On Thursday, June 12, the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Richard Raši received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Nigel Baker at the parliament.
The meeting was held in a very constructive and friendly atmosphere. The partners discussed current issues in the field of foreign and security policy, economic cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy. The Speaker of Parliament confirmed the clear foreign policy anchoring of the Slovak Republic in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance and informed about the ongoing discussion on increasing defense spending, including the upcoming round table of political parties on this topic. He pointed out the risks of global conflicts and particularly emphasized the necessity of preventing the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
Richard Raši also informed about the upcoming changes in the legislative process, including the draft amendment to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and considerations on adjusting the electoral system in order to strengthen the representation of regions. They also discussed the consolidation of public finances and the preparation of the state budget for 2026.
An important topic of the meeting was parliamentary cooperation. The Speaker of the Parliament expressed interest in its further strengthening, especially between committees and friendship groups. In this context, he extended an invitation to the Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom to visit Slovakia.
Ambassador Nigel Baker appreciated the style and content of the political dialogue led by the Speaker of the Parliament. He confirmed the interest of the British side in active parliamentary exchange and support of bilateral relations. The partners also addressed issues of economic cooperation. They highlighted the activities of British investors in Slovakia and in particular the Land Rover brand, which, according to the ambassador, is ready to respond to possible American tariffs. The conclusion of the meeting was devoted to relations between the citizens of both countries - the Speaker of the Parliament recalled the strong personal and cultural ties between Slovakia and the United Kingdom, where approximately 160,000 Slovaks currently live and many students from Slovakia study at British universities.
Source: TASR
