Kremlin Confirms Fico's Plans to Attend Victory Day Celebrations in Moscow

Moscow/Bratislava, 29 April (TASR) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will attend the Victory Day celebrations marking the defeat of fascism in Moscow on 9 May, Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed on Wednesday. TASR has reported this based on information released by Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti. "There will be guests. Much is being said about Fico, so I can confirm that he will attend," Ushakov told reporters when asked about the foreign visitors expected at the event. It remains unclear which route Fico will take to reach Moscow. Estonia said on 19 April it wouldn't allow an overflight, while the prime minister himself stated that he wouldn't receive permission from Lithuania or Latvia, either. However, Lithuanian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kristina Belik later said that no such request had been submitted by Slovakia. Slovakia has also requested overflight permission from Poland. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said at a press conference on Monday that the problem with the Slovak prime minister's travel to Moscow via Poland "no longer exists". Due to objections from the Baltic states, the Slovak premier last year flew to Moscow on a longer southern route via Hungary, Romania and over the Black Sea. In addition to attending celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, he also held bilateral talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of other countries. mf/df