SUMMARY - Monday, 31 August 2026 - 5 p.m.

Bratislava/Gabcikovo, 31 August (TASR) - I consider Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) to be a capable member of my government, and I've never had any objections to his work, declared Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at a press conference in Gabcikovo on Monday. https://etasr.sk/article/23660395 Gabcikovo/Bratislava, 31 August (TASR) - The turbines at the Gabcikovo hydro-electric power plant will be replaced gradually over ten years, with the first turbine to be supplied within two years and the last within eight years, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) announced on Monday on the occasion of the signing of a contract for the turbine replacement. https://etasr.sk/article/23660437 Bratislava, 31 August (TASR) - The junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) doesn't agree with the €465-million contract for reconstructing and replacing turbines at the Gabcikovo hydro-electric power plant, TASR has learnt from party's press release on Monday. https://etasr.sk/article/23660582 Bratislava, 31 August (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini left for Slovenia on Monday morning to attend the Bled Strategic Forum, which this year will focus on the future of Europe, the President's Office told TASR on Monday, adding that as part of his one-day working visit, Pellegrini will speak on the presidential panel and hold a series of bilateral meetings. https://etasr.sk/article/23660644 Trnava, 31 August (TASR) - I want to draw up a financial plan for the proposed construction of a new hospital in Trnava, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) told a press conference in Trnava on Monday, adding that the project is an ideal candidate for attracting investment, most likely in the form of a public-private partnership (PPP) in collaboration with banks. https://etasr.sk/article/23660501 Bratislava, 31 August (TASR) - The Agriculture Ministry and the Interior Ministry want to jointly speed up and streamline investigations into the suspected misuse of funds provided through the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA), according to a memorandum signed on Monday by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD). https://etasr.sk/article/23660466 Bratislava, 31 August (TASR) - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar will host a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) countries with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the Tomasov chateau on Tuesday (1 September), with the V4+ meeting set to be the first ministerial event during Slovakia's presidency of the Visegrad Group, the ministry's press department told TASR on Monday. https://etasr.sk/article/23660302 Notice: If you click on the link or copy it into the search window, the browser will display the full text of the message in the new e-TASR client zone. If you have any questions, please contact obchod@tasr.sk. am