SUMMARY-Wednessday-October 23, 2019 - 1 p.m.

KEZMAROK - The coalition remains operational and still needs to adopt essential measures, said Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) on Wednesday in reaction to the statement made by Parliamentary Chair and head of the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko that he doesn't intend to take part in any more Coalition Council sessions. BRATISLAVA - A commission composed of representatives of public administration is carrying out repeated hearings of candidates for the post of head of the Office for Protecting Whistleblowers. BRATISLAVA - The extra-parliamentary ethnic-Hungarian SMK party has rejected a cooperation proposal that has been negotiated by delegations of its own party and Most-Hid, TASR learnt on Wednesday from Most-Hid. WASHINGTON - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak (a Smer-SD nominee) stated on Tuesday that his meeting on the same day with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Washington was amicable but at the same time intensive and pragmatic. Lajcak noted that the two have met three times in the course of the past 11 months, which, according to him, shows that relations between Slovakia and the USA are excellent. SOBRANCE - Labour Minister Jan Richter (Smer-SD) on Tuesday evening denied that he's committed any corruption-related crime, adding that he's willing to cooperate with the police and is ready to provide testimony as soon as possible, even though he doesn't know what the matter concerns. BRATISLAVA - The Cabinet on Wednesday is continuing its series of away-from-home sessions, meeting in Kezmarok (Presov region) in order to address the ongoing implementation of an action plan for developing the area as well as financial resources for reconstructing Spis Castle. mf