President of the Slovak Republic Delivered Speech at the Council of Europe Summit in Warsaw

President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič delivered a speech to the participants of the 3rd Council of Europe Summit in Warsaw. In his speech, the President appreciated organizing this summit. He emphasized that by his participation he would like to declare Slovakia’s interest in becoming a firm link of this community, and confirm Slovakia’s principal attitude to adhering to its commitments given to its partners. President Gašparovič underlined the importance of the Slovak Republic’s membership in the Council of Europe. “It was undoubtedly one of the most important milestones in the history of Slovakia”, said the Slovak head of state. According to the President, the membership of the Slovak Republic in the Euopean Union in many aspects contributed to strengthening the bases on which Slovakia relied in building democratic, legal and social system of our country. Ivan Gašparovič recalled that the Council of Europe had become a safeguard of noble ideals of democracy, and had given its member states valuable standards. Moreover, using the assistance of the Council of Europe, it is possible to provide for favourable environment, in which the future of Europe will be a promise of prosperity, hope and satisfaction. “For the sake of this, however, each member of the Council of Europe must individually make its own contribution by its own example and consistency”, added the President. At the same time, he pointed out that he would take any efforts needed to make sure that the application of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Slovakia is maximally effective and reliable. “Our intention is to contribute to preserving the mission of the European Court of Human Rights which represents a unique mechanism of human rights protection”, stated the Slovak President. In his speech delivered at the 3rd Council of Europe Summit in Warsaw, Ivan Gašparovič also backed the reform measures to relieve the Court of excessive load of work, and expressed his belief that Protocol No 14 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms would help improve the situation of the European Court of Human Rights. The president said that it was also one of the reasons why he had decided to hand over the instrument of ratification to this Protocol.