Pellegrini: Hungary, Slovakia in agreement on major issues

Hungary and Slovakia are “not only connected through a joint position and a shared history, we are prepared to take further, active steps to develop our cooperation,” he said.

Pellegrini noted that he and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had inaugurated another new bridge serving as a further border crossing point between the two countries. He also said that the prime ministers of Slovakia and Hungary were preparing a new memorandum of understanding.

Concerning energy, Pellegrini said the two countries had linked their gas networks and built new electric links, too, in recent years. He also called for further, intensive cooperation in the area of nuclear energy. He welcomed that the two countries had managed to convince the Council of Europe to include nuclear energy in its list of safe energies.

He said Slovakia continued to assist Hungary in protecting its borders, adding that his government had sent “a sharp message to humans smugglers” as one of its first measures: “Slovakia will not be a transit country”.

“As a small country, Slovakia will never consent to removing the veto right of EU members,” Pellegrini said, and welcomed that Hungary supported that position.

The Slovak government has decided not to send troops to Ukraine “despite being criticised for that sovereign and independent position . bloodshed cannot be avoided unless we muster up the courage needed for peace talks,” he said.

Hungary is a major business partner to Slovakia, Pellegrini said. He welcomed that the turnover of bilateral trade was on the increase and that both countries supported their ethnic minorities.