SUMMARY - Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 9 p.m.

BRATISLAVA - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday ruled that Slovakia will have to pay €9,750 to financier Jaroslav Hascak following his complaint over the Gorilla wiretapping, stating that his right to privacy was violated, TASR learnt from Justice Ministry spokesman Peter Bubla. BRUSSELS - Slovakia, like the European Union, has been helping and wants to continue to help the Balkan countries on their path to EU membership, Premier Eduard Heger (OLaNO) said following the EU summit with the Western Balkans countries that took place in Brussels on Thursday. BRUSSELS - Granting EU-candidate status to Ukraine is important for Slovakia in terms of security and economic cooperation, Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) said in Brussels on Thursday at the beginning of an EU summit, which is to confirm the granting of the candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. AMSTERDAM - The remains of Czechoslovak pilots who fought in the British Royal Air Force were buried in the Netherlands on Thursday with all military honours, with Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad also taking part in the mourning ceremony at the Bergen op Zoom military cemetery, TASR was told by ministry spokeswoman Martina Koval Kakascikova. BRATISLAVA - A working group is to be set up by July 31 to address the situation with the bear; it should be composed of experts in the field of nature protection, forestry, agriculture, local government representatives and the parliamentary agriculture and environment committee, according to a committee's resolution, which recommended this to the Environment Ministry on Thursday. BRATISLAVA - MPs are set to continue the debate on the no-confidence motion in Environment Minister Jan Budaj (OLaNO) on Friday (June 24) morning, TASR learnt on Thursday. BRATISLAVA - If the governing parties are unable to communicate, the We Are Family party sees an alternative in a snap election, as it wouldn't join a minority government in the case that a coalition partner quits the coalition, We Are Family caucus head Peter Pcolinsky told TASR on Thursday. BRATISLAVA - Reacting to the statements made by Smer-SD head Robert Fico who claimed that authorities are preparing to press further charges against Smer-SD representatives, the Interior Ministry said that it sees the statements as political and grossly manipulative, TASR learnt from ministry's spokeswoman Zuzana Eliasova. am