Blanar Holds Talks with Kyrgyz and Georgian Politicians alongside OSCE Meeting

Vienna, 4 December (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) attended the 32nd meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna on Thursday, where he also held talks with Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Asein Isaev and Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili, reads the minister's statement for the media. Blanar expressed Slovakia's interest in strengthening cooperation with both countries. At the meeting with Isaev, Blanar followed up on his visit to Kyrgyzstan in April, which took place on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Czechoslovak volunteers in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Interhelpo association. Blanar considers Interhelpo to be a good historical basis for cooperation between Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan that can be used to strengthen it at the political and economic levels. He once again invited the president and prime minister of Kyrgyzstan to visit Slovakia. In connection with the meeting with his Georgian counterpart Bochorishvili, Blanar emphasised that Slovakia promotes dialogue with EU-candidate countries, which should be based on fundamental parameters and without double standards. "Unfortunately, we often feel that double standards are being applied to Georgia, and we want the dialogue between the EU and Georgia to be truly open so that these channels aren't broken," said Slovakia's chief diplomat. am/df