Chamber of Commerce and Industry Supports Signing of Nuclear Agreement with US

Bratislava, 19 January (TASR) - Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK) head Peter Mihok stated that Premier Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) visit to the US is an example of promoting a policy "oriented towards all four cardinal directions", TASR has learnt from SOPK's post on Facebook on Monday. "He [Mihok] considered it right that Slovak representatives met with top world leaders, that they were accepted at these negotiations, and he believes that they also raised issues affecting the Slovak Republic and especially its economy," the chamber said in a statement. Mihok added that he saw the significance of this policy in the fact that Slovakia was thinking globally and used this approach to the benefit of the country, its citizens, and its economy. On Saturday, 17 January, Fico met with US President Donald Trump at his private Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD), as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During a working visit to the US, Slovakia also signed a cooperation agreement in the field of civil nuclear energy, paving the way for Westinghouse to supply a new nuclear reactor unit at the Jaslovske Bohunice (Trnava region) site. The opposition criticised the trip and the signing. Progressive Slovakia called the meeting "the most expensive photo op" in connection with the planned nuclear investment. Although the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) welcomed the signing of the agreement, it doesn't understand why it took so long and claims that the prime minister delayed the process because of the photo with the US president. The 'Slovakia' party questioned the agreement, warned against debt, and claims that the country doesn't need a new nuclear source. am/mcs