Gov't Approves over €2.5 mn Along with Tasks to Develop North-eastern Slovakia

Vysny Orlik, 26 November (TASR) - The government has allocated more than €2.5 million for the development and needs of local authorities, organisations and communities in the north-eastern districts of Svidnik, Stropkov and Medzilaborce in Presov region. At its meeting in the village of Vysny Orlik (Svidnik district) on Wednesday, it also approved individual tasks for ministries to help the area in economic and social areas. "More than €1.9 million of the total allocated contribution is earmarked for projects in the villages and towns of the districts of Svidnik, Stropkov and Medzilaborce and other legal entities, with the remainder going to larger projects within the wider area," said Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), who submitted the motion. The larger projects include, for example, €80,000 for the Archdiocese of Kosice to equip the kitchen and dining room of the newly built Presov-Solivar Church Primary School, while €100,000 has been earmarked for interior furnishings for the newly established Holubnica facility for seniors in the town of Spisska Nova Ves (Kosice region). The village of Vysny Orlik, which hosted the government's away-from-home meeting, will receive €50,000 for the reconstruction of its cultural centre. The resolution also includes specific tasks for individual ministries. Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) is to continue searching for new investors, including potential projects for established production plants in the districts of Svidnik, Stropkov, and Medzilaborce, and she should continue to discuss with representatives of Volvo Car Slovakia the possibility of locating industrial capacities for the production of parts for electric vehicles in Stropkov and Svidnik districts. Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) has been tasked, among other things, with ensuring that new operating rules for the Velka Domasa water reservoir are drawn up by the end of next year. Concerning transport projects, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) is expected to ensure that a tender to find a contractor for the project documentation for the construction of two bridges in the area is announced by the end of December 2026. The premier once again emphasised the importance of away-from-home meetings, where specific problems in the districts can be discussed directly with people engaged in the area. He announced that the cabinet will continue this trend. "In 2026, 12 away-from-home sessions are planned, which should cover 36 districts, almost half of all districts in Slovakia," he added. am/df