Kazimir resigns as finance minister

President Andrej Kiska on Thursday received Finance Minister Peter Kazimir's letter of resignation and placed Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in charge of managing the finance ministry on a temporary basis. Kiska said Kazimir's work at the ministry had been "a great contribution to the country". He noted that at the time when Kazimir took office there had been a need to consolidate the state budget. "Our economy is doing well, the unemployment rate is dropping to an all-time low," the president said.