l-r: Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár, President Zuzana Čaputová, PM Igor Matovič and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok (source: TASR)
Slovakia’s three top officials signed a joint declaration on May 9, expressing their will, shared responsibility and pledge to collaborate on a united and responsible foreign, European and security policy for Slovakia.
They also want to strengthen the foreign policy consensus.
“Slovakia is a free, sovereign and democratic country,” reads the declaration signed by President Zuzana Čaputová, PM Igor Matovič (OĽaNO) and Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) on the occasion of Europe Day, which is celebrated on May 9.
They stressed that the country is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it was Slovakia's free will to join them.
“It’s an expression of our affiliation to the most developed countries in the world united by the values of democracy, rule of law, the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, the observation of international law, and the solidarity and will to live and develop in peace,” the declaration reads.
The President said politicians are currently confronted with a rise in extremism, populism and distrust in state and European institutions.
“Shared values and commitments we have voluntarily made have also been doubted,” Čaputová wrote on Facebook, adding that the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences remind us of the need to speed up the transformation of our economy. “It’s clear that we can manage these challenges only by shared efforts, coordination and collaboration with our partners and allies.”
