Premier Fico Points to Sufficient Grounds for Not Supporting Pandemic Treaty

Bratislava, 20 May (TASR) - Slovak Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated at a Tuesday press conference at the Agriculture Ministry that there are sufficient arguments for Slovakia not to support the pandemic agreement, claiming it contains elements that undermine the sovereignty of member states, disproportionately interfere with human rights, and includes annexes about which nothing is known, adding that the Slovak delegation acted strictly in line with the government's instructions. "A decision was made by the government that the delegation would have a mandate to request a vote on the pandemic treaty and, in that vote, not to support the treaty," the premier stated. According to him, not supporting the agreement in practice meant voting against it or abstaining. He claimed that this wasn't a "rash decision" by the government, but one made after serious consideration, with the Justice Ministry also providing its opinion. "The delegation did exactly what it was instructed to do by the Slovak government," Fico noted, adding that that Slovakia wasn't the only country that abstained from the vote. He mentioned, for example, Israel, Russia, Italy, and Poland. "There are countries that have issues with the pandemic treaty, 40 countries didn't take part in the vote," the premier said. lin