Blanar: Slovakia Ready to Support Peace Process in Ukraine

Bratislava, October 12 (TASR) - Slovakia is ready to support the peace process in Ukraine by hosting preparatory negotiations before the peace summit if necessary, Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) has told TASR TV. According to Blanar, supporting a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine is a long-term key priority of Slovakia's foreign policy. "The peace summit should take place by the end of the year, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andriy Sybiha informed me about this," said Blanar, who met Sybiha at the joint Ukrainian-Slovak government session held near Uzhhorod on October 7. The summit will be prepared at various levels and Slovakia is open to supporting these negotiations. "We're ready to contribute in any way so that the truce is concluded as soon as possible, including by hosting some of the preliminary talks here in Slovakia," said the minister. Blanar stated that the Slovak government's position on the situation in Ukraine hasn't changed, with compliance with international law and the territorial integrity of countries being key for Slovakia, which is why it hasn't recognized Kosovo up to date. "Our view of the conflict itself is that there's no military solution to it," he said. Therefore, Slovakia wants to support peace initiatives and help Ukraine with pragmatic steps that have been discussed at the latest joint session of the two countries' cabinets, stated Blanar. He said that this was already the third such session, with the first one being held as a closer meeting of the premier and a couple of ministers on the Ukrainian side, where the April session of the two governments in Michalovce (Kosice region) was agreed. A roadmap with specific cooperation projects was agreed upon in eastern Slovakia, while fulfilment of agreed targets was evaluated at the October session near Uzhhorod, said Blanar, adding that the issue of electricity supplies is becoming an increasingly urgent for Ukraine with the approaching winter. According to Blanar, Slovakia continues to be engaged in the mine-sweaping of Ukraine and is also interested in Slovak companies participating in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. When asked if he doesn't view his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, most recently within the UN General Assembly session in September in New York, as a problem, Blanar replied that diplomatic negotiations are needful even during war conflicts. "The meeting with Mr. Lavrov was chiefly about our energy security. He declared that Russia is ready to adhere to all the contracts we have signed," stated the minister. ko