Matovic:Fico Should Prioritise Visits to Western Countries Investing in Slovakia

Bratislava, 8 June (TASR) - Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) should prioritise visits to Western European countries that are key economic partners of Slovakia, said opposition 'Slovakia' party leader Igor Matovic, in response to the announced official trips of the premier to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. “It would be appropriate to make courtesy visits to Germany, France, and the countries from which most of our foreign investment originates, whose companies employ tens of thousands of Slovaks and which have helped us the most in raising our standard of living,” commented Matovic on Fico’s plans, adding that he believes Slovakia is losing out on investments from these countries. “The prime minister should have gone to Germany and asked why Volkswagen cancelled a major investment in the production of a small electric car in Bratislava. It’s no secret that this was due to the transaction tax and rising fees,” said Matovič. According to the opposition MP, the effort to develop bilateral relations with countries outside Europe is also a consequence of Fico having lost credibility on the European stage. lin