Slovakia will not boycott Hungary’s presidency, the Slovak President said

Slovakia will not join any attempt or activity that aims to boycott the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said on Thursday.

Pellegrini said at a joint press conference with Hungarian counterpart Tamas Sulyok that Slovak government representatives would participate in and support all Hungarian activities. He added that he did not think anyone should be punished for initiating dialogue.

Pellegrini expressed thanks for Hungary’s promise to extend air defence for Slovakia until the end of 2025.

He also said that economic help would further increase between the two countries, not only in terms of the exchange of goods but also for labour.

Sulyok calls for strengthening bilateral dialogue with Slovakia

Bilateral dialogue between Hungary and Slovakia should not only be maintained but strengthened so the two countries could serve their individual and joint interests even better, President Tamás Sulyok said on Thursday, after meeting his Slovak counterpart, Peter Pellegrini, in Budapest on Thursday. Sulyok told a joint press conference that he and Pellegrini had reviewed several areas “with a view of strengthening the [two countries’] strategic partnership”.

Regarding Hungary’s European Council presidency, Sulyok said he had asked for Pellegrini’s support to Hungary’s role as a “fair mediator” in issues such as curbing illegal migration, boosting European defence policy, an agricultural policy focusing on farmers, and “real solutions” to demographic challenges.

He said the two countries’ approach to enlargement was identical, calling for speeding up the accession process of the Western Balkans countries.

He added that he had told Pellegrini that it was well worth maintaining smaller groupings based on good dialogue and cooperation within the larger framework of the EU, “a larger alliance and framework of adaptation”.

Hungary apposed all types of aggression, President said

Sulyok said he supported the Visegrad initiative and expressed hope that the community could develop into an even stronger, European engine at the Polish summit during the winter.

In his capacity as the commander of the Hungarian army, he said the continual developments of the Hungarian army would further contribute to carrying out joint air policing tasks.

He said he had also told Pellegrini at a one-on-one meeting that Hungary apposed all types of aggression.

“Human dignity is inviolable, it must be respected, the respect must be enforced, and it must be protected,” he added.

He said they had also discussed the situation of national minorities and were in agreement that it served the interests of both sides to support coexistence. He expressed hope that the ethnic Hungarian advisor to the Slovak president would further elevate this.

Hungary will make every effort to ensure that significant support is provided for the ethnic Slovak community in Hungary, he said.

Hungarian House Speaker meets President Pellegrini

Speaker of Parliament László Kövér held talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Budapest on Thursday, parliament’s press service said. At their meeting, Kövér and Pellegrini reviewed Hungarian-Slovak political relations, issues concerning their national communities, the status of the Visegrád Group cooperation, the situation of the European Union and international challenges such as the war in Ukraine, along with the possibilities for establishing peace as soon as possible.

According to the statement, Kövér said in connection with Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the EU that Hungary would do its utmost to make progress on all issues on which Hungary and Slovakia held similar positions.

Among the seven main priorities of the Hungarian presidency, the speaker highlighted the aim of curbing illegal migration. Pellegrini is on an official visit to Budapest at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok.

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