Addressing the presidents of the Czech Republic, Poland, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Moldova, as well as EU and Swedish and Ukrainian government officials, Gašparovič said the Union had to admit the mistakes it had made with respect to the Eastern Partnership project. “On behalf of my country, I can confirm we did not do little but we could have done more. As a country in a direct contact with eastern European neighbours, we tried to provide assistance, share our experience and hold an open dialogue with them, but that is not enough for a substantial change,” he noted.

Ivan Gašparovič stressed it was necessary that the “big Europe” answered the question whether it really would want to see its eastern neighbours ever joining in at some point.

Ivan Gašparovič also met with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili during the event. “The Slovak Republic supports territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders and does not recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia that separated from Georgia,” the Slovak President stressed. According to Margvelashvili, Georgia could “open room for access to Asia and the Caspian Sea region” to Slovakia to boost economic and trade relations. In return, Slovakia could share with Georgia its EU integration experience and knowledge of economic transition, according to President Gašparovič.