Ljubljana - Igor Kadunc, former director general of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, takes over as the acting director at the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) on Sunday. He stressed that ensuring financial stability of the STA would be his priority as a prerequisite for the normal functioning and existence of the agency.

Kadunc pointed out that there had been no problems with the implementation of the law on the STA before, since its entry into force in 2011.

However, certain different interpretations now seem to be causing major problems, and he believes it is therefore urgent for the courts to have their say.

"We will probably try to ask the parliament for an authentic interpretation of the provisions of the law that have so far proved controversial. Perhaps this would be enough to allow the STA to carry out its normal function as a news agency," he added.

On his first working day in office as acting director on Tuesday, Kadunc is expected to meet with the director of the Government Communications Office, Uroš Urbanija. The meeting has been initiated by Urbanija in a bid to "move things forward for the good of the agency".

Kadunc explained that Urbanija pleasantly surprised him with the invitation and was looking forward to the meeting as "the start of a dialogue on lifting the obstacles that the STA and by extension the entire media landscape in Slovenia do not deserve".

The STA has been providing public service without state funding for 304 days now.

Kadunc is aware that the relationship with the government, which is supposed to provide the agency's funding for carrying out public service, will largely determine the future of the STA.

He therefore finds it difficult to talk about future plans, but adds that "the future itself also means the development of the agency, as the STA has been a leader in development in its field despite limited resources, and it should continue to be a leader".

Kadunc believes that editorial independence, which has permeated the agency's operation, must also be preserved, adding that he also applied for the job out of great respect for all STA employees.

"It is not easy to keep working and work well in such circumstances. To have such a united team, as was proven when the editor-in-chief was replaced, is exemplary in these times of division," said Kadunc, who is slated to take over as a full-fledged director of the STA on 1 January 2022.