Belgium would be willing to send troops to Slovakia in the event of a NATO proposal to strengthen the Alliance's eastern flank further. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stated that in Bratislava on Monday. Following talks with his Slovak counterpart Eduard Heger, De Croo stressed that security in Europe is a collective issue. The Slovak premier highlighted the need for cooperation between European states in their efforts to eliminate their dependence on Russian gas and oil. Heger noted that Slovakia is a stable and responsible partner in transporting gas to Western Europe. “If gas starts to flow to Europe from a different direction than the east and Slovakia thus finds itself on the opposite end of gas pipelines, other countries need to show the same kind of responsibility towards Slovakia,” Heger said. The Belgian prime minister said that he understands this requirement, noting that he sees an opportunity for cooperation between Belgium and Slovakia in the field of nuclear energy or hydrogen. He also highlighted Belgium's role in freezing Russian assets, voicing his support for Slovakia in documenting war crimes in Ukraine. At the same time, the Belgian premier declared his desire to do everything possible to end the war in Ukraine.
In addition to the war and its consequences, the two premiers discussed the investigation into the death of Slovak national Jozef Chovanec in Belgium in 2018. "We both want to see a just verdict as soon as possible," remarked Heger.
Source: TASR
