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V – 4 Meeting in Kosice
As current chairman Slovakia is hosting a meeting of the V4 countries in Kosice. Members of Parliament from the V4 countries have also been invited. The main agenda item is the Schengen border implementation. Pavel Paska, Slovak parliamentary chairman said that all new member countries will be ready by October 2007 to accept the Schengen responsibilities for border security.

Premier Visits Ireland
On Sunday Premier Robert Fico left for a two day official visit to Ireland. Today he had meetings with Irish Premier Bertie Ahern. Discussions focussed on economic matters and the future enlargement of the EU. Fico is also scheduled to meet the Irish President Mary McAlees.

Slovak Soldier Killed in Iraq
The Slovak soldier killed in Iraq on Friday evening when a bomb exploded beneath the vehicle in which he was travelling has been named as Sergeant-Major Rastislav Neplech.
According to the ministry of Defence, 56 Slovak soldiers were on the way to the Delta camp near the town Al Kut when a bomb exploded under the third car in the convoy of 20 that included 10 Slovak vehicles. A Polish soldier wwas also killed while another Pole and an Armenian were seriously wounded. The Slovak contingent in Iraq is carrying out demining and bomb-disposal operations. Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic on Saturday sent a letter of condolence to the family of Sergeant-Major Rastislav. According to Gasparovic, Slovak soldiers in Iraq contribute to both the stability and the protection of civilians in the region.

Government Is against Death Penalty
The Slovak governing Coalition agrees with the European Union that the death sentence handed down to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein by an Iraqi court on November 5 shouldn't be carried out, Sme daily reports. Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the death penalty is unacceptable for Slovakia as a member of the EU. His stance has been backed by other representatives of the governing Coalition, but former justice minister and Christian Democrat (KDH) MP Daniel Lipsic has sharply criticised the prime minister. "Robert Fico used to be a supporter of the death penalty. He has changed his stance only to please the European Socialists," claimed Lipsic.

Dzurinda: Fico's Accusations Against Oppostion Are Fabricated
The myriad cases in which Prime Minister Robert Fico's has accused the current Opposition are unreasonable and fabricated, former premier and SDKU-DS party chairman Mikulas Dzurinda said on TV JOJ's weekly politics show on Sunday. According to Dzurinda, Premier Fico should instead sort out the problems that he used to criticise the former government about while he was in opposition. "Fico doesn't deal with problems like regional disparities, young people leaving for abroad or poverty in Slovakia," Dzurinda said, citing two areas where Fico did promise to do something. Dzurinda also thinks that if someone tried to bribe Fico in connection with Transpetrol, Fico should turn to the police to investigate it. Fico claimed he was offered a bribe that would enable him and "15 generations" of his family not to work

Schmognerova: Too Early Euro Adoption Could Cause Problems
Adoption of the euro on January 1, 2009 can have a negative impacts if this turns out to be too early for Slovakia, said former finance minister Brigita Schmognerova at a left-wing New Words Club meeting in Bratislava on Friday. The European Central Bank (ECB) has also given the signal to the EU10 countries to be careful not to be too hasty when it comes to its adoption. Schmognerova thinks that the former government should have left the decision on the euro adoption up to the current Government. According to Schmognerova, the decision of the former government to enter to the eurozone exchange rate mechanism ERM-2 meant that it wanted to ensure its reforms.

Smer Allocates Biggest Sum on Municipal Elections Campaign
Each political party can contribute to the campaign of its candidates in the municipal elections at a different level and the strongest governing coalition Smer-SD party e.g. decided to allocate 276,030 Euros. The campaign officially starts on Wednesday, November 15. The Opposition ethnic-Hungarian SMK party is prepared to spend Sk2 million on municipal elections from the party's coffers, while governing coalition LS-HZDS gave an unspecified amount of finances directly to regional headquarters of the party. Governing-coalition SNS and opposition SDKU-DS and Christian Democrats (KDH) parties confirmed that their candidates municipal election campaigns will be financed regionally or by candidates themselves. The campaign will finish 48 hours before polls open on December 2, which means on November 30.

Slovakia Supplying Europe with LCDs
It is no longer only car-makers who are responsible for the fast-growing Slovak industrial sector, but also electronics firms, as Europe has taken a shine to Liquid Crystal Displays that will be imported from Slovakia, among other countries, Hospodarske noviny daily reports. Electronics exports have been rising of late. Global demand for liquid crystal displays has doubled in the third quarter of 2006 on an annual basis. Sony, Samsung and OVP Orava are named in the article as three LCD-panel and television manufacturers who are expected to begin selling LCD screens abroad.

Kia to Launch Production in November
South Korean car-maker Kia is to launch production at its new plant in Zilina a few days earlier than planned, with the first car rolling off its assembly line as early as November, rather than in December as originally planned, Pravda daily reports. "We're finishing tests on the last batch of the new Cee'd model, which we'll then start manufacturing," Kia Motors Slovakia spokesman Dusan Dvorak is quoted as saying. Tests on the Sportage model have been completed, but this second type of car will not be produced until the summer of 2007. The plant has manufactured several hundred cars for the purposes of testing and employee-training. It expects to recruit 400 more people to be able to introduce a second shift in March of next year.

Tatra Banka Open: Slovakia's Mertinak Beats Dlouhy to Win Final
Slovak tennis player Michal Mertinak, 27, on Sunday won the $100,000 Tatra banka Open challenger tennis tournament at the National Tennis Arena in Bratislava by beating the Czech player Lukas Dlouhy (ATP rank 110) in two sets 7:6, 6:4. This victory for Mertinak, who has played Davis Cup for Slovakia for the past two seasons, is the biggest individual success in his career, earning him 12,250 USD and 80 points on his ATP ranking

SEAGLE Jet to Offer VIP Clients Service as of December
Slovak air traffic company SEAGLE Jet will launch a new service - for private businesses and VIP clients as of December 2006, making it the first company to offer the so-called executive jet service in Slovakia. SEAGLE Jet will start up with two Cesna Citation jets for five passengers. They reach a speed of 650 kilometres per hour and can travel 2,300 kilometres. The company plans to buy another mid-sized plane next year.