Archive of articles - May 2009, page 13

Countrywide Events

Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava FESTIVAL: THEATRE halls throughout Bratislava will be hosting performances by both local and foreign ensembles as part of the New Drama festival that will take place between May 11 and 16. Its fifth edition will feature a wide range of plays of different genres as well as several interesting accompanying events. These include, for example, a joint exhibition by Slovak scenographer Juraj Fábry and his Serbian colleague Miodrag Tabački, and a lecture titled New Writing in British Theatre Today given by Aleks Sierz, a British theatre critic and reviewer and one of the most outstanding contemporary drama theoreticians. For more information about admission, dates and venues, call 02/2048-7504 or go to www.novadrama.sk

Struggle over Transpetrol shares

AN EXTRAORDINARY shareholders’ meeting of crude-oil pipeline operator Transpetrol which took place in Vinné, in eastern Slovakia, has completely reshuffled the board of directors and recalled members of the supervisory board except for those who represent employees. The meeting was convened by Vranov nad Topľou-based businessman Ignác Ilčišin, who claims to control a 34-percent stake in the company. The meeting also elected Ilčišin the new head of the board of directors, the SITA newswire reported.

Strečno Castle celebrates Žofia Bosniaková

CANNON fire opened the tourist season at Strečno Castle, near Žilina, on May 1. The central theme of this year’s celebration will be the 400th anniversary of the birth of Žofia Bosniaková and her message to current generations. This Slovak noblewoman was famed for her care of the poor and ill, and also because her body had been preserved in an excellent, almost mummified, state for centuries after her death until it was destroyed recently in a bizarre act of vandalism .

Bratislava to host CR conference

The Pontis Foundation and the Business Leaders Forum will organise the VI. Annual Conference on Corporate Responsibility and a workshop, Starting with Corporate Responsibility, in Bratislava on May 13 and 14. Workshop: Starting with Corporate Responsibility

Bratislava Castle work needs more funds allocated says Speaker of Parliament

A decision whether the reconstruction work on Bratislava Castle will proceed according to schedule is not yet final, Speaker of Slovak Parliament Pavol Paška announced at a press conference on May 7, the TASR newswire wrote. “The finance minister has committed 50 percent of the total expenses amounting to Sk300 million (€9.96 million) that the government has set aside for this year,” said Paška, according to TASR.

Slovakia provided €65.4 million for international aid in 2008

Official Development Aid (ODA) provided by Slovakia amounted to €65.4 million in 2008, which represents 0.102 percent of gross national income (GNI), according to a document released by the government on May 7, as reported by the TASR newswire.

SDKÚ’s Miklos says suspension of Castle reconstruction is necessary

Suspending reconstruction work at Bratislava Castle is the only possible solution at the moment, as “we've been pointing out all along that it constitutes squandering of public resources,” said opposition SDKÚ vice chairman Ivan Mikloš on May 7, as reported by the TASR newswire.

Slovak PM attending Eastern Partnership summit on May 7

Prime Minister Robert Fico is leading the Slovak delegation at the Eastern Partnership summit in Prague on Thursday, May 7 which will be attended by 27 European Union member states and six post-Soviet states - Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, the TASR newswire reported.

Professionals in shipping & freight forwarding

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Professionals in education and training

SNS wants a week to nominate a new Environment Minister

The junior member of the governing coalition, the Slovak National Party (SNS), is now searching for a suitable candidate to nominate as Environment Minister and his or her name should be known in the first half of next week, SNS press secretary Jana Benková told the SITA newswire.

Finance Minister confident Slovakia’s deficit will be below EC forecast

Slovakia plans to consolidate its public finances and expects its budget deficit to be smaller this year than the 4.7 percent of GDP forecast by the European Commission, Finance Minister Ján Počiatek said during a meeting of European Union (EU) finance ministers in Brussels on May 5 while agreeing that the EC's forecast of a 2.6 percent drop in GDP in 2009 was realistic, the SITA newswire wrote.

Environment Minister Chrbet recalled

Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič recalled Environment Minister Ján Chrbet on the morning of May 6 based on a proposal by Prime Minister Robert Fico. Education Minister Ján Mikolaj will temporarily manage the Environment Ministry. This is the eighth personnel change in Robert Fico's cabinet since June 2006 and the junior member of the ruling coalition, the Slovak National Party (SNS), has now lost its third minister, the SITA newswire wrote.

Bratislava airport given ok to buy back land

The state-run air traffic control company LPS Bratislava can sell two state-owned land plots back to the M.R. Štefánik Airport for €969,262, including VAT, reported the SITA newswire.

Analyst: Fico may seek early parliamentary elections

The governing coalition partnership with the Slovak National Party (SNS) is becoming problematic for Prime Minister and Smer party chairman Robert Fico, political analysts said on Tuesday, May 5, after Fico announced that he intends to dismiss Environment Minister Ján Chrbet (an SNS nominee).

Speaker sanctions MP for absence

Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška has decided that the absence of independent MP Luboš Micheľ from nine sessions of the Slovak Parliament in April 2009 won’t be excused, Paška’s spokesman Jozef Plško told the TASR newswire on May 5.

Slovak bank ombudsman examined 300 complaints in 2008

Last year, Slovakia’s bank ombudsman handled 300 motions and complaints from bank clients.

Slovak Foreign Minister to meet UN Secretary General

Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák is to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during a working visit to the USA between Wednesday, May 6, and Friday, May 8.