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Slovakia to Support Emissions\' Reduction by 30 Percent at UN Summit

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Slovakia will at the coming UN climate summit in Copenhagen support reduction of emissions by 30 percent by 2020 compared with their 1990 levels, Environment Minister Jozef Medved said at a press conference in Bratislava on Thursday. Medved said that the country will bind itself to this commitment if the developed and third world countries… read more

Fico Dismisses Any Connection between Himself and SPF Scandal

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico, speaking in Parliament on Thursday, dismissed the notion that he could be connected to the current scandal involving the Slovak Land Fund (SPF) and transfers of restituted lands. Most Opposition MPs left the Parliament in protest against their not having the possibility to react to Fico's speech in Parliament.… read more

Clean Sweep of Council Members at Slovak Land Fund

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Parliament on Thursday dismissed six members of the council of the Slovak Land Fund (SPF) who were nominated for the posts by the Government, as well as another six members nominated by Parliament by the governing coalition, TASR learnt on the same day. The other representatives in the Council who represented the Opposition in the 11-strong… read more

Fico: Dzurinda Shadows Me Like a Secret Agent

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - I would never like to find myself in the kind of situation that former premier and current chairman of the leading Opposition SDKU-DS party Mikulas Dzurinda is in, Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Parliament on Thursday. "It's awkward that he (Dzurinda), after holding the reins of the Slovak Government for eight years, should follow me… read more

Fico: No Need to Heed Opposition\'s Comments on Sefcovic\'s Post

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico said Thursday in Parliament that he is convinced it's a great success for Slovakia that it has gained the EU Commission's post of Vice-chairman for Inter-institutional Relations and Administration. Fico added that there is no need to pay any heed to the Opposition's disappointment about this post. Some… read more

Number of Unemployed Increases by 16 Percent In Last 9 Months

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - The number of unemployed Slovaks increased throughout the first three quarters of 2009 by 16 percent, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday. This figure represents 307,400 unemployed people on the labour market. The year-on-year rise in unemployment grew from 0.2 percent in 1Q09 to 38.9 percent in 3Q09, and the unemployment rate increased… read more

Tadic Praises Slovakia\'s Stance vis-a-vis Kosovo\'s Independence

Belgrade, December 3 (TASR) - Slovakia's stance on Kosovo's declaration of independence has special meaning for Serbia, Serbian President Boris Tadic said following a meeting with his Slovak counterpart Ivan Gasparovic in Belgrade on Thursday. At the same time, Tadic praised the current level of Slovak-Serbian relations, which, as he said, are at the best ever level in… read more

Revised Figures: Slovak Economy Shrank by 4.8 percent in 3Q09

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - The contraction in the Slovak economy decelerated to 4.8 percent in the third quarter of 2009, the Statistics Office confirmed on Thursday, amending its preliminary prognosis from November 13 when it estimated a drop of 4.9 percent. GDP fell by 5.6 percent year-on-year in 1Q09 and by 5.3 percent in 2Q09. The economy grew by 1.6… read more

Average Nominal Salary in 3Q09 Rose by 2.5 percent Y-o-Y

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - The average nominal salary in Slovakia reached €722.51 per month in the third quarter of 2009, a year-on-year increase of 2.5 percent, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday. According to the statistics, the average real salary rose by 1.3 percent y-o-y in the same period. The highest nominal salary in 3Q09 was paid in the… read more

Financing of Terrorism Designated as Crime in Slovakia

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Slovakia will have broader options to prosecute money laundering due to a Penal Code amendment passed by Parliament on Thursday. The legal norm, discussed in a fast-track procedure, also introduced a new criminal offence - the financing of terrorism. Justice Minister Viera Petrikova (an LS-HZDS nominee) said that those convicted… read more

Parliament Approves Merger of Two State Health Insurers

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Slovakia will only have one state health-insurer instead of current two after 79 MPs on Thursday approved the merger of Vseobecna Zdravotna Poistovna (VsZP) and Spolocna Zdravotna Poistovna (SZP). The merger, which was dealt with via a fast-tracked procedure, will come into effect (after President Ivan Gasparovic's signature) on December… read more

ZCHFP: Novacke Chemicke Zavody Should Be Strategic Company

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - The Slovak Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry Association (ZCHFP) views the Government's decision to include chemicals company Novacke Chemicke Zavody (NCHZ) in the group of strategic companies as a positive and constructive measure, said ZCHFP President Roman Karlubik in a written statement on Thursday. "This step will lead to the preservation… read more

Focus Poll: Smer Would Have Won November Election, But Support Down

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Seven political parties would have made it into Parliament if elections had taken place at the beginning of November, according to survey carried out by the Focus agency. The poll, which was carried out between November 4-11 on 1,045 respondents, showed that Premier Robert Fico's Smer-SD party would have won 35.9 percent of the vote, down… read more

Medved: Interblue Wants Talks on Terminating Contract by End of 2009

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - Shady American company the Interblue Group, which bought Slovakia's carbon-dioxide emission quotas in 2008, wants to hold negotiations with the Slovak Environment Ministry concerning the termination of a mutual contract by the end of this year, Environment Minister Jozef Medved announced at a press conference on Thursday. According to Medved,… read more

Government Withdraws Proposal to Strengthen Judicial Council

Bratislava, December 2 (TASR) - The Slovak Government on Wednesday withdrew its amending proposal for the Act on Judges at the behest of Prime Minister Robert Fico and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak. The amendment had been prepared by former justice minister Stefan Harabin (LS-HZDS), who is now Supreme Court Chairman. The amendment was in second reading in April, and… read more