Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok (an SaS nominee) announced on Thursday that he is set to carry out notable adjustments concerning Slovakia’s network of representation offices across the world. He stated this due to the fact that the Government has not increased the budget for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, conceding that it is possible some consulates will be shut down. The minister explained in this vein that his ministry has been underfunded for quite some time and Slovak offices abroad are falling into disrepair. "But it would be unrealistic to ask for millions of euros to repair offices abroad in this situation, which is why I didn’t ask for an increased budget," he said.
When it comes to shutting down consulates, Korcok stated that he wants to proceed in a manner that will be correct towards Slovakia’s partners, meaning that he will first discuss this with concerned countries. As for how many consulates should be shut down, Korcok did not provide an exact number.
According to the 2022 draft budget that was approved by the Government on Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry should have €154.3 million at its disposal next year. More than 78 percent of the sum is meant to be invested in Slovakia’s foreign policy.
Source: TASR
