President: Slovakia Managed Fight with Foot-and-mouth Disease Excellently

       Bratislava, 2 July (TASR) - Slovakia has managed the fight against foot-and-mouth disease very well, which is also noted by international institutions, including the European Commission, President Peter Pellegrini said at a press conference on Wednesday that was held after a meeting related to foot-and-mouth disease.
        Pellegrini praised the intensive communication with the Slovak public in this regard, noting that Slovakia has developed clear procedures on how to act when foot-and-mouth disease appears. He pointed out that more than 8,500 animals had to be killed. The head of state highlighted, for example, the Fire and Rescue Corps, which, he said, had carried out various activities, including the transport of special containers. "With the special equipment at its disposal, the firefighters were able to safely transport these carcasses to their final destination," he added.
        "If the relevant ministries and the relevant authorities of the state hadn't reacted the way they did, today the damage would have been irreversible and would have been so enormous that we can't even imagine," said the president, describing the actions of the state bodies and the security forces as correct. According to him, the spread of foot-and-mouth disease was prevented as much as possible, with the damage kept to the smallest possible extent. Pellegrini added that the handling of the crisis is a lesson for Slovakia that our state forces are capable of engaging in the fight against such a contagion.