' Vice-President Jan Maarten Slagter (VEB, the Netherlands) and Henning Wegener (AEMEC, Spain).  On the picture: Henning Wegener, Kristjan Verbič, Jella Benner-Heinacher, Guillaume Prache in Sarah Kavšek (left to right).

The current Secretary General of Euroshareholders', Mr. Guillaume Prache, was also re-elected to another term.  In addition to being the Secretary General, Mr. Prache is also the Managing Director of the European Federation of Investors (EuroInvestors), the First Chairman of the European Securities and Markets Stakeholders Group (SMSG), which is a constituent of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) - an independent EU Authority, which on January 1, 2011, replaced the Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR), that contributes to safeguarding the stability of the European Union's financial system by ensuring the integrity, transparency, efficiency and orderly functioning of securities markets, as well as enhancing investor protection, and a great friend of VZMD and Slovenia (view the Video Commentary, below).

At this Assembly, the Union of Borrowers and Investors of Russia (UBIR), represented by Alexej Smirnov, Deputy Chairman of the Council on Foreign Affairs, and the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership (EFES) became associate members.  Other activities and problematics, which are facing the organization, were presented by Steven Maijoor, the ESMA Chair, Béatrice Richez-Baum, Secretary General of ECODA (European Confederation of Directors' Associations) and Robin Edme, long-time Director of EUROSIF, who presented the topic on socially responsible investment (SRI) for individual investors.

The Euroshareholders' Assembly also discussed the European Commission's proposal for the reform of the financial markets and the revision of the Directives of the market and financial instruments - MiFID.  The in-depth thematic of this issue was publicized in the Press Release (click on the picture, left), in which Euroshareholders along with EFI - EuroInvestors request that the capital markets be given back to the real economy users - non-financial investors and issuers.

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member

To view the VIDEO COMMENTARY, please click on the following picture:

October 7, 2011, the following day after the outstandingly successful "Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" (VIDEO and PRESS RELEASE below), was marked by the Annual General Meeting of the WFIC, the prominent international organization with a fifty-year tradition and with over 38 member, at the Warsaw Stock Exchange in Poland.  The PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD) joined this prestigious organization in 2007 at the meeting in Brussels and became a full-fledged member in 2008 at the meeting in Sao Paolo.

This GM was especially relevant for the VZMD, since it was reaffirmed the previous decision of the GM and the Board of Executives that the next Annual GM - along with an investors' fair - will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia (see the accompanying VIDEO from 2008).  The President and the Secretary General of the VZMD were extremely pleased and invited all participating representatives to bring national companies, funds, investors, and other economically pertinent constituents to the investors' fair.  In addition, through the zealous active participation of the VZMD through the years, invest.si's newly-founded affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, was nominated as an Associate Member of the WFIC.  Other initiated members also include: The Society for Consumers' and Investors' Protection (India), International Investors Association of Georgia (Georgia), The Union of Borrowers and Investors of Russia (Russia), Federation ACTIF, Saint Laurent (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), Investors Association of Lithuania (Lithuania) in Investors Association of the Philippines (Philippines).

"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

To view the VIDEO COMMENTARY, please click on the following picture:

Last week, the President and the Secretary General of the VZMD - PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association returned from their work-related trip in Warsaw, where they actively participated at the Annual General Meeting of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation and the day before, October 6, 2011, at the first "Slovenian Day at the WSE," which was co-organized by the WSE, the SII - Polish Individual Investors' Association, the VZMD and its independent investo.si - Invest to Slovenia program, which in the last year partook at numerous events throughout Europe and internationally and represented Slovenian companies and the investment potentials of Slovenia and the South-eastern region of Europe (see the brochure at the bottom of this message).

Besides the representatives of the WSE, many investors, funds, and the financial media were also present, along with the honorary guests, the representative of the Croatian Embassy in Poland, the Montenegrin Ambassador in Poland, and the Slovenian Ambassador in Poland, who impressed the audience with his speech.  Beside the two Slovenian companies that actively participated at the event and presented their companies to the audience, Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor, d.d., which is already listed on the WSE, and the Triglav Insurance Group, twelve other companies were also presented with their promotional and informative materials.  In accordance with the first-ever "Slovenian Day at the WSE," the newly established affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, of the investo.si - Invest to Slovenia program was introduced as a special guest and the next day, at the WFIC Annual General Meeting, investo.me was also adopted as a member of this honored federation.

In the opinion of many present at the event, the investment opportunities and potential of the Republic of Slovenia and the surrounding region was very well presented (see the Program of the event to the left).  In fact, it was happily concluded that it was not a mode of propaganda but, quite the opposite, a way to bring to light the facts and advantages of Slovenia and show evidence of the interest and lucrative reasons for being listed on the WSE, the largest capital market in Central Europe (larger than the Vienna Stock Exchange or the Budapest Stock Exchange), where over 400 different companies from many different sectors are listed, including the Slovenian Nova KBM.  In addition, the WSE has high liquidity for securities and is extremely compatible for companies searching for fresh capital, since it has many individual and large financial investors, while having a highly competitive capital market.