SUMMARY-Tuesday-August 21, 2018 - 10 p.m.

BRATISLAVA - It's the duty of contemporary democratic politicians to defend our freedom and our right to make decisions about our future without concerns that the said decisions will be trampled by brute force, said President Andrej Kiska in his televised speech on public broadcaster RTVS marking the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by armies of the Warsaw Pact. BRUSSELS/BRATISLAVA - NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced on Tuesday that it harbours concerns regarding the current situation in Slovakia six months after the murders of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova on February 21. BRATISLAVA - Most-Hid MP Edit Pfundtner has confirmed that her party chair Bela Bugar and Justice Minister Gabor Gal (Most-Hid) have reached out to her with an offer to become Justice Ministry state secretary in the wake of Maria Kolikova's resignation from the post, TASR learnt on Tuesday. BRATISLAVA - Maria Kolikova (Most-Hid) has tendered her resignation as Justice Ministry state secretary and is due to be replaced by Most-Hid MP Edita Pfundtner, TASR learnt from Justice Minister Gabor Gal (Most-Hid) on Tuesday. BRATISLAVA - An extraordinary session of the parliamentary agriculture and environment committee failed to reach a quorum on Tuesday, as the session was attended only by five Opposition lawmakers, TASR learnt on the same day. BRATISLAVA - If there is were general agreement in society to make August 21 a commemorative day, I would be willing to discuss this idea, Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Tuesday after commemorating, along with Cabinet ministers, the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia at Alexander Dubcek's grave. BRATISLAVA - Every Slovak must clearly and unanimously condemn the tragic end of the Prague Spring and the invasion of our territory by troops from five countries of the Warsaw Pact on August 21, 1968, said Parliamentary Chairman and Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko on TABLET.TV on Tuesday. BRATISLAVA - The Slovak capital and the US Embassy in Bratislava are launching negotiations on moving the headquarters of the US Embassy, TASR learnt on Tuesday. BRATISLAVA - Farmers from the south and west of Slovakia continue to ask the Government for help in response to last year's drought, said Slovak Agrarian Chamber (AKS) chair Helena Patasiova at a press conference on Tuesday. BRATISLAVA - There are plenty of areas covered by the Office of Deputy Prime Minister for Investment and Informatisation (UPVII), but the issue of Smart Cities is currently one of its flagships, and this issue also dominated at Deputy Prime Minister Richard Rasi's (Smer-SD) meeting with Slovak ambassadors serving abroad in Bratislava on Tuesday, UPVII's communications department told media on the same day. mf