Heger made it clear at the EU summit: The success of Ukraine is also the diplomatic success of Slovakia – Topky.sk

In the presence of the Slovak Ambassador to the EU Petra Vargová, Ľubica Karvašová, Head of the Government Office for European Affairs and his adviser to Ukraine Alexander Duleba, the Prime Minister described the unified position of EU leaders on this issue as an extraordinary event. He added that it is also important for Slovakia, not least because Ukraine is “our direct neighbor”, with whom we want to be a stable and prosperous country. “Candidate status will help Ukraine move towards EU membership. For Slovakia, this will mean increased prosperity and security. The second level of this great event is that Slovakia has contributed to it to a large extent,” Heger warned. He clarified that at the informal EU summit in Versailles in March, Slovakia was the first country to present a work-in-progress proposal on how to help Ukraine in terms of reforms and financing for reconstruction, and to request that it be granted candidate status. At the time, several EU countries rejected this option. Photo gallery (3) Source: TASR / AP Photo / Olivier Matthys “Today, after a few months, we can say that miraculously Ukraine received this status,” said the prime minister, thanking the entire team that contributed to this success on behalf of Slovakia. He also pointed out that the new chapter in the history of Ukraine opens new perspectives for the development of Slovakia. According to him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also addressed the EU leaders via video transmission, thanking all member states, including Slovakia. “If I can tell him something, so that just as we did not turn our backs on Ukraine from the beginning, we will not turn our backs now. We will continue to help them as friends and neighbors. with the development of their country, humanitarian and military assistance if possible, “said Heger. The Prime Minister added that this is one of the reasons why he is trying to mobilize the business sector in Slovakia so that the Slovak side knows how to use its potential for the benefit of Ukraine and also for the benefit of Slovakia’s development. Photo gallery (3) Source: TASR / AP Photo / Geert Vanden Wijngaert According to him, Slovakia can pass on its reform experience to Ukrainians to meet the necessary entry criteria as soon as possible, because only now are the most important things waiting for them and the EU does not want to succumb to the quality of accession . In Brussels, Duleba told the media that the prime minister had spoken at least twice by telephone in the last three months about the need to support Ukraine with every member country’s leader. Heger confirmed this and described that it was a gradual and persistent process of communication. “We have been negotiating gradually and I am glad that today we are at the stage that we have all supported it and that is important,” he described the situation.