World views Slovakia as a trustworthy country

Slovak diplomacy and the country itself experienced a watershed moment at the very beginning of 1993, with the country standing on its own two feet for the first time, stated Pavol Javorčík, head of Slovakia's Permanent Representation to the European Union, to the press on Tuesday. The Slovak diplomat stressed that the fledging country had to tackle the most basic issues in the first days of its existence, the most pressing of which was to have other countries recognise its existence. "It might sound banal today, but it wasn't easy, and nothing was given because the early 1990s were quite turbulent in Europe. To a certain degree, therefore, a number of countries looked at Slovakia with doubt," said Javorčík. The country set its sights on joining international organisations including the UN, NATO and the Eurozone to combat this perception. "If there were certain doubts linked to the beginning of Slovakia, when we compare the situation then and now, it's two different worlds," said Javorčík. He added that having Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák as President of the UN General Assembly serves as proof that the world now considers Slovakia a trustworthy and acceptable country with a good image.