Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák said on Thursday that there is still time and space for a diplomatic solution to the situation in Syria. “After all, even armed conflicts end at the negotiating table,” said Lajčák. When pressed how Slovakia views any possible military intervention against Syria, the Foreign Affairs Minister responded that such a move requires a strong international legal basis.
Lajčák is to join an informal meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of EU-member states in Vilnius, Lithuania this weekend, where he will present Slovakia's basic stance, being that the activities of the international community must be based on international law. “Respect for international law is a weapon for a country of our size and geographical location,” he said. Similarly, Lajčák is in favour of waiting for the conclusions of the UN inspectors collecting samples at the site of the alleged chemical attack near Damascus. According to Lajčák, however, if the use of chemical weapons is confirmed, this would constitute a crime against humanity and a violation of international law. “And we must respond to that,” he added.
