MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 16 July 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 15 July): NEW YORK/BRATISLAVA - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar has expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia following the attacks that it has faced, including those attributed to Iran, TASR learnt from its special correspondent on Wednesday. After talks with Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal F. Alibrahim in New York, Blanar underlined that the situation in the Middle East also has implications for Slovakia. "After the European Commission compels us to end imports of gas from the Russian Federation in September next year, we've also been counting on this region. As the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been weaponised and the region accounts for more than 20 percent of the energy supplies that are important for the European Union, I was interested to hear their perspective," Blanar declared after the meeting, held during his working visit to the United States. According to Blanar, both sides agreed that the sooner the situation stabilises, the better it will be for both the Middle East and the EU. Blanar also reiterated Slovakia's support for the adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution presented by Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf states. Meanwhile, he congratulated Saudi Arabia on securing the right to host Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Regarding Saudi support for Slovakia's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-2029 term, Blanar said Alibrahim's response had been positive. "We now only need to formalise it," he said. BRATISLAVA - Achmea B.V., stakeholder of health-insurer Union, and health-insurance company Dovera, a member of the Penta investment group, have signed a share-transfer agreement under which Union will be acquired by Dovera with the aim of creating a stronger background for further developing health insurance in Slovakia, TASR learnt from both companies on Wednesday. The acquisition of the stake in Union will be financed by Dovera's shareholder and won't affect the funds allocated for reimbursing health-care fees. "Health-insurance company Union has been active on the Slovak market since 2006 and has grown into a well-established health-insurer over this period. The planned merger with Dovera is a logical step for its further growth, development and long-term sustainability. Insurance company Union will remain active on the Slovak market, focusing on commercial insurance. The purchase agreement was signed on 14 July 2026 and will take effect after approval is provided by the relevant authorities and all conditions are met," stated the insurance companies. The plan is to merge Union with Dovera to create a single, stronger health-insurance company under the name Dovera. Both insurance companies also plan to enter into a partnership so that clients will be able to use the health and commercial insurance solutions of both companies. BAKU/BRATISLAVA - Representatives of 25 Slovak companies from a range of sectors, including energy, engineering, defence, water management, information technology and the food industry, took part in the Azerbaijan-Slovakia Economic Forum in Baku on Wednesday, TASR's special correspondent reported on the same day. Opening the forum, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova presented Slovakia as a modern industrial economy with a skilled workforce and growing innovation capacity. Sakova pointed to a joint declaration on a strategic partnership signed in 2024, stating that it's already delivering tangible results in sectors such as energy and the defence industry, as well as in reconstruction projects in Karabakh. "In the current changing geopolitical environment, resilient supply chains, efficient transport corridors and secure energy supplies are strategic priorities," declared Sakova. She noted that Azerbaijan has been playing an increasingly important role as a logistics hub and underlined the importance of diversifying natural gas supplies for Slovakia and Europe. She also highlighted infrastructure development and digitisation as sectors with significant potential for cooperation. PRAGUE - The Czech Republic and Slovakia plan to purchase military equipment for their armed forces jointly, Defence Ministers Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) and Jaromir Zuna concurred during their talks in Prague on Wednesday, when they both signed an agreement on future accession to a framework agreement concerning joint procurement, TASR learnt from its special correspondent in Prague on the same day. According to Zuna, the current focus is primarily on AM120 mortars and Tatra 815 vehicles, for which the Czech army is considering 15 modifications. Kalinak, in turn, confirmed Slovakia's continued interest in L-39 Skyfox aircraft produced by Aero Vodochody and surveillance systems manufactured by ERA. "Following joint working-level discussions, we decided to begin addressing the issue of jointly procuring AM120 mortars, which the Czech army needs to equip its mechanised brigades, and we agreed that on 29 July a delegation of specialists from the Czech army will visit Slovakia and participate in practical demonstrations and technical presentations of this weapons system, which the Czech army is interested in purchasing in the future," stated Zuna, adding that both ministers will attend the demonstration. The agreement also covers the purchase of Tatra 815 vehicles. Zuna said that the Czech army is considering buying 15 of the 25 variants, adding that a final decision should be made by 14 August. BAKU/BRATISLAVA - The talks between President Peter Pellegrini and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov in Baku on Wednesday revolved around a planned agreement on the promotion and protection of investments, aimed at creating more predictable conditions for businesses in both countries, TASR's special correspondent covering the visit has reported. The Slovak and Azerbaijani officials also discussed the diversification of energy sources and transport routes to Central Europe. Pellegrini emphasised that Slovakia is seeking predictable and mutually beneficial solutions and outlined Slovakia's ambition to strengthen its role in linking European and Asian transport corridors. Also broached was the launch of a direct air link between Bratislava and Baku, scheduled for October of this year. According to the President's Office, the route could boost trade, tourism and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. During talks with Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova, the president discussed the further development of interparliamentary cooperation. He welcomed moves to intensify dialogue between the Slovak and Azerbaijan parliaments, bolstered by a cooperation memorandum signed during the visit to Azerbaijan by Slovak House chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) in May. BRATISLAVA - The Supreme Audit Office (NKU) stands by the conclusions of its audits and analytical report on the management of European Union funds, NKU spokesperson Daniela Bolech Dobakova has declared in response to a news conference held by Agriculture Minister Richard Takac and parliamentary vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (both Smer-SD) earlier on Wednesday. Takac and Gaspar had reacted to recent media statements by NKU chair Lubomir Andrassy. The NKU spokesperson said that the chairman's remarks were based on NKU's long-term audit findings, which point to systemic failures in the protection of public finances, including EU funds. Where there is the suspicion of wrongdoing, NKU refers cases to the law-enforcement authorities. Bolech Dobakova underlined that since 2017, under the leadership of former chair Karol Mitrik, NKU has repeatedly warned of a corrupt environment within the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA), describing it as an institution that should be abolished. She added that the latest audit of PPA, covering the period between 2020-2024, showed that the risks of corruption and fraudulent conduct persist. Similar conclusions have been reached by other national and European institutions. According to the spokesperson, PPA remains under NKU scrutiny. She added that attacks on and attempts to undermine independent institutions don't help to resolve public problems but instead weaken trust in state institutions, which is essential for a functioning democracy, the protection of public finances and public prosperity. At Wednesday's news conference, attended by Gaspar, Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Vladimir Vnuk and PPA general director Marek Cepko, Takac said that Andrassy has been lying in his recent public statements about corruption in the agriculture sector, particularly within PPA. According to Takac and Gaspar, the NKU chair has begun engaging in opposition politics. jrg