Danko: Slovakia and Russia Plan to Increase Number of Mutual Visits in 2025

Moscow/Bratislava, January 16 (TASR) - Slovakia and Russia plan to increase the number of mutual visits in 2025, with invitations for Russian cultural representatives already being prepared at the Slovak Culture Ministry, said MP Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) in an interview for the Russian news agency TASS, published on Thursday, as reported by TASR. "We'll see how it all plans out. The first step was taken by Premier Robert Fico" (Smer-SD), said Danko, who together with House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD), led a six-member parliamentary delegation on a visit to Moscow in the past days. Danko stated that SNS has three ministries in the government - the Culture Ministry, the Tourism and Sport Ministry, and Environment Ministry. "I'll certainly recommend to our ministers that they make reciprocal visits, but that's a matter for the government," he said when asked whether specific visits are planned for 2025. Danko was also asked whether it was possible to make progress this year in settling the conflict in Ukraine though cooperation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his future American counterpart Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20. "Fico can't resolve this problem, Slovakia can't resolve this problem. Only Trump and Putin can resolve it," he said. He also accused the West of inciting conflict between Slovakia and its neighbours. "When Slovaks argue with Czechs, when tension arises between Poles and Hungarians, or between Slovaks and Hungarians, the West is inciting the conflict between us," he claimed, adding that the Germans, French, and Americans are taking advantage of it. lin/mcs