Pellegrini Meets Babis, Confirms Slovakia's Interest in Joint Cabinet Meetings

Prague, 4 November (TASR) - Slovak President Peter Pellegrini met on Tuesday evening with leader of the Czech ANO party Andrej Babis, who was tasked by President Petr Pavel with forming a new government after winning the Czech general election in October, TASR reported on the same day based on information from the Slovak Presidential Office's communications department. Pellegrini congratulated Babis on his election win and confirmed Slovakia's interest in continuing the format of joint cabinet meetings. "We're facing common challenges - energy security, industry decarbonisation, green and digital transitions, defence sector, and nuclear energy within the EU, including diversification of gas and oil supplies. I am therefore glad that we are both willing to seek solutions for the benefit of people in our countries. The Visegrad Four format is also a good platform for joint discussion, and I am glad that we've agreed on the need to revive it," Pellegrini wrote on social media. He also expressed confidence that after the new Czech cabinet is formed, the tradition of the Czech Prime Minister's first foreign visit being to Slovakia will be maintained. Pellegrini met with Babis at the Municipal House in Prague, where he arrived for a gala concert performed by the Kosice State Philharmonic Orchestra to mark the anniversaries of the births of former Czechoslovak President Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and Slovak politician and diplomat Milan Rastislav Stefanik. Before the concert, he also held talks with President Pavel. jrg