Blanar: Previous Cabinets' Foreign Policy Didn't Allow for Slovakia's Interest

30. decembra 2023 15:21
Bratislava, December 30 (TASR) - The foreign policy of the previous governments didn't look at the interests of Slovakia's citizens, as a result of which the standard of living in the country fell significantly, said Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) in an end-of-year interview for TASR, adding that Slovakia must be more sovereign in its international policies. The minister pointed out that in 2023 again, foreign policy has been very much determined by geopolitical events, especially the war in Ukraine. He criticised the former governments for unreservedly supporting all sanctions packages against Russia, also for military support to Ukraine, claiming that the only thing that has been achieved is the freezing of the conflict. According to him, the situation has no military solution and the only option is to push for peace initiatives as soon as possible. He also pointed out that Western countries, with their attitude to the conflict, "pressed" China and the Russian Federation into closer cooperation. Blanar lambasted the former governments for giving weapons to Ukraine, as a result of which the warehouses of the Slovak Armed Forces are empty and Slovak skies are unprotected. According to the minister, support for sanctions packages against Russia had an impact on the economy and the standard of living in Slovakia. "The standard of living has fallen so significantly that we've reached the penultimate place in the standard of living within the European Union," he noted. According to him, the country must be more assertive in foreign policy and take into account its own national interests. He rejects the opinion that this would lead to Slovakia's isolation. "It isn't like that. We are a trustworthy country and our policy is predictable, which is understood by the partners themselves, including in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance," added the minister. am
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