KDH Urges Government to Request Online EU Foreign Affairs Council Meeting

Bratislava, 23 March (TASR) -The opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) has called on the Slovak government to contact EU member states and request an extraordinary online meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in connection with the further escalation of tension in the Persian Gulf, KDH's communication department told TASR on Monday. In this context, KDH pointed to the 48-hour ultimatum given by US President Donald Trump to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Iran's sharp response threatening to intensify attacks on the civilian infrastructure of countries throughout the region. "Given the further escalation of the situation in the Persian Gulf and the deadlines set by US President Trump, KDH calls on the Slovak government to immediately contact EU member states and request an extraordinary online meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council," stated KDH, adding that the EU must exert maximum effort to de-escalate the situation. "In this context, coordination with other partners such as the United Kingdom, as well as Canada, Japan, and the Persian Gulf states, is also essential," according to KDH. At the same time, KDH called on the Slovak government to join initiatives within the United Nations demanding immediate compliance with international treaties on the protection of critical infrastructure, including global energy infrastructure, as well as to actively support the initiative of 14 countries to restore safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz. In its response provided to TASR, the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry stated that "if KDH starts talking about escalation after almost a month of fighting, the question is rather where they have been until now". jrg