MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 27 October 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 26 October): MOSCOW/BRATISLAVA - Slovakia will continue to pursue its national interests and develop cooperation with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar declared on Monday after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, TASR learnt from the ministry's press department on the same day. Blanar is leading a Slovak delegation in Russia, on behalf of the Slovak government, at a session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation between Slovakia and the Russian Federation. Relations between the two countries have been and will remain pragmatic and constructive, he stated. As announced earlier, the talks revolved around Slovakia's energy security, bilateral relations with an emphasis on economic cooperation, and developments in the war in Ukraine. "We need to keep the lines of communication with Russia open, including in the context of addressing issues arising from European Commission decisions on moving away from Russian energy sources. I discussed the REPowerEU legislation with the minister. Slovakia voted against it at EU level and has also filed a legal challenge against it," said Blanar. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's opposition parties have lambasted Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) over his visit to Moscow, where he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, accusing him of betraying Slovakia's national interests. Ivan Korcok, vice-chair of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, declared that Blanar's visit to Moscow has seriously damaged Slovakia's interests and international reputation. He holds the minister responsible for wrecking relations with neighbouring countries, describing him as an invisible presence at the European table and the destroyer of the Slovak diplomatic service. Korcok said that Blanar must be dismissed and expressed confidence that the opposition will gather the necessary signatures in Parliament to initiate his removal this week. According to Juraj Krupa, an MP for the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, Blanar went to Moscow to convey the message that Slovakia is an easily swayed country that abets the interests of the Russia within the EU. "This is terrible and deeply troubling, because what's happening here is preparation for a form of collaboration and betrayal of the national interests of the Slovak Republic. We must certainly not allow this to happen," underlined Krupa. BRATISLAVA - The Visegrad Four (V4) group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) has the potential to get back to the level of performance and strength that it enjoyed several years ago, said House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) during the opening of a meeting of EU affairs committees from V4 parliaments in Bratislava on Monday, adding that the four countries should focus on areas of common interest. "We've managed to reach consensus on shaping the V4's entire programme by defining priorities in areas of common interest," said Rasi, who also highlighted the V4's potential to promote common positions at European level. Slovakia has set four priorities for its V4 presidency - competitiveness, EU enlargement, sectoral cooperation, and interpersonal relations. As for competitiveness, Rasi drew attention to the position of the European economy. "Unfortunately, we're at a stage at which Europe cannot cope with the pressure of Asian economies, nor can it cope with the measures introduced by the Trump administration," he said. LUXEMBOURG - The agriculture ministers of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) met on Monday ahead of a session of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), with by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) chairing their meeting, the ministry's communications department told TASR on Monday, adding that the main subject of discussion was the draft regulation on the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), towards which the V4 countries continue to have a number of reservations. Slovakia and the Czech Republic are calling for changes to the rules on capping support and the definition of the end user, so that capping is applied on a voluntary basis with sufficient flexibility for member states and, in particular, at the level of individual agricultural holdings. This should prevent unjustified reductions in support. Further demands from the V4 countries relate in particular to the financing of investments, risk management, land-use rules, social conditionality, flexibility in supporting the transition, and the possibility of continuing to provide transitional national aid. Hungary is also calling for the option to support the expansion of activities by existing producer organisations to be retained. BRATISLAVA - The Interior Ministry and the Health Ministry have signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at protecting health-care workers in response to recent attacks on medical staff in Bratislava, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (both Voice-SD) and Police Corps President Jana Maskarova told a press conference on Monday, adding that the two ministries intend to establish a coordinated approach. Sasko explained that he's due to hold talks with directors of state-run hospitals on Tuesday (27 October) regarding the implementation of basic security standards introduced by the Health Ministry last week. Health-care workers should have access to a panic button to call for help, for example. Responding to a journalist's question, Sasko said that addressing this issue with private hospitals is more complex, but he'll hold discussions with them as well. The signed memorandum should subsequently establish broader procedures. BANSKA BYSTRICA - Three of the defendants in the Purgatory case - businessman Norbert B., Parliamentary Vice-chair Tibor G. and ex-official of the former National Crime Agency (NAKA) Robert K. [names abbreviated due to legal reasons] - are requesting that the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) should also hear cases involving offences to which the statute of limitations applies, stated lawyer Marek Para at the start of the main hearing on Monday. On Wednesday, 21 October, the STS panel suspended criminal proceedings in relation to some of the charges in the Purgatory case on the grounds of statutes of limitations. In the case of Norbert B., this concerns two offences; in the case of Tibor G., one offence; and in the case of Robert K., four offences. At Monday's hearing, Para stated that the defendants were waiving their right to lodge an appeal against the ruling and were requesting that the court should also hear the cases to which statutes of limitations apply. "We want the evidence to be heard. I believe that our evidential position is very strong, which is why we insist that the case should be heard," Para told the media. Defendant Tibor G., who is implicated in one of the acts falling under statutes of limitations, said that he wants to demonstrate to the public that he doesn't have to rely on the prosecutor's motion to discontinue the criminal proceedings. "We've already dealt with a substantial part of that act in court, and it's clear what the evidence has shown so far," he said. ko