Foreign Ministry: Slovakia recognises only Spanish Government

The Slovak Republic considers it necessary to respect the valid legal framework grounded in the Spanish Constitution and Spanish laws as well as the principle of territorial integrity, said Foreign and European Affairs Ministry spokesman Peter Susko last week. This was the Slovak Foreign Ministry's response to the vote by the Catalan Parliament on declaring independence from Spain on Friday. "Our partner is exclusively the Spanish Government. We perceive dialogue based on respect for the principles of the rule of law as the best tool for addressing problems in a democratic society. We hope that the current situation will be deescalated as soon as possible," claimed Susko. In the wake of the Catalan Parliament voting to declare independence, the Senate in Madrid passed a motion to implement the Constitution's article number 155, based on which the Government in Madrid will be empowered to oust the Catalan Cabinet and exercise direct control over the region.