Fico: Slovakia Must Pay Attention to Relations with African Countries

Luanda, 24 November (TASR) - Slovakia must pay attention to its relations with African countries, mainly because Slovakia should build on the era of relations between the former Czechoslovakia and the African continent, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said on Monday in a video posted on social media from Luanda, Angola, where the European Union-African Union (AU) summit is taking place, TASR was told by the Government Office's press and information department. According to Fico, the informal European Union summit on the US peace plan for Ukraine had a significant impact on the summit. Nevertheless, he believes that Slovakia must pay attention to its relations with African countries. "Not only because this is required by Slovakia's sovereign foreign affairs policy oriented in all four cardinal directions, but mainly because we should build on the era of relations between the former Czechoslovakia and the African continent," said the prime minister. Fico noted that Czechoslovakia had helped many African countries in their struggle for national liberation and independence from colonialism, building schools and hospitals in African countries, sending experts, and enabling African students to study at its schools. Slovakia is opening three new embassies in Africa, including in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Algeria. "We've agreed with South Africa to scrap visas for Slovak citizens, which may further promote business and tourism opportunities. And today I also signed an agreement with the foreign affairs minister of the Central African Republic on setting up diplomatic relations," said the prime minister. Fico held several bilateral meetings on Monday, including one with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. He noted that these meetings confirmed that African leaders are very knowledgeable about European affairs and have confident positions on many issues. In his speech at the summit, Fico emphasised that the global South is gaining strength and is rightly making its voice heard. In his words, he is convinced that African problems require "African solutions, not Western wisdom." The premier stated that the global South calls for non-interference in its internal affairs, calls for multilateralism, more effective functioning of the UN, and rejects the policy of domination of the whole world by one or two countries. "We agree on this and call for significant reform of the UN, such as expanding the membership of the UN Security Council to include countries of the global South, especially the strongest African countries. We want to take this approach even if Slovakia gets the non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2028-2029, for which it is applying," he said. The prime minister concluded on Monday several agreements on mutual support for candidacies for this seat on the UN Security Council. am