Slovak diplomacy has confirmed its stance regarding peace at an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers held as an informal video conference on Monday (August 11), according to the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry's communications. They added that Slovakia was represented by state secretary Rastislav Chovanec acting on behalf of Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD).
The extraordinary meeting was called by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas in response to recent developments in the military conflict in Ukraine and ahead of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska slated for Friday (August 15), as well as Israel's recent decision to expand its military operation in Gaza.
In regards to Ukraine, Chovanec confirmed Slovakia's long-standing position that it is essential to respect international law as the foundation of any peaceful solution.
"The future peace deal must respect the key principles of international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act. In this context, changing the borders by force is unacceptable for us," he said. The ministry believes that the Alaska summit will contribute towards positive developments in the conflict.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Chovanec stressed that the large-scale displacement of civilians or military operations in densely populated areas are making an already critical situation even worse.
"The Slovak Republic has repeatedly called for unrestricted and safe access to humanitarian aid for all Gaza residents without any political or military conditions," he said.
The ministry reiterated that Slovakia has consistently supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Source: TASR
