Slovakia's Pellegrini plans Kyiv visit to boost postwar ties and regional development
Photo: Slovak President Peter Pellegrini (Getty Images)
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini announced a visit to Kyiv. He said he has already informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the start of preparations for the trip, informs Pravda.
The Slovak President said he does not want his visit to be just a courtesy call. Instead, he wants to achieve a positive outcome for both sides.
"I just met with President Zelenskyy at the Vilnius summit... and I have already expressed my position that we will start preparing the visit, and I asked the Ukrainian side to provide some content so that this is not just a courtesy visit. So that we can find some positive meaning for both sides, so that we send a positive signal," the president explained.
Pellegrini noted the need to look ahead to the postwar period, when Ukraine begins rebuilding and developing.
"Slovakia, which is located on the border with Ukraine, which is located on the border of the European Union, can benefit from this, and this can really become a huge boost for eliminating regional differences within Slovakia," he added.
Canceled Pellegrini visit
On January 1, Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas to Europe.
In response, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini stated that he would not make an official visit to Kyiv.
At the time, Pellegrini said the Ukrainian government and President Zelenskyy's decision to end gas transit fundamentally threatened Slovakia’s energy security.
It was also recently reported that Hungary and Slovakia will oppose ending purchases of gas, oil, and nuclear fuel from Russia.
Both countries agreed to vote against the European Commission’s decision in Luxembourg on June 16.
