Prime Minister Robert Fico (SMER-SD) has departed for Beijing to attend ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. He confirmed he will also hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders, adding that after his return he plans to meet with the Ukrainian president as well.
Robert Fico: “If there’s a chance in Beijing to meet global leaders, we must use it. They represent billions of people and their views, right or wrong, deserve to be heard. After returning from Beijing on Thursday evening, I will travel to eastern Slovakia to attend a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.”
The trip has drawn sharp criticism. Opposition leader Michal Šimečka (PS) urged Fico to cancel the visit, calling it an international embarrassment and a step toward Slovakia’s isolation. He argued the prime minister should instead focus on urgent economic issues at home.
Former foreign minister Ivan Korčok (PS) also questioned Fico’s priorities.
Ivan Korčok: “Decisions important for Slovakia are made at the European table. Yet the prime minister avoids it. How many times has he met the German chancellor, the French president, or the British prime minister? Zero.”
In response, Fico repeated that his approach is a sovereign Slovak foreign policy. He also rejected claims he is neglecting fiscal talks, saying he will meet Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický (SMER-SD) immediately after returning from Ukraine.
Source: STVR, TASR
