Slovakia will continue to support Ukraine on all fronts after the change of government, Prime Minister Ludovit Odor said on Monday following a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Ingrida Simonyte. During the meeting, they also discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries and the upcoming topics of the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July. Odor assured the Lithuanian Prime Minister that Slovakia would continue to be a good partner in matters of European integration and the North Atlantic Alliance. "The framework of our foreign policy won't change after the change of government. We'll continue in the same direction and with the same initiatives as before," he said, adding that Slovakia would continue to support Ukraine not only in its defence against Russia but also in its integration into the EU. The Lithuanian Prime Minister noted that the least that can be done is to help Ukraine in every possible way. According to her, Slovakia is a good example in this regard. She also noted that before the summit it's important to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and NATO and to find a clear way for Ukraine to become a NATO member one day. According to Simonyte, Lithuania and Slovakia share the same values and are like-minded countries on several issues. In her view, democracies need to work closely together to secure and strengthen the international order. Odor also praised the cooperation between the two countries. Simonyte sees great potential in economic cooperation, especially in the fields of energy, financial technologies and lasers.
Moreover, the Austerlitz format countries (S3: Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) are also united in supporting Ukraine and its European prospects, said Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Wlachovsky after a meeting with his Austrian and Czech counterparts Alexander Schallenberg and Jan Lipavsky. It's also necessary to continue the integration process of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union, Wlachovsky said. The Slovak Minister went on to say that their task remains to obtain the widest possible international support for Ukraine and thus contribute to ending the conflict. He also stressed the need for continuity in the process of active and effective recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. The S3 representatives also discussed joint activities towards the countries of the Western Balkans and the need to continue their integration process.
Source: TASR
