The President of the Slovak Republic holds talks with the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Sergei Yevgenyevich Naryshkin

The President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Government Apparatus of the Russian Federation Sergei Yevgenyevich Naryshkin.

The Slovak Minister of Economy Ľubomír Jahnátek also attended the meeting. President Ivan Gašparovič praised the intensity of relationships between the two countries which serves as proof of their high level. The Slovak President stressed that Russian economic growth and political cooperation is useful for all Europe, and for the rest of the world.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister is also of the opinion that mutual relations are moving forward. Sergei Naryshkin described as a “positive sign” last year’s volume of bilateral trade with the Slovak Republic, amounting to USD 6.5 billion. For Russia, Slovakia is a significant consumer of energy carriers and, moreover, an important transit country of these energy carriers onward to Western Europe.

According to Sergei Naryshkin, Russia is also interested in continued cooperation with the Slovak Republic in the area of nuclear energy. In this context Naryshkin said that Russia was aware of its responsibility regarding the energy security of the European Union. The Slovak Minister of Economy Ľubomír Jahnátek specified the planned volume of gas to be imported to Slovakia this year at approximately 11 billion cubic metres. This year, the total volume of oil transported via the Slovak transmission network should reach 59 billion cubic metres. During the talks with the high representative of Russia the Slovak President also raised the issue of Kosovo’s independence.

Ivan Gašparovič informed his guest that at the moment Slovakia does not recognise Kosovo as an independent state. According to the Slovak President, the issue of Kosovo’s recognition will not be solved in a year or two, but could drag on for as long as ten years. Slovakia will have to analyze the situation in Kosovo after its declaration of independence, and only then will this country be able to decide whether or not to recognise Kosovo. “The decision to declare the independence of Kosovo was a blow to such an authority as the United Nations,”

Sergei Naryshkin said. In his opinion, ambiguous decisions of the UN Security Council and the European Union clearly show that it is not necessary to make any rash decisions regarding the recognition of Kosovo.