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Lajcak Discusses EU\'s Eastern Partnership with NGOs

Bratislava, April 13 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak on Tuesday met representatives of the country's non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to discuss the eastern dimension of Slovakia's foreign policy, ministry spokesman Peter Stano told TASR later in the day. "Mr Lajcak's recent trip to the South Caucasus and his planned visit to Ukraine were… read more

SaS Launching Pre-election Campaign, Willing to Visit 500 Places

Bratislava, April 13 (TASR) - The new, non-parliamentary party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), led by Finance Ministry former state secretary Richard Sulik, launched its pre-election campaign on Tuesday with promises of more openness and accountability. "Contrary to other political parties, we don't only want go to people before the election ... we plan to meet them after… read more

Sefcovic: Powers of Foreign Affairs Ministry Should Be Stronger

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - Slovak EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic has suggested that the powers of the Foreign Affairs Ministry should be extended, especially in terms of co-ordination of EU-related policies and legislative activities. As a result, the ministry would in future turn into the one having not only foreign affairs under its umbrella, but also the agenda of EU affairs… read more

FinMin: Loan to Greece Would Be Profitable for Slovakia

Bratislava/Brussels, April 12 (TASR) - If Slovakia provides Greece a loan - within the coordinated financial aid, as was agreed Sunday by the Eurozone countries - Slovakia's public finance will profit from this, according to the Slovak Finance Ministry. However, it still hasn't been decided if Greece will get a loan from Slovakia, TASR has learnt on Monday. "We're… read more

Figel: Leftists\' Ineptitude to Handle Crisis Times Laid Bare in Hungary

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - Developments in Hungary have proven that left-wing parties aren't capable of dealing with economic crises... So it's time to wish Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party, which secured a clear win in the general election in Hungary at the weekend, good luck and better success vis-a-vis the economic crisis than his socialist predecessors did, Opposition… read more

NBS: Despite Last Year\'s Slump in Profits Slovak Banks Are Stable

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - The Slovak banking sector recorded an almost 50-percent slump in profits in 2009 in the wake of the economic crisis, yet the sector's development and situation can be called stable, according to a member of the country's central bank NBS. Slavomir Stastny, head of NBS's department of the supervision and regulation of the Slovak financial… read more

Lajcak: Hungarian Democratic Powers Should Bring Jobbik Down to Size

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak said that he expects the communication and relations between Slovakia and its southern neighbour – which have been strained in recent years – to improve. "I'm a realist, and the reality dictates the need to maintain good relations," Lajcak told journalists on Monday in the wake of the general… read more

Csaky Happy with Jobbik Geting Fewer Votes than Expected

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - SMK opposition parliamentary party which claims to be representative of Hungarians living in Slovakia commended the fact after the first round of the general election in Hungary on Sunday that far-right Movement for a Better Hungary (aka Jobbik) did worse (16.7 percent) than expected (more than 20 percent). Jobbik claims to be committed to… read more

Bugar: We Aren\'t Happy About Jobbik Getting into Hungarian Parliament

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - The Slovak-Hungarian Most-Hid party isn't happy about the extremist Jobbik-Movement for a Better Hungary getting into Hungarian Parliament in the elections on Sunday, Most-Hid founder and chairman Bela Bugar told TASR on Monday. "Nonetheless, it's a fact now, and it's up to the election winner (Fidesz) to maintain the (Hungarian) foreign… read more

Slovak Serving in French Foreign Legion Dies in Afghanistan

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - Twenty three-year-old corporal Robert Hutnik, from Stara Lubovna (Presov region), who died last week in Afghanistan wasn't a member of the Slovak Armed Forces but of the French Foreign Legion, according to a Pravda daily report on Monday. Spokesman of the Armed Forces Milan Vanga confirmed for TASR on the same day that all members of the… read more

Fico: I\'m Interested in Co-operation with New Hungarian Premier Orban

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - Slovak Premier Robert Fico speaking at the Annual Conference on Slovak Foreign Policy on Monday expressed interest in co-operation with the new Hungarian government emerging from the general election there this month. The Viktor Orban-led centre-right Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union recorded a sweeping victory in the first round on Sunday, garnering… read more

Labour Ministry Cancels Another Contract with Social Enterprise

Bratislava, April 11 (TASR) - Slovak Labour Ministry wants to cancel a contract with a second (out of eight) social enterprises. After the cancellation of a contract with Arvik in December 2009, the Horehronie (Upper-Hron region) Social Enterprise follows due to its failure to report extra income from its facility in Cierny Balog (Banska Bystrica region). "Based on a… read more

Slovak Village in Hungary Mlynky Voted for Fidesz This Time

Plisszentkereszt (Mlynky), April 11 (TASR-correspondent) - Slovaks living in the Hungarian village of Plisszentkereszt (Mlynky in Slovak) mostly voted for the rightist Fidesz party in the parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to a brief survey conducted by TASR. A total of 18 of 20 questioned people in Mlynky revealed that they voted for change. In the past, Mlynky… read more

Orban: Next Hungarian and Slovak Gov\'ts to Have Better Relations

Budapest, April 11 (TASR-correspondent) - Chairman of Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union Viktor Orban told TASR after casting his vote in the parliamentary elections on Sunday that he believes that the new Hungarian government and the new Slovak cabinet (which will come up from the general elections on June 12) will better understand one another. The Hungarian opposition… read more

Figel: Let\'s Crush Corruption and We\'ll Find Money for New Reforms

(STV, April 11, O pat minut dvanast) Opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) want to find the money needed for the measures they want to promote if they succeed in the general election on June 12 in combating corruption, KDH head Jan Figel said in a solo appearance on public-service Slovak Television's (STV) politics programme 'O pat minut dvanast' (5 Minutes to Twelve)… read more