Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák (source: TASR)
These will be continuous and stable policies which emphasise Slovakia’s pro-European and pro-Atlantic orientation. The manifesto is set to be submitted to parliament on April 18.
“We are interested in a strong and competitive European Union,” said Lajčák as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that the ministry will continue to provide aid to Slovak citizens and entrepreneurs.
The minister also declared the intention to step up the ministry’s activities in the care of ethnic Slovaks living abroad and to increase the amount of resources earmarked for development aid. “We need to realise that the expectations are higher,” he said.
The cabinet intends to embrace effective measures to draw from the experiences of Slovaks living abroad and encourage them to return and rejoin public, economic and social life in Slovakia. A short-term priority in European policies will be the first ever Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU, slated for the second half of 2016. The Presidency aims to come up with a positive agenda with an impact on the everyday lives of citizens.
The Government pledges to embrace measures for better administration and protection of the EU’s external borders and streamlining of the Schengen area, which Slovakia joined in 2007. It also intends to support the internal market as a main tool of the EU in terms of ensuring economic growth and job creation. One other outstanding foreign ministry priority is the EU’s further enlargement.
