Archive of articles - May 1999, page 2

Foreign Minister: "Small steps" advance Kosovo deal

The April nomination of Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan as one of two special UN envoys responsible for solving the Kosovo crisis has been hailed as a coup for Slovak diplomacy. Kukan is to start his mission, in partnership with fellow-envoy and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, after the United Nations Security Council adopts a resolution on Kosovo.US Ambassador to Slovakia Ralph Johnson said that the appointment not only "shows the level of confidence everyone has in Eduard Kukan," but that it also signalled Slovakia's growing political maturity as a country. "I cannot imagine that Slovakia, whoever was foreign minister, would ever have been picked to play that role a year ago," Johnson said.

Slovak sappers join NATO aid operations in Albania

Up to 40 Slovak military engineers will be deployed to Albania to join the 8,000-member Allied Harbour mission, which will be engaged in peacemaking operations in Albanian regions that have been affected by the conflict in neighbouring Kosovo. Slovak officials said the planned mission had earned the country high praise from both NATO and the European Union, and would not be the last of its kind.According to Defence Minister Pavol Kanis, the Slovak mission was a demonstration of support for the current NATO bombing campaign in Yugoslavia. "The consequences of the Kosovo tragedy and the high number of resulting refugees is a catastrophe," Kanis told The Slovak Spectator on May 26. "The situation must be solved internationally. The NATO initiative is founded upon humanitarian ideals, and Slovakia would like to take part in this humanitarian mission."

Slovak and Czech Interior Ministers on trans-border cooperation

Slovak trade gains not enough - analysts

Despite better foreign trade data, Slovakia needs more exports and economic stimulation to meet the government's economic targets, analysts said on May 24.The Slovak Statistical Bureau had said earlier in the day that Slovakia's trade gap in April reached 4.76 billion Slovak crowns ($136 million) compared with 8.01 billion crowns in April 1998. "These figures confirm the positive developments in the first two months of this year," said Ivan Chodák, an economic analyst at CA IB. "After a blip in March, it seems that foreign trade will evolve much more favourably this year."But Miloš Božek, an analyst at J&T Securities, warned that adjusted to exchange rate changes, both imports and exports fell in April compared to the same month in 1998.

Hamžík: Cabinet to approve minority language law May 31

Clash in Romany party causes expulsion of RIS leaders

Hungarians brought own agenda to coalition

In the whirlwind of recent events we have somehow quickly forgotten the recent behaviour of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK), which on the basis of its dissatisfaction with the planned state subsidies for supporting the culture of the Hungarian minority, obstructed the functioning of parliament for almost three days.But I am not now going to beat my chest and recall the [negative] attitude I had towards the SMK during coalition negotiations [last October]...

Crown decline halted by concerted action

The Slovak government and the central bank launched a united defence of the crown on the morning of May 20, helping the vulnerable currency to mount a modest recovery after weeks of decline. The central bank intervened directly to support the crown and said exchange rate developments had priority over money market rates.By late morning the same day, the crown was traded at 46.7 to the euro after hitting a record low of 48.3 on May 19 in a highly illiquid market with only five to seven local banks actively quoting on the market. The next day, the central bank intervened to stop the weakening trend of the Slovak currency as well as to calm down the frantic market.

Culture Shock: Women and children first? Not on the bus

Anyone who has used public transportation in Bratislava will agree that it is at best a daily adventure, and at worst a hellish experience. The shock value is a bit higher for most foreigners less conditioned to the routine, and even three years of moshing on local busses and trams hasn't dulled my amazement. Having grasped for various explanations, including 'cultural differences' and simply inconsiderate behavior, I'm almost ready to embrace the local fatalism of most natives. But one last rant for the record couldn't hurt, could it?It is likely that most English-speaking foreigners have their first unpleasant experience with public transport as soon as a vehicle arrives at the bus or tram stop. Somehow, the nicest-seeming people turn into complete barbarians when the doors fling open and the free-for-all begins.

Quote of the Week

Central bank's interventions push country's forex reserves down

Palacka selects group to pick ST partner

On May 21, Telecom Minister Gabriel Palacka appointed a commission for selection of a strategic partner for state telecom monolpoly Slovenské Telekomunikácie (ST). The commission is to be chaired by Palacka himself, while the vice-chairman will be Deputy Telecom Minister František KurejOther members of the commission include a secretary Stanislav Vanek, currently head of the Ministry's Postal and Telecommunications Section, head of the Slovak Cabinet Office Tibor Tóth, Deputy Finance Minister Viliam Vaškovič, Deputy Economy Minister Ján Sabol, Deputy Privatization Minister Vladimír Drozda, FNM (national privatization agency) president Ľudovít Kanik, vice-chair of the Antitrust Bureau Jaroslav Koštalik, head of the Telecommunications Office Ľudovít Hogh and head of the Telecom Ministry's Privatization Section, Helena Kavcová.

Zeleziarne Podbrezova to spend half of 1998 profit on dividends

Cabinet to deal with health sector financing at a special session

Slovaks honoured for saving Jews in WWII

With evident pride and perhaps even a bit of awe, Slovak Ivan Trusík, 47, gestured last Tuesday towards a man with whom his aunt had shared one of the deepest possible human bonds: she had saved his life.When the Nazis and Slovak sympathizers rounded up 70,000 Jews in 1942 to prepare to send them to death camps, Slovak Irma Marafková was one of the few in Slovakia who risked her life for years to save a Jew. For many months, she hid Leo Beck, then 16 years old, and his family in a special room in her Bratislava home that was only accessible through a cupboard.Of the five people saved by Marafková, only one, Beck, is still alive. Marafková is herself now dead. But at a

Crown plummets 7% in one week

The Slovak crown fell dramatically in mid-May, plunging through support levels formerly seen as solid and setting one record low after another. In the full week between the opening of the market on Thursday, May 13 and its close on Wednesday, May 19, the crown fell by almost seven percent, bringing its slide to 14 percent since its high point against the euro early in February.The National Bank of Slovakia and money market dealers explained that the currency's recent decline was driven by domestic client payments. But they added that the fact that the crown simply keeps dropping without reaching a steady level shows the decline is much more deeply rooted - in Slovakia's volatile political and economic environment.

SDĽ wants Magvaši for VSŽ presidency

With discussions underway to sell a large chunk of struggling Slovak steel giant VSŽ to a foreign investor, the government has asked its Finance Ministry to find a way to strengthen its voice on the VSŽ supervisory board. But concerns are being voiced about the Finance Minister's suggestion for a president of the company: none other than her party mate, current Labour Minister Peter Magvaši.While the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) and Finance Minister Brigita Schmögnerová maintain that with his experience in metallurgy and management, Magavši is the right man for the job, other voices say that attempting to put a political friend at the top of Slovakia's second largest employer smells suspiciously like another case of politicians dividing spoils. To support their claim, they point to other questionable dealings of the otherwise respected Finance Minister.

Telekom Austria fires 10% of its staff, interested in Slovakia

Alcatel Slovakia likely to launch activities in Liptovský Hrádok