Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that the Slovak government is ready to restart intergovernmental negotiations with the Czech Republic. According to him, the two countries should focus on discussing a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, restoring cooperation within the Visegrád Group (V4), and opposing proposals to abolish the unanimity requirement among EU member states on certain issues.
Speaking at a conference in Bratislava organized by the Czech society “Svatopluk,” Fico emphasized that the Slovak government is ready to engage in dialogue with its Czech partners “at any time and in any place.” He noted that many unresolved issues have accumulated between the countries, particularly concerning differing approaches to the Ukrainian conflict.
Fico criticized the current EU stance on Ukraine and the anti-Russian sanctions, claiming that Ukraine has become a tool in the West’s geopolitical game. According to the Prime Minister, the main priority now is to stop the war and end the casualties.
Furthermore, he insisted on restoring cooperation within the Visegrád Group, whose members — the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland — hold differing positions on Ukraine. Fico also spoke out against abolishing the veto right in the EU and called on the Czech Republic and Slovakia to jointly oppose this initiative.
Radek Vondracek, Deputy Chairman of the Czech ANO movement, stated at the conference that if his party comes to power, one of their first actions will be to resume dialogue with Slovakia. Other Czech politicians — Communist Party representative Kateřina Konečná and SPD party MP Radim Fiala — criticized the current government for halting negotiations and submitting to EU interests.
