PRIME Minister Robert Fico met with US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in Washington on November 21.
Fico, along with an entourage including Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, spoke with Obama about the US-Slovak partnership, which is “based on shared democratic values and principles”, Fico’s spokesperson Beatrice Szabóová wrote in a press release. The meeting took place at the invitation of the US government.
Vice President Biden and Fico discussed the joint efforts of Slovakia and the US in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, including Slovakia’s engagement in Afghanistan beyond 2014, the press report reads. The two leaders noted the progress achieved in eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons and Fico affirmed Slovakia’s readiness to contribute to international efforts in this regard.
They agreed on the need to support economic growth and the creation of new job opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic by concluding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
“It has again been confirmed that we are a trustworthy country,” Fico said following the meeting, adding that Slovakia’s trustworthiness shows not only in its relations with US, German, and French leaders, but also with Russia and China.
The visit has “confirmed all our expectations”, according to Fico, adding that the two countries are strategic partners.
Fico also confirmed that Slovakia is ready to help with international efforts to eliminate chemical weapons in Syria. Fico noted that they also addressed the wiretapping scandal.
“We proposed to eliminate the consequences of this scandal so that there is a summit held at the level of the US and the EU at the soonest possible date to find a model to address the issue of mutual wiretapping,” Fico said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Only journalists from public-service media, the Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) and the public-service newswire TASR accompanied the government representatives to the US.
Fico’s spokesperson said that the Americans would not have allowed more journalists to participate, the Sme daily reported on its website.
