KDH: Fico's Trip to Moscow Financed by Voice-SD's Interior Ministry

Bratislava, 3 June (TASR) - The opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) claims that the costs of Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) trip to Moscow in May were covered by the budget of the Interior Ministry, with MP Frantisek Majersky (KDH) lambasting Interior Minister and head of Voice-SD Matus Sutaj Estok for the fact that while his party criticised the prime minister's trip, the Interior Ministry paid for it and the government later approved it. Representatives of Voice-SD had objections to the visit to the Kremlin, with some even claiming that Fico's actions were not in the capacity of the prime minister, but as the leader of Smer-SD. KDH requested information about the trip through an official inquiry. During a press conference, Majersky explained that, according to the response to the inquiry, the trip was financed from the budget of the Government Office, from one of the ministries and other sources. "They had to approve it retrospectively in the government, and in the end it was paid for by Minister Sutaj Estok from the Interior Ministry's budget. So, the trip, which representatives of Voice claimed was a private trip by the prime minister, was paid for by the Interior Ministry with taxpayer's money," stated Majersky, adding that they will ask the minister to clarify the situation. Fico traveled to Moscow on 8 May as the only representative of an EU-member state. He had previously announced that he wanted to pay tribute to the thousands of Red Army soldiers who died while liberating Slovakia, as well as to the millions of other victims of "Nazi atrocities." He did not participate in the ceremonial military parade on Red Square but paid his respects to the fallen on 9 May at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In addition to the Slovak opposition, the trip has been criticised by foreign partners, particularly from the EU, such as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas. mf/df