MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 7 September 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 6 September): BRATISLAVA - Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated that during his talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, the Russian head of state expressed interest in meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also "anywhere else" than in Moscow. According to the premier, Zelenskyy indicated at the meeting with Fico on Friday (5 September) that he's willing to meet with Putin. "It wouldn't be politically very good for President Zelenskyy at home if he met with President Putin, and certainly the citizens of the Russian Federation wouldn't be too happy if President Putin met with President Zelenskyy either. But both of them understand, despite the political damage it could cause them, that they need to meet and that things need to be discussed, because if they don't negotiate, the war will continue," opined Fico. According to him, security guarantees should be given not only to Ukraine but also to Russia. Fico ruled out that Ukraine could join NATO and added that Slovak soldiers won't be deployed in Ukraine. According to him, the support of Slovakia in the issue of security guarantees means for example allowing the transfer of soldiers from other countries through Slovak territory. The war in Ukraine is more complicated than it seems, he said. The premier repeatedly suggested that the Russian-speaking population in the east of the country was discriminated against, which is often claimed by the Russian propaganda. BRATISLAVA - The coalition council should meet on Monday (8 September) to discuss consolidation of public finances, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), adding that a meeting between him and Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) is to take place on Saturday. "There are deadlines that won't let us go. We can't stretch this out like a chewing gum anymore, these negotiations. A final decision must be made," stressed Fico, adding that the issue of consolidation for next year is nearing completion, with austerity in individual ministries still pending. The premier announced that the "division of responsibility" among business, people and the state in next year's consolidation will be fairer than in this year's package. The current government, he said, knows it has to consolidate, even if it is not pleasant. He reiterated that the current opposition, which ruled before, is to blame for the poor state of public finances. "Remind the Slovak public who caused it. After all, today there are people sitting in the ranks of the opposition who bear full responsibility for this," emphasised Fico. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated that there are more important matters in Slovakia than the analysis of vaccines. The prime minister added that he "won't run to a government meeting" with the analysis. Fico didn't answer the question when the Slovak Academy of Sciences' (SAV) analysis of COVID-19 vaccines could be discussed by the government. On the subject of the constitutional amendment, the prime minister hinted that if it doesn't pass, the governing coalition could try it again. "This is a historic opportunity to put reasonable things in the constitution. There are reasonable things. If it doesn't pass, it won't pass, so we'll try again maybe in six months, it won't be a tragedy if it doesn't pass," he said. According to him, the analysis of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines from the Slovak Academy of Sciences is not a topic with which he will "run to a government meeting tomorrow". In his view, he added, there are a million more important topics. "We know very well that people were vaccinated with experimental vaccines. There is a huge amount of doubt in the world. It's necessary to clarify all those uncertainties that exist between the [Government] Proxy [for Investigating the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic Peter Kotlar] and the Slovak Academy of Sciences at the Health Ministry," he said. BRATISLAVA - It's necessary to maintain an uninterrupted flow through the Druzhba oil pipeline, which is crucial for the energy security of Slovakia and the entire Central European region, Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) stressed at a meeting with Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk in Uzhhorod on Friday (5 September), doing so in the wake of the recent attacks on oil infrastructure on the territory of Russia by Ukraine, TASR was told by the Economy Ministry. At the bilateral meeting, the ministers agreed that energy is currently one of the most important topics for both countries. It is in their national interest to make efficient use of the existing energy infrastructure for the transportation and supply of gas and oil, as well as to make investments in upgrading and increasing capacities on electricity interconnections. "The priority remains the transportation of gas and the continuation of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline. We have different views on the continuation of supplies from Russia on both issues, but we have a mutual interest in developing joint diversification projects that will be economically beneficial for both sides," said Sakova, adding that the development of cooperation will be the subject of further bilateral discussions at the upcoming joint meeting of the governments. One example is the Odesa-Brody diversification project for oil supplies. am