Blanar Meets French Foreign Minister Barrot in Paris

Bratislava/Paris, 28 October (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) met with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot during his working visit to France on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry's communications department told TASR on the same day, adding that Blanar also held talks with French president Emmanuel Macron's adviser on Europe Alexis Dutertre. During the talks with Barrot, Blanar said Slovakia and France have been strategic partners since 2008, when the relevant agreement was signed on behalf of Slovakia by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD). "This strategic partnership is implemented through so-called five-year action plans, in which we assess various areas of cooperation at national, regional and local levels. I appreciate our open discussion with my ministerial colleague, during which we exchanged experience on many policies," said Blanar. According to the ministry's communication department, France is among Slovakia's most important partners within the EU, with the annual foreign trade turnover reaching €7.8 billion. Blanar noted that both countries face a number of challenges, including in the automotive industry. "One of the French investments in Slovakia is the Stellantis car manufacturing plant in Trnava, which faces the same problems as other carmakers. Slovakia is therefore raising these issues even at the EU level in an effort to defend their interests,” the minister said. Blanar pointed out that Slovakia is the second-largest producer of nuclear-generated electricity in Europe after France. In this area, both countries can share their expertise and build on past cooperation. In addition to energy, the ministers also discussed other foreign policy issues, such as the EU's declining competitiveness and the new European budget. While in Paris, Blanar also met with French president's Europe Adviser Alexis Dutertre to discuss European issues, the war in Ukraine - including the peace initiative proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump - as well as energy, transatlantic relations, or defence and security. jrg