MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, 11 August 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, 10 August): BRATISLAVA - The scrapping of the ambulance service tender is important in terms of time considering the beginning of the negotiations of the governing parties on the 2026 budget, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said in a video posted on a social network on Saturday evening (9 August), adding that to reach an agreement will be very difficult, especially because of the necessary austerity, but also because of the political views of the ruling parties. Fico claimed that the ambulance tender must be cancelled immediately and a new one organised. He is curious how the coalition Voice-SD party will deal with the proposal of the ruling Slovak National Party (SNS) that the entire rescue system should be state-owned, which would save money. "We can extend the licences for the current partners for some time and create enough time to consider how to proceed in this extremely lucrative part of the Slovak health-care system," he suggested. According to the prime minister, there is a consensus in the coalition that spending on armaments won't be increased. However, he hopes that there will be an agreement to increase spending on projects financed by the Defence Ministry, such as the construction of hospitals and other infrastructure projects. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) stated he'll file a complaint to the Prosecutor-General's (PG) Office on Monday (11 August) over the ambulance service tender as well as the Zilina District Court to check possible property connections. Sasko declared that no deal or business will pass through him. According to opposition MP Tomas Szalay (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS), who was also on the show, the ministry didn't handle the tender in terms of management and communication. Sasko claimed that the health minister can't scrap the tender. Only the director of the Slovak Emergency Medical Service Operation Centre, which carries out the entire tender procedure, can do so. He requested all legal possibilities how to proceed and said that he wants to dispel all doubts and if that means the tender must be cancelled, it will be cancelled. BRATISLAVA - The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska may bring a breakthrough in the negotiations on stopping the fighting in Ukraine, stated Slovak President Peter Pellegrini on Sunday. "This is an important step in the efforts to find a solution for peace in Ukraine. The US-Russian summit may bring a breakthrough in the negotiations on the cessation of hostilities, which should aim at a ceasefire and subsequent negotiations on the final end of the war and a post-war settlement in Ukraine," stated Pellegrini. The summit in Alaska should be followed, he said, by intensive negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, with the participation of the USA and the European Union, with the aim of addressing the Ukrainian crisis and the future European security architecture. "Security in Europe is seriously threatened and all relevant actors, including Russia, must play a role in bringing peace," emphasised the Slovak head of state. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia has been asked to help fight fires in Albania, the Fire and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) posted on a social network on Sunday, adding that the helicopter which has been sent to help will be based in the town of Kucove in central Albania and should serve there for about five days. Albania is currently plagued by large-scale forest fires, which have required international assistance under the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. "The Brussels-based Emergency Coordination Centre has formally requested the Slovak Republic to deploy a Black Hawk helicopter registered in the RescEU mechanism. The Slovak Republic has declared its readiness to deploy the helicopter together with HaZZ officers," wrote the firefighters, noting that in addition to Slovakia, the Czech Republic had also sent a helicopter. ko