MFA Summons Dutch Ambassador over Event at Dutch Embassy in Prague (2)

Bratislava, March 7 (TASR) - The Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday summoned Dutch Ambassador to Slovakia Gabriella Sancisi to express its reservations towards an event at the Dutch Embassy in Prague on Thursday that will focus on assessing the political situation in Slovakia. "The Foreign Affairs Ministry rejects such interference in the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic," stressed the ministry's press department. The event in question is set to be organised by the Centre for an Informed Society, and will feature Slovak ex-foreign minister Juraj Kacer and Juraj Rizman of the Post Bellum non-profit organisation, among others. The ministry expressed its "serious concerns" about the actions of the organisers. According to it, they invited diplomatic representatives of EU-member countries operating in the Czech Republic to a politically oriented event aimed at assessing the political situation in Slovakia without inviting Slovak diplomatic representatives in the Czech Republic as well. The ministry considers such a selective approach and the involvement of diplomats of other EU-member countries in a one-sided, politically motivated presentation of Slovakia at the Dutch embassy to be unacceptable. Meanwhile, the Centre for an Informed Society has responded by stating that it is the organiser of the event, not the Dutch Embassy in Prague. According to the organisation, the embassy only provided premises for the event and didn't have any say in the selection of speakers and guests. "We deny that this is an event that would in any manner interfere in Slovakia's internal affairs," the centre wrote on Facebook. zel/df