Slovakia must be perceived abroad as a reliable partner and a good ally that keeps its word and participates in co-operation and solidarity, the Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová concurred with the Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok after their meeting on Wednesday. The President went on to praise the Government Manifesto in the field of foreign policy, highlighting mainly Slovakia's European and pro-Atlantic orientation and anchoring. Both Zuzana Čaputová and Ivan Korčok view it as a crucial task that Slovakia's most senior constitutional officials act in a co-ordinated manner and clearly communicate the country's positions to their partners. According to Minister Korčok, the coordinated stance needs to be understood by the public too. This comes in reaction to the examples from the past years, when several clashes between the foreign ministry and Parliamentary speaker appeared in this regard.
On Thursday morning, Ivan Korčok also discussed the foreign policy section of the new government manifesto with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Over the phone, they talked about the priorities which the new government of the Slovak Republic plans in the field of security and defense. Jens Stoltenberg highly appreciated Slovakia's contribution to NATO's activities around the world. Both also assessed the activities that NATO is carrying out in support of its member countries in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. "We see in practice today that NATO, as a security and defense alliance, is helping with capabilities even now, when we face non-military challenges such as the coronavirus. This is a civilian contribution," said Korčok after his talks with Stoltenberg.
