Korcok: German Chancellor Merz's Planned Visit to Slovakia Won't Take Place

Bratislava, 14 May (TASR) - The planned visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Slovakia won't take place, Progressive Slovakia (PS) vice-chair and former foreign affairs minister Ivan Korcok told a news conference on Thursday, indicating Premier Robert Fico's trip to Moscow last week as the reason for this. At the same time, Korcok called on the government to comment on the situation. "Nothing will come of the announced visit of Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Slovakia. The visit won't take place," stated Korcok, who pointed to the premier's statements, as well as his visit to Moscow for the Victory Day celebrations last week, for which Merz has criticised him. Korcok claims that the Germans came to view Fico's trip to Moscow as incompatible with the planned visit by the German chancellor. "The premier consciously chose Russian President Vladimir Putin over German Chancellor Friedrich Merz," he said. Korcok also criticised Slovak diplomacy and the Slovak government for remaining silent about the cancellation of Merz's visit to Slovakia. He pointed out that the Slovak side repeatedly communicated and confirmed the visit, even though the Germans had never officially confirmed it. During his return from Moscow on Saturday (9 May), Premier Fico announced that Merz's visit to Slovakia was scheduled for 29 May. The German chancellor criticised Fico's presence in Moscow on Saturday for the Victory Day celebrations, during which Russia commemorated the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. "Robert Fico knows that we disagree on this. I very much regret it, and we'll talk to him about this day in Moscow," said Merz during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm last weekend. ko/df