Premier: Fascism and Nazism Weren't Punished, They Just Managed to Hide

Banska Bystrica, 29 August (TASR) - Fascism and Nazism were neither suppressed nor punished, they simply managed to hide during the Cold War, said Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in his address to participants in celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) held in Banska Bystrica on Friday. Fico stated that that's probably why issues of a new war and conflict between East and West are being raised today. He declared his determination to continue supporting a peace policy based on consistent adherence to international law. He highlighted the legacy of the SNP, which, according to him, lies in the fact that it was Slovak, magnificent and sovereign. "Issues such as a new war, a new conflict between East and West are being blithely raised today. There is a debate on partitioning the Russian Federation, and the results of WWII are being denied," stated Fico. He claimed that Slovakia knows where freedom came from and what the nations of the former Soviet Union paid for the liberation struggle. Fico thinks that it was the right decision to visit Moscow last year, where he thanked the Red Army soldiers for what they did. He also honoured victims of the war at a cemetery in France. "I respect every single victim of WWII," he stressed. He pointed out that on Monday (1 September) he will leave for China, and he'll participate in end of the war celebrations there. The premier wants to make use of this opportunity to meet as many statesmen as possible. "As long as I am the premier of Slovakia, the policy of my government will be Slovak and sovereign. No one will tell me where to go and where not to go," he said. Fico also announced that Slovakia is sending food aid to the Gaza Strip. This amounts to some 6.2 tonnes of basic foodstuffs. According to the premier, the aid is currently at an airport in Jordan and will be distributed to the territory of Gaza by parachute. "We want to show where our place is and what we think about it," he stated. ko/df