EU & NATO more than allies; they’re friends, states President

During his midweek speech to Parliament, Slovak President Andrej Kiska stated that not only is Slovakia's membership to the EU and NATO vital for the country, but that the other members are real friends and allies who can trust us like we want to trust them. Kiska then reiterated that Slovakia's character is still at stake in the migrant crisis debate. The head of state believes that Slovakia's foreign policy lost the battle over the so-called mandatory quotas in Europe because it failed to properly weigh two significant issues. In his words, Slovakia underestimated the humanitarian character of the crisis. "Most of Europe and its political leaders see a person behind the ugly term of quotas. And under the figures of the quotas there are live human beings", he added. Also the misapprehension of the meaning of the quotas made Slovakia's position lose. "And that is mutual solidarity among our European states at a time of the probably most serious crisis of rules since the inception of the EU", Kiska remarked. Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák regrets that Kiska does not support Slovakia's rejection of mandatory refugee quotas. He opines that it is not possible to call for European solidarity when other states violate the EU rules.