THE MILITARY forces of Slovakia and Great Britain were the main topic of talks between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and his British counterpart Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street in London on November 17.
Fico has been criticised for his decision to travel outside Slovakia on the day marking the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution
“Slovakia is a very important partner in the coalition of 43 countries and I would like to thank the prime minister for his decision to raise the number of soldiers in Afghanistan,” said the British prime minister, as quoted by SITA.
According to Fico, the Slovak government sees a major difference between the mission of its soldiers in Iraq and in Afghanistan, which is why his cabinet withdrew Slovak forces from Iraq immediately after he became prime minister. He said that Slovakia is ready to change the mandate of its forces in Afghanistan so that they can serve in regions other than Kabul and Kandahar, SITA reported.
While in Great Britain Fico also met Michael Gapes, the head of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and gave a lecture at University College London titled “Slovakia in the 21st century”.
