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IMB Commissioned to Process Data From 2011 Census for €6.8 million

Bratislava, April 23 (TASR) - IBM has been assigned the task of ensuring that data from the census set for May 2011 will be processed, with a three-year contract between the state-run Statistics Office and the IT company set to reach €6.8 million, TASR learnt on Friday. Based on the contract, IBM is among others commissioned to draw up a graphical set of printed forms… read more

Fico Warns of Revisionism and Racism in Europe

Bratislava, April 23 (TASR) - Premier Robert Fico, speaking at an international conference held in Bratislava to mark the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII, warned against the expansion of historical revisionism within European Union, and especially open or covert efforts to bring about border changes. Another concern, according to Fico, is racism, which led to the… read more

Pociatek: Deficit Higher Due to Worse Economy of Municipalities

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - According to Finance Minister Jan Pociatek, it was mainly the poorer-than-expected economic results of municipalities that caused the public finance deficit to end up on 6.8 percent of GDP instead of the projected 6.3 percent. Following the fiscal decentralisation introduction in 2006, municipalities have their own economies, set apart from… read more

Most-Hid: OSCE Intends to Evaluate General Election in Slovakia

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - The Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) wants to evaluate the pre-election environment and preparations for the upcoming general election June 12. To this end, OSCE delegation met with Most-Hid party representatives Rudolf Chmel and Laszlo Nagy, TASR learned from Most-Hid press secretary Nora Czuczorova on Thursday. According… read more

Demes: Foreign Policy Should Focus on Improving Ties with Hungary

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - Slovakia ought to focus on four main areas within its foreign policy in the next election term, most importantly to ensure clear-cut and dignified representation of the country as a NATO and EU member country as well as to put in utmost endeavours aimed at preventing Slovak-Hungarian relations from further deterioration, former Foreign Affairs Minister… read more

Imperial Tobacco Slovakia Wins Best Employer Title

Bratislava April 22 (TASR) - Joint-stock company Imperial Tobacco Slovakia, a distributor of tobacco products, has been reported as the best employer in Slovakia for 2009/2010, according to a study published by the global HR consulting and outsourcing firm Hewitt Associates. The latest results, announced in Bratislava on Thursday, show the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca… read more

Eurovea to Be Opened Officially on Saturday, April 24

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - The grand opening of the new shopping district Eurovea on the left bank of the Danube River in Bratislava will take place on Saturday, April 24. Following the opening of the 5-star Sheraton Hotel Bratislava in February and the shopping zone Eurovea Galleria in March, the public square and riverbank promenade will be turned over to Bratislava… read more

Brass Give Send-Off to Troops Leaving for Afghanistan Friday

Presov, April 22 (TASR) - Another 57 guard troops leaving Friday for a six-month stint in Afghanistan were given a ceremonial send-off at a muster a day earlier at the Sokolovske military barracks in Presov. Peter Gajdos, Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, said that troops will be stationed at the airport in Kandahar, where they will be checking the traffic going through… read more

SOPK: Slovakia Has Too Narrow Production Portfolio

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) – In terms of the economy, Slovakia's biggest problem is the narrow production portfolio, predominantly focused on car industry and engineering, according to the Slovak Trade and Industry Chamber (SOPK). Among other economic issues that need to be addressed in the near future, SOPK lists decreasing foreign demand, the rise in unemployment,… read more

Analyst: It Won\'t Be Surprise if Public Deficit Reaches 6 percent in 2010

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - Slovakia's public finance deficit reached €4.29 billion last year, or 6.77 percent of GDP, according to recent data published by the Slovak Statistics Office and sent to Eurostat in Brussels. The deficit exceeded the earlier expectations of 6.3 percent, which was already a revised estimate. The original estimate of 2.1 percent had to be… read more

Slovakia Extradites Suspected Al-Qaeda Terrorist to Algeria

Kosice, April 22 (TASR) - Earlier this week Slovakia extradited Algerian national Mustafa Labsi, charged with co-operation with the international terrorist network Al-Qaeda, to Algeria after he lost his most-recent court hearing in which was seeking asylum in Slovakia, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak announced on Thursday. According to the minister, the extradition… read more

Patriot Act Also Given Thumbs Down at Constitutional Committee

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - After the Patriot Act, drafted by co-ruling Slovak National Party (SNS), didn't receive backing from Parliamentary Culture and Media Committee earlier this week, the same scenario repeated itself at a Parliamentary Constitutional Committee session on Thursday. As the bill was vetoed by the president (in March) it needed to be backed now by… read more

RUZ Calls on Govt to Abandon Share in Bailout of Debt-ridden Greece

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - The Republic Union of Employers (RUZ), an organisation of employers in Slovakia, came out in protest on Thursday against the Government's plans to provide €300 million out of a €30 billion-plus loan, which eurozone countries agreed on April 11 to provide to the near-bankrupt Greece. "The readiness of eurozone countries to provide a €30… read more

Lajcak: Visa Liberalization for Albania a Matter of EU’s Trustworthiness

Bratislava, April 21 (TASR) – Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak met with his Albanian counterpart Illir Meta in Bratislava on Wednesday to discuss the criteria for abolishing visa duty between Albania and the EU, TASR learned from Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Peter Stano on the same day. Lajcak told Meta that Slovakia fully supports the European… read more

Total of 185 Flights Thus Far Cancelled at Bratislava Airport

Bratislava, April 21 (TASR) - A total of 185 flights to and from M.R. Stefanik airport in Bratislava (BTS) have been cancelled to this day over the ash plume from an Icelandic volcano, BTS spokesperson Dana Madunicka told TASR on Wednesday. The cancelleations have affected some 33,200 travellers. Turning to losses that BTS has sustained in the last few days, she… read more