President: Legitimate to Seek Foreign Cooperation Outside EU and NATO

Bratislava, January 1 (TASR) - It's legitimate to seek foreign cooperation beyond basic, permanent and unchanging ties in the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), but this cooperation should produce specific and tangible results for Slovakia and its citizens, stated President Peter Pellegrini in his New Year's address. At the same time, Pellegrini stressed that this approach must not be reflected in a deterioration in the quality of European and transatlantic relations, which are crucial for Slovakia and to which all three most senior constitutional officials claimed allegiance last year. The head of state wants peace to reign not only in Slovakia, but also in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and in all parts of the world that are plagued by wars and bloody conflicts. "Because with these wars and conflicts, although outwardly they are about declared values, the real result is that innocent people die every single day and women and children suffer intensely. And this suffering in the 21st century is a terrible shame on our entire civilisation," said Pellegrini. According to him, establishing peace in Ukraine would be the most wonderful celebration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which Slovakia will commemorate this year. He believes that if Slovakia can realistically help to establish this peace, it is obliged to do so as soon as possible. The president also pointed out that Slovaks rightly expect the government to focus on their problems and take steps to improve their lives. "People feel that Slovakia's possibilities in world politics have their limits, and they must never have the feeling that while dealing with international issues, the government somehow has no time and energy left for them," stated Pellegrini. am/df