The Slovak head of state said he was glad that following his last year’s visit to the Kingdom of Denmark he could now appreciate the continuing positive development in the excellent friendly relationships between the two countries. “I and my wife remember our very successful and amicable visit to the Kingdom of Denmark and our cordial meeting with Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II,” the President added.
At the meeting with the Danish parliamentary speaker, Ivan Gašparovič appreciated the very good level of trade and economic relationships between Denmark and Slovakia, with their bilateral trade exchange amounting to EUR 763 million last year. “Denmark is among our major trade and export partners. Your entrepreneurs are important investors in Slovakia, having created more than 12,000 jobs here,” the President said. He also mentioned the excellent cultural contacts between the two countries, noting that Slovakia had honoured Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen with a memorial erected in the Bratislava city centre.

Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič further praised mutual support and cooperation between Denmark and Slovakia within the UN and European Union structures.
The two officials also discussed the current situation in the European Union and agreed that the division of powers architecture that currently existed inside the EU meant that small countries needed to cooperate more closely in order to push through their national interests.

Ivan Gašparovič noted that the upcoming EU summit in Vilnius would be extremely important as it may decide about the future and European prospects of Ukraine and another two European countries. “The accession to the association agreement does not, however, automatically mean a membership of the EU,” the Slovak President noted. Danish parliamentary speaker Mr Lykketoft further added: “It is in our utmost interest to make Ukraine part of the European community, and I believe that its membership is a key component of the EU’s Eastern Partnership project.”