After the international recognition of Slovenia, diplomatic relations between the UK and Slovenia were quickly established, with the Slovenian Embassy in London opening on 29 April 1992, and the British Embassy in Ljubljana on 25 August 1992. The British Council has also had a representation in Ljubljana since 1992 and a Slovenian consulate was opened in Edinburgh in 2005. There is also a UK-Slovenia All-Party Parliamentary Group, chaired by John Austin MP, and an equivalent body in Slovenia, chaired by Andreja Rihter MP.

The UK and Slovenia enjoy excellent bilateral relations. Throughout the 1990s the Embassy was involved in helping Slovenia fulfil its EU and NATO aspirations through an extensive series of projects. These included military and defence management training on the NATO side; and a broad range of knowledge transfer from public administration, through strengthening the capacity of NGOs, to environmental control and combating crime, all designed to help Slovenia meet its EU commitments.

Since 2004, the Embassy  has continued  to work closely with Slovenia as a full member of both the EU and NATO, and particularly so in relation to the Slovenian Presidency of the EU. Before the Presidency began there were a series of exchanges between Ministers and senior officials to discuss the whole range of subjects on the Slovenian Presidency agenda.  During the British EU Presidency in 2005, several Slovenian officials visited London and some were attached to British government departments to gain practical experience of the role. For the Slovenian Presidency in 2008, seven British officials were seconded to the Slovenian Government to help deliver its objectives.

The Slovenian EU Presidency and subsequent visit of Her Majesty The Queen in October 2008 cemented already excellent relations between the UK and Slovenia.  The main areas where there is a joint interest in working closely together include

• economic reform (all the more so given the impact of the global financial crisis, and the similarity of economic approach),
• a low carbon economy,
• EU policy on enlargement with a focus on the Western Balkans,
• plus defence policy and conflict prevention, particularly in Afghanistan.