Blanar Meets US Deputy Secretary of State Landau during NATO Meeting in Brussels

Brussels, 4 December (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar held a bilateral meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Wednesday (3 December), confirming Slovakia's interest in strengthening the transatlantic partnership and developing cooperation in the areas of trade, energy, defence, as well as support for international security, TASR has learnt from the ministry's press department. "The USA is one of our most important security and economic partners," stated Blanar, highlighting the progress of joint flagship projects, including the construction of a nuclear unit by the US company Westinghouse. He said that an intergovernmental agreement is ready to be signed. The relations between both countries have been raised to the level of a strategic dialogue since 2020, recalled the ministry, adding that Slovakia is keen to further deepen mutual cooperation. "We're currently scheduling a date for bilateral talks between me and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss our cooperation in more detail, not only as regards defence industry and the energy sector, but also other issues, such as trade," added Blanar. During their talks, Blanar and Landau also touched on Ukraine, with Blanar stressing that it's crucial to continue peace negotiations. Slovakia fully supports US President Donald Trump's peace plan and is ready to be helpful in the next phases of the peace process, said Blanar. After the NATO foreign ministers' meeting, Blanar departed to Vienna to attend a session of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). jrg