Insight Central Europe News
Slovak soldiers in Iraq killed by mortar shells
The death of three Slovak soldiers in Iraq on Tuesday was most probably caused by four mortar shells. This was the conclusion of an investigation led by the Polish deputy commander of the multinational brigade. He said that one of the mortars had hit a stockpile of ammunition waiting to be liquidated. Further reports said that the shells were probably fired from a distance of two kilometers.
Hungary ends military service
The Hungarian government has decided to end compulsory military service. Under a planned amendment to the law, the draft will only be applied in specific emergency situations. The move is part of the transformation to a professional army, set to be completed next year. The smaller professional army will amount to 30,000 troops.
Polish President re-appoints Belka as PM
The Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski has re-appointed Marek Belka as prime minister, after Mr Belka failed to win a confidence vote last month. During a swearing in ceremony the president said he was convinced that Mr Belka's cabinet was the best solution for Poland. Parliament will hold a second confidence vote in the next two weeks. In order to survive, the government will require a simple majority, otherwise early elections will be held in August.
Czech Government approves lease of 14 Gripen fighters from Sweden
The Czech government has approved the lease of 14 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden for ten years at a cost of around 750 million US dollars. The fighters will replace the aging Czech fleet of Soviet MiG-21s, which are to be decommissioned by the end of this year.
Agreement on dividing former Yugoslav assets comes into effect
A framework agreement on dividing the assets of the former Yugoslavia between its successor states has come into effect, three years after being signed. The agreement promises to speed up negotiations on how to divide assets and liabilities between Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. In line with the agreement, Slovenia is entitled to 16 percent of financial assets.
Austrian province complains about Czech nuclear leak
The nuclear power commissioner in the province of Upper Austria has sharply criticized the operators of the atomic power plant at Temelin in the Czech Republic. Radko Pavlovec said the delay in reporting the leak of radioactive water last weekend was "unacceptable". The Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla rejected the criticism from Austria, saying there had been a response within the time frame required. The leak of three thousand litres of water was contained within the plant.
