Slovakia Reaffirms Support for Ukraine’s EU Membership, Says Fico

During joint Ukrainian-Slovak intergovernmental consultations on Friday, the parties confirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and discussed issues of Ukraine's European integration and energy security.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Interfax-Ukraine.
At joint intergovernmental consultations between Ukraine and Slovakia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
He stressed that Bratislava's priority is the development of cross-border cooperation and European integration of Ukraine, which, in his opinion, will contribute to stability in the region and deepening bilateral relations between the countries.
“If your country has made a decision and believes that your future lies in the European Union, then we also believe that your membership in the EU will support stability in the region and give new impetus to our bilateral relations,” Fico said.
He noted that Ukraine's membership in the EU will open up new opportunities for cooperation, making it even more intensive. At the same time, Slovak Prime Minister acknowledged that Kyiv and Bratislava have different positions on the issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said at the same time that Ukraine is ready to work to protect Slovakia from any risks to energy supplies.
“We are ready not only to offer alternative sources, but we can also technically synchronize our systems to protect Slovakia from any risks and create a new regional energy hub,” she said.
In particular, as part of further cooperation to improve intergovernmental relations, the Prime Minister of Ukraine asked the Slovak Republic to open a Ukrainian school in Slovakia.
“I think this would be a very strong signal for our bilateral cooperation,” Svyrydenko stated, adding that she would like to include this agreement in the joint roadmap for cooperation.
In turn, Slovak Prime Minister Fico indicated that he had no objections to this issue.
“Today we are talking about a significant number of people who have crossed the border. And with this significant number of children, the issue of establishing a school does not pose any fundamental problems... I consider this useful for future partnership,” he added.
As The Gaze informed earlier, a delegation from the Slovak Parliament's Committee on European Affairs arrived in Kyiv for the first time to confirm support for Ukraine's European integration course and their interest in strengthening cooperation.