Slovak primary producers such as farmers are fretting after the new government approved its four year programme on Wednesday as it includes repeal of the measures enacted by Robert Fico's former administration to protect them from unfair trading practices of retail chains, Pravda daily wrote on page 11 on Friday.

Hypermarkets are now expected to seek to abuse their market position and put small food farms not obeying their demands out of business. "Retail chains will, with impunity, force primary producers to sell cheaper when they plan mark-downs in shops themselves," says Demeter Semencak, head of the Union of Bakers and Pastry Producers.

According to the Economy Ministry, the applicable legislation distorts the country's business environment. "The state is not supposed to interfere in the developments of free market, we will therefore repeal relevant laws," Robert Merva, spokesman for the ministry is quoted as saying.

The paper muses on page 14 over the implications of the recent International Court of Justice ruling that Kosovo's 2008 unilateral declaration of independence of Serbia did not break international laws as Slovakia is among those European Union nations such as Spain or Greece that did not recognise the former Serbian province.

Meanwhile, Kosovar premier Hashim Thaci calls for the EU countries in question to recognise his country as independent, saying they violate the international law by refusing to comply with the ICJ's opinion. "Non-recognition is unfair and unduly removes our European prospects," he is reported as saying.

"The Hague-based court opinion is not legally binding and serves as advice. The resolution of Kosovo's status should be based on an agreement of the parties concerned or United Nations Security Council decision," said the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry, invoking the UNCS resolution of 1999.

rr/sto