Ljubljana - The head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM) Uroš Urbanija has invited Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), to a working meeting. Urbanija proposes the meeting take place next Tuesday, on Kadunc's first working day after assuming office.

UKOM director said that the invitation had been sent "in the hope that things will finally move forward for the good of the agency and, particularly, staff".

The government posted the invitation letter on Twitter on Wednesday.

Urbanija, who had been quite critical of Kadunc before the latter's appointment, congratulated the new STA director on his new job, wishing him a lot of zeal and success in leading "this important state company".

"Unfortunately, the previous leadership has brought the agency into the situation, which is, we strongly believe, damaging to both the agency's staff and users of its services," Urbanija added.

The STA has been performing public service without state funding for 300 days even though the funds are secured by two laws.

The agency's outgoing director Bojan Veselinovič stepped down in late September after several rounds of talks on a public service contract for 2021 with UKOM failed to bring progress.

Kadunc, former director general of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, was then appointed the STA's acting director on 18 October. He will assume office on 31 October and take over as full-fledged director on 1 January 2022.