Pellegrini: Meeting Between Fico and Zelenskyy Extremely Important

Bratislava, 5 September (TASR) – President Peter Pellegrini considers Friday’s meeting in Uzhhorod between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to be extremely important, describing it as a meeting between the two top executive leaders of the neighbouring countries, TASR learnt from the President Office's press department on the same day. Pellegrini stressed that maintaining good relations with neighbouring countries must remain a priority for Slovakia’s foreign policy. If tensions arise in such relations, the only way to resolve them is through open dialogue at the negotiating table. „The President welcomes that today’s meeting resulted in an agreement on another joint session of the Slovak and Ukrainian governments, which is a highly exceptional form of international cooperation and allows for addressing specific forms of Slovak support for Ukraine’s defence,” the press department added. Friday marked the first bilateral meeting between Fico and Zelenskyy on Ukrainian soil. The Slovak delegation also included Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice–SD) and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD). Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko accompanied President Zelenskyy. Fico met Zelenskyy shortly after returning from China, where he held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (2 September). The Slovak Prime Minister last visited Ukraine in October 2024, when a joint session of the Slovak and Ukrainian governments took place in Uzhhorod. mf/mcs