MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, July 11, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, July 10): BRATISLAVA - Slovakia is ready to help the children's hospital in Kiev that was bombed by Russia on Monday, Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova (Voice-SD) declared on Wednesday, adding that she's discussed the issue with her Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Liashko on the phone. "All parents of the children concerned have been informed that they have the option to apply for the transport of their children to other countries as part of the assistance of EU-member countries. We, on behalf of Slovakia, offered help and transfer to the National Institute of Children's Diseases in Bratislava. The Ukrainian minister told us that four parents have registered in the system so far, requesting transport of their children to an EU country," Dolinkova noted. Slovakia is also willing to help the Ukrainian hospital with the provision of medical supplies if necessary. KUCHYNA - The BAK-12 aircraft barrier arresting system was successfully tested at the Kuchyna military airbase on Wednesday, thus ticking off another step required for the stationing of F-16 fighter jets at the airport, TASR learnt on the same day. The certification test was attended by Defence Ministry state secretary Martin Vojtasovic and US Ambassador to Slovakia Gautam Rana. "The Kuchyna airbase is prepared to accept F-16 fighter jets to the fullest possible extent. The hangars are undergoing the final touches even as we speak," declared the state secretary. The first two F-16s will land in Kuchyna in late July, with the third slated to arrive by the end of the year. The machines will be assigned to the airport until the reconstruction works at the Sliac airbase are complete. Slovakia has put in an order for 14 jet fighters in total. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini welcomed the decision of US President Joe Biden to bolster the defence of Ukraine's airspace, but warned participants of the NATO summit in Washington about potential consequences for countries of NATO's eastern flank, TASR learnt on Wednesday. "For Slovakia, as a member of NATO's eastern flank, it is imperative to reinforce the anti-air defence of the entire eastern flank," said Pellegrini, who welcomed Biden's decision also in the context of Russia's recent attack on a children's hospital in Ukraine and the tragic number of civilian fatalities. "Delivering several additional anti-air defence systems to Ukraine means, however, that there won't be enough to go around for the NATO member states and Slovakia will likely continue to be left without efficient defence of its airspace," he noted. In Pellegrini's view, Slovakia supports "to the maximum extent Ukraine's EU integration effort and will provide it with all its know-how regarding reforms". "We insist on the text, however, that says clearly about Ukraine's future NATO membership that this issue can be addressed only once peace prevails in Ukraine and there won't be any military conflict," said the Slovak President. This will happen only when all conditions are met and all NATO member countries agree on it unanimously. BRATISLAVA - The performance of Slovak industry in May 2024 dropped by 0.1 percent year-on-year, the Statistics Office has reported. Of the 15 sectors monitored, 8 recorded lower performance in yearly terms, including some of the core ones. The most significant negative impact on industrial production in May was a 15-percent decline in metal production. Overall industrial production was also pulled down by nearly an 18-percent decline in the production of machinery and equipment. A significant drop continued in mining and quarrying, in which production output tumbled by 31.6 percent due to mine closures. Higher yearly growth in selected sectors saved the overall industrial output from a more pronounced decline, including the performance of the car industry. However, its growth rate slowed by half compared to April, reaching less than 8 percent. Other positive developments can be ascribed to significant yearly growth in the energy sector, which posted growth of 28.7 percent. zel