Slovak Ambassador to Belarus Asks Ministry to Be Relieved from Duty

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - The Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed late on Wednesday evening that Slovak Ambassador to Belarus Jozef Migas has asked to be relieved of his duties in the wake of a controversy concerning his decision to attend commemorations of the end of WWII in Minsk. "Ambassador Migas has requested to be excused from his post. The ministry, however, strongly rejects his claims that a deliberate campaign was waged against him. The ambassador breached the basic principles of communications with head office when he didn't consult his attendance at commemorations of the end of WWII in Minsk in spite of coordination by the EU delegation," stated the ministry. The ministry at the same time stated that Slovakia paid homage to Belarusian war victims in two ways, namely by inviting the Belarusian ambassador to the ministry's commemoration act held on May 7 and via a personal letter written by Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) to the Belarusian premier. The ministry learnt that Migas had attended the event only later from the press. It views his reasoning for his resignation as "an expression of a political stance towards the new Slovak Government". zel/df