The statement comes after financial wire Bloomberg and a commentary in the Financial Times suggested Slovenia was headed toward becoming the next eurozone nation to seek a bailout from the EU.

Bloomberg noted that Slovenia's borrowing costs had been soaring. Moreover, even though the state recapitalised NLB bank, Slovenia's second and third biggest banks, NKBM and Abanka Vipa, respectively, are also seeking capital raises.

The state had to recapitalise NLB bank itself after the second largest shareholder, Belgian KBC bank, decided not to take part. The para-state KAD and SOD funds were brought in to provide the missing EUR 63m.

But the ministry pointed out that the recapitalisation funds had been secured by KAD and SOD from reserves they had created in the previous years, meaning that public debt will not increase as a result.

The ministry also said many measures had been taken to consolidate public finances, with the budget deficit on track to drop from 6.4% of GDP at the end of 2011 to 3.6% of GDP this year and below 3% in 2013.

Moreover, Slovenia is not exposed to refinancing risk as existing financing instruments make it possible to implement the budget through 2012 despite the unfavourable situation on financial markets.

Faced with high interest rate on benchmark bonds, Slovenia has been borrowing with short-term treasury bills. Just today the Finance Ministry issued a call for expression of interest for EUR 150m-worth of one-year T-bills.