Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany is visiting Slovakia. On Monday, October 20, she is supposed to hold talks with Slovak President Andrej Kiska and later with Prime Minister Robert Fico.
”Their talks will cover bilateral relations, possibilities for deepening mutual cooperation between Slovakia and Germany, and current issues on the European agenda,” reports the press department of the Cabinet Office. The Slovak premier has stated that he also wants to broach the topic of the Ukrainian debt for gas supplies from Russia and related assistance from the West for Kiev. Fico said that he intends to discuss the issue with Merkel as it hasn't been the focus of talks within the European Union as yet. Fico rejects the idea that Ukraine should have its debt of $5.3 billion (€4.15 billion) for gas supplies towards Russian gas provider Gazprom settled by a third party without the country having to do much itself. Chancellor Merkel will also visit the Comenius University in Bratislava, where she will be awarded the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa.
This will be the third visit of Chancellor Merkel to Slovakia. In May 2006, she held talks with Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda about political cooperation among members of the European Union and NATO. President Ivan Gašparovič also received the official German delegation. In February 2011, Merkel visited Slovakia at the invitation of Prime Minister Iveta Radičová.
