MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, June 19, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, June 18): BRUSSELS - Slovakia will support the candidacy of outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the post of NATO Secretary General, President Peter Pellegrini said on Tuesday after the end of an extraordinary European Council meeting. In return for this support, Slovakia wants help from the Netherlands in securing its air defence. Pellegrini pointed out that so far there have been two candidates for the post of NATO Secretary General - besides Rutte also Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. According to Pellegrini, it was understandable that Slovakia could imagine a representative of Central and Eastern Europe in this position. BRUSSELS - Slovakia presented its positions and observations on nominee for the post of European Council president Antonio Costa and nominee for EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas at an extraordinary European Council meeting on Monday (June 17), which aimed to agree on the most important posts in the EU institutions, TASR was told by President Peter Pellegrini on Tuesday. The president, who deputised Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at the summit, confirmed that the night's negotiations ended without a clear consensus on three names - the European People's Party (EPP) nominated its acting head Ursula von der Leyen for the post of European Commission (EC) president, the European Socialists nominated Portuguese ex-premier Antonio Costa for the post of European Council head, and the Liberals want the post of EU diplomacy chief to be given to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Pellegrini explained that in this situation he couldn't confirm Slovakia's open support for von der Leyen's keeping EC chief post, but Slovakia's attitudes towards Costa and Kallas were made clear at the summit. BRATISLAVA - The Czech Republic is a very important partner for Slovakia, and we want to further develop our excellent relations, said Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) at a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky, who visited Slovakia on Tuesday. "We want to develop all areas that are related to our ties, namely family, studies, business, culture, but also compatriots, because there's a numerous group of Slovak citizens, including students, [in the Czech Republic]," said Blanar. The Slovak minister explained that he and Lipavsky discussed measures to ensure closer cooperation of young people in the two countries. He also announced a joint intent to prepare a basis for a memorandum of understanding that would ensure the exchange of mutual experience between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini on Tuesday received Czech Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Lipavsky, with the two of them discussing options for deepening bilateral cooperation between Bratislava and Prague. "Relations between the Czech Republic and Slovakia are extraordinary and exceptional. However, we must not take our closeness for granted," Pellegrini wrote on Facebook, declaring that during his term of office he will do everything to ensure that the depth and quality of the partnership will be maintained. BRATISLAVA - Hundreds of people converged on the SNP Square in Bratislava on Tuesday in a protest march for freedom and democracy, organised by a platform called Open Culture!, Platform for Democracy, Climate Coalition, Peace for Ukraine civic association as well as organisers of civic protests from twenty Slovak towns. After protest-goers assembled at the SNP Square, they moved to the Freedom Square in front of the Government Office. "We disagree with the remake of public media, deleterious damaging of nature, and the curbing of freedom of NGO non-profit organisations," stated the organisers. They also voiced their disapproval of bills designed in their view to curb the freedom of assembly and access to information. zel