Slovakia's first-ever ministerial-level participation in a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) confirms the country's interest in strengthening relations with Latin American and Caribbean nations and playing a more active role in addressing shared global challenges, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD) remarked during a dialogue with permanent observers at the OAS General Assembly in Panama.
"Slovakia values the role of the OAS and its General Assembly in promoting global dialogue across continents. Although we are geographically distant, we share the same fundamental principles — respect for the UN Charter, democracy, sovereignty, the rule of law and peaceful cooperation," Blanár said.
He underlined that Slovakia's participation in the General Assembly represents the highest level of the country's representation within the OAS since obtaining permanent observer status in 2002. According to Blanár, at a time of growing global security and economic risks, it is particularly important to strengthen international cooperation and dialogue with partners from the dynamically developing Latin American and Caribbean region.
"We cannot view the challenges facing individual regions in isolation, because stability, prosperity and security are important across the entire international community. In a period of conflicts and shifts in the geopolitical landscape, peace must remain the primary objective, and diplomacy and dialogue must be our main tools for achieving it," he said.
According to the ministry, Blanár's participation in the OAS General Assembly forms part of the Slovak government's ambition to expand partnerships with Latin American and Caribbean countries and to promote the priorities of Slovakia's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-2029 term.
Source: TASR
