Gov't Okays Declaring Country-wide State of Emergency Due to Foot-and-Mouth

Bratislava, March 25 (TASR) - At its extraordinary session on Tuesday, the government approved the declaration of a state of emergency in response to foot-and-mouth disease covering the entire territory of Slovakia. Premier Robert Fico had announced this intention at a news conference held before the session with Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (both Smer-SD) in attendance. "The agriculture minister suggested that I should convene an extraordinary government session. I can inform you that the minister has asked the government to declare a state of emergency throughout the territory of Slovakia with all the measures and restrictions that such a state entails," said Fico. The premier said that the government wants to compensate breeders for all damages incurred to them with the assistance of EU money but if necessary even at the expense of other ministries. "We must restore breeding, we must restore herds of dairy cows and beef cattle. We must ensure that milk flows to our dairies. We must ensure that high-quality Slovak meat reaches our shops," stressed the premier. Fico reiterated that saving livestock breeding is in the national-state interests of Slovakia. "Even if we were to financially harm another ministry, we have to find this money. I believe that it won't be hundreds of millions of euros, but that we'll be talking about maybe tens of millions," he said. The premier added that he is planning to meet, along with the agriculture minister, the chief veterinarian and EU experts who are currently in Slovakia. ko/df