Premier: Trip to USA in Line with Slovakia's Sovereign Foreign Policy

Washington, 16 January (TASR) - My working trip to the USA is fully in line with Slovakia's sovereign foreign policy, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) posted on social media from Washington DC on Friday in response to critical comments from the opposition. According to him, Slovakia needs new sources of electricity production. "From our own experience, we can confirm that ambitious climate targets and increasing energy needs can't be met without nuclear energy. After good experience with the Russians, we're diversifying and are interested in building a new nuclear unit in Jaslovske Bohunice [Trnava region] in cooperation with American partners," he stated. "That's why we intend to sign a framework agreement between the governments of the USA and Slovakia today. Only after this agreement has been signed can we begin to discuss specific cooperation between Slovakia and American and other companies in constructing a new nuclear power plant," he wrote. The prime minister went on to say that he doesn't want to give the same impression as German politicians who, in the name of "ideological green madness", first shut down all nuclear power sources, only for Chancellor Friedrich Merz to now speak of a huge mistake. "Back in 2008, my government made the right decision, despite enormous resistance in the EU, to complete the third and fourth units of the Mochovce nuclear power plant [Nitra region]," he emphasised. "If my visit to the USA includes a meeting with US President Donald Trump, I can only welcome it. I've already become used to being labelled a Russian and Chinese agent after important meetings with the Russian and Chinese presidents, so I'm not surprised that the opposition and the media are now accusing me of being an American agent. This is quite picturesque, because we're in NATO along with the USA. I have been, am, and will continue to be only an agent of the Slovak Republic; nothing else matters to me," stressed Fico. am/df