SNS Calls for Review of Circumstances of Slovakia's Vote at UN on War in Ukraine

Bratislava, February 25 (TASR) - The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) has called on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to examine the circumstances of the vote at the UN General Assembly, where Slovakia's representative voted in favour of the resolution proposed by Ukraine, TASR was told by head of the SNS chairman office Zuzana Skopcova on Tuesday. The resolution calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and reaffirms its territorial integrity. The SNS is 'fundamentally' opposed to this vote. The party stated that it firmly rejects such a vote at the UN and claims that it took place without the mandate of a competent representative. "The subject of the review must be to obtain information on who gave consent to Slovak Republic's representative at the UN to vote in this way and when," the SNS said in a statement, calling on Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) to reconsider Slovakia's representation at the UN. The SNS called on Fico to "immediately apologise for voting at the UN on behalf of the Slovak Republic". "It's important that the Slovak Republic maintains its position and a clear stance, just as Hungary, led by Viktor Orban, does. If the government declares something, it is inconceivable that our representatives at international institutions would vote contrary to the policy advocated by the government headed by Robert Fico and supported by the Slovak National Party," said the party. The SNS believes that in the future, anyone voting on major policy issues in such an institution must have the written consent of the relevant minister or a decision of the government. The UN General Assembly adopted on Monday (February 24) a resolution submitted by Kiev and European states on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A total of 93 member states voted in favour of the resolution reaffirming 'the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine', 18 voted against and 65 abstained. The majority of European Union countries, including Slovakia, voted in favour. Hungary was against, as were Israel and the United States. am/mcs