Govrernment Calls for De-escalation of Tension in Middle East

Bratislava, January 15 (TASR) - The Government on Wednesday expressed its concerns over the existence of undesired consequences of security incidents in Iraq, the violation of international law and increasing tension in the Middle East that has had a direct negative impact on the security of NATO soldiers in Iraq as well as the global coalition battling Islamic State (IS). The Cabinet called on all parties involved in the conflict to demonstrate restraint and to stop escalating tension immediately. "The Slovak Republic rejects all forms of violating international law, especially the UN Charter - the main pillar of international security. It calls on all parties involved to observe the norms of international law, including international humanitarian law, and to deal with unresolved questions via talks," reads the declaration. According to the Cabinet, one of the essential conditions for stabilising the region is for the countries involved to avoid intervening in each other's internal affairs and to respect unconditionally the territorial integrity of internationally accepted borders. A significant precondition for lowering tension is to continue implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The Government supports the declarations made by the leaders and Governments of France, the UK and Germany on January 12. At the same time it stated that it's convinced that joint efforts by all the countries in the region with the helping hand of the international community will notably stabilise the crisis in the Middle East. zel/df