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Analysts: Slovakia\'s Foreign Trade Now Awakening

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Slovakia's high foreign trade surplus of €259.3 million reported for November 2009 was driven especially by a surprisingly fast year-on-year hike in exports (by 2.7 percent), along with a continuing lowering of imports (by 8.7 percent) on the year, TASR was told by analysts on Monday. Therefore, the country's foreign trade is reigniting,… read more

Slovakia Will Lower Excise Tax on Diesel by 9 Cents per Litre

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Excise tax on diesel should drop by 9 cents per litre by the end of January. That was the message presented by Prime Minister Robert Fico at a briefing on Monday following a meeting with representatives of employers, Unions, transporters, Slovnaft refinery and the ministries of finance and transportation. "We plan to lower the excise tax… read more

Skadden Offers Proposal for Termination of Contract with Interblue

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Reputable American law firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, based in New York, is offering legal counsel to Slovakia regarding the emission quotas scandal and termination of the contract with Interblue Group (US), TASR learned from head of Skadden's Vienna branch Rainer K. Wachter on Monday. In November 2009, Skadden offered a way… read more

Aviation Office to Look Into Onboard-Explosive Incident

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - The case involving the departure of a plane from Poprad (Presov region) airport to Dublin with explosives on board will be looked into by the Slovak Aviation Office at the request of the Transportation Ministry, ministry spokesman Stanislav Jurikovic confirmed for TASR on Monday. According to Jurikovic, the inspection will focus on whether… read more

Packa: Talking to Hauliers is Over, Here We Go With Sanctions

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - As of now, laws will strictly apply to every haulier who has joined the ongoing protest by blocking Roznavska Street in Bratislava, according to Slovak Police Corps President Jan Packa at a news conference on Monday in Bratislava. He was commenting on the ongoing protest of small and medium-sized hauliers on roads of Slovakia's capital.… read more

Bugar and Sulik Due to Discuss Forms of Pre-election Co-operation

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Most-Hid, a non-parliamentary ethnic-Hungarian party that has also opened its door to Slovaks, and the non-parliamentary rightist Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chaired by the author of Slovakia's tax reform Richard Sulik are set to discuss various alternatives for pre-election co-operation, Most-Hid chairman Bela Bugar confirmed for TASR on Monday.… read more

Angry Hauliers Plan Slovakia-wide Traffic Blockade If Demands Aren\'t Met

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Discontent small and medium-sized hauliers can take part in Monday's talks on the new road-toll system and a possible cut in excise tax on fuels at the Government Office in the afternoon, but only if they stop their protests, said head of the Government Office press department Brano Ondrus on the same day. "Prime Minister (Robert) Fico… read more

NBS: More Than 2,000 Forged Banknotes Seized in Slovakia Last Year

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - As many as 2,093 forged euro banknotes with a total value of €157,145 were seized in Slovakia in 2009, Slovak central bank (NBS) spokesperson Jana Kovacova told TASR on Monday. "Compared to the year 2008, when 285 forged euro banknotes were seized, the number rose considerably in regard to the introduction of the euro as the new domestic… read more

Slovakia Posted Foreign Trade Surplus of €259.4 million in November

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Slovakia's foreign trade recorded a surplus of €259.4 million in November, the Statistics Office reported on Monday. Exports of goods in November reached €3.99 billion, up by 2.7 percent y-o-y. Total imports fell by 8.7 percent to €3.74 billion. Between January-November, meanwhile, a foreign-trade surplus of €1.39 billion… read more

Fico Initiating Meeting on Reducing Excise Tax on Fuels

Bratislava, January 10 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday wants to meet representatives of employers, local authorities, the Slovnaft refinery, the Association of Transporters (CESMAD Slovakia), the Association of Freight Providers, the National Highway Company (NDS), and the Finance and Transport Ministries to discuss a possible reduction in excise tax on fuels.… read more

Lajcak to Discuss Middle East Peace Process in Cairo

Bratislava, January 10 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak on Sunday left for an official visit to Egypt, ministry spokesman Peter Stano told TASR on the same day. In Cairo, Lajcak will discuss new impulses vis-a-vis the Middle East peace process, as well as the intensification of Slovak-Egyptian co-operation. "Egypt plays an important role… read more

Gasparovic: Hauliers Right in Certain Aspects

Bratislava, January 10 (TASR) - The protesting hauliers who are demanding changes to the road-toll system and a reduction in excise tax on fuels are right in certain aspects, said Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava on Sunday. On the other hand, he noted that similar systems are functioning around the world and claimed that they are necessary in Slovakia as… read more

Galbavy: STV No Longer Serves Public, It\'s Smer\'s Own Channel

Bratislava, January 10 (TASR) - Slovak Television's (STV) politics show 'O 5 Minut 12' ('5 Minutes to 12') has become a promotional channel for the coalition Smer-SD party and the political authorities supported by it, as was again demonstrated on Sunday, SDKU-DS MP Tomas Galbavy claimed in a written statement provided for TASR on the same day. Galbavy criticised the… read more

Fico: I See No Reason to Dismiss Kalinak Over Explosives Scandal

(STV, January 10, 'O Pat Minut Dvanast') Prime Minister Robert Fico, speaking on Slovak Television's (STV) politics show 'O 5 Minut 12' ('5 Minutes to 12') on Sunday, said that he doesn't see any reason to dismiss Interior Minister Robert Kalinak over the explosives incident on January 2 – in which a airport security training exercise went badly wrong and resulted in… read more

Gasparovic: I Welcome Decision to Stop Using People\'s Luggage in Tests

Bratislava, January 10 (TASR) - Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic told journalists in Bratislava on Sunday that he welcomes the decision to stop airport security tests that involve sniffer dogs looking for explosives placed in the luggage of ordinary travellers. Gasparovic was reacting to the scandal that emerged after police as part of a training exercise hid ninety grams… read more