Premier Convenes Special Cabinet Meeting on Foot-and-mouth Disease for Saturday

        Bratislava, March 21 (TASR) - Due to the seriousness of the information provided by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and the chief veterinarian about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease at the government session on Friday, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has convened an extraordinary cabinet session for Saturday (March 22), TASR learnt from prime minister's post on a social network.
        According to Fico, the aim will be to evaluate how effective the steps being taken are, cooperation between the responsible entities, synergy with international organisations and proposals for further action.
        "I'm calling on the opposition to refrain from making panicked comments and exploiting a serious viral crisis for political purposes in this difficult situation for Slovakia, for which the government can't be blamed. I'm announcing that the government won't give a second thought to nonsensical accusations by the opposition in dealing with the animal infection," added the premier.
        Before Friday's cabinet meeting, the agriculture minister announced that foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed at three livestock farms in the districts of Komarno (Nitra region) and Dunajska Streda (Trnava region).