Slovakia continues to fully support Ukraine and also supports the enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans, Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Wlachovsky told a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday. At the meeting, EU foreign ministers discussed the European Commission's proposal for an eleventh package of sanctions against Russia. It would target third countries that help Moscow circumvent existing sanctions. However, according to Wlachovsky, negotiations haven't been concluded and will continue at the level of ambassadors to the EU.
The package would also allow sanctions to be imposed on specific companies that the Ukrainian government says are helping Russia's war economy. Several European companies with business links to Russia fall into this category. But the Council didn't discuss such a list on Monday.
Wlachovsky clarified that ministers discussed the risks of adding third countries to the EU sanctions list, but did not name any countries suspected of helping Russia evade EU sanctions. "I share the view of [EU Sanctions Envoy] David O'Sullivan that all other communication tools and instruments must first be used to put pressure on third countries to prevent sanctions evasion. I understand the sensitivity of this issue for a number of countries, including Germany, but it is essential that we reduce circumvention to a minimum," Wlachovsky said.
During a meeting with diplomats from the Western Balkans, Wlachovsky assured his EU counterparts that Slovakia continues to support the EU enlargement process to include the countries of the region. He added that he and his Czech and Austrian counterparts are planning a joint visit to North Macedonia, but no specific date has been set.
Source: TASR
