Sybiha Thanks Blanar for Slovakia's Support of Ukraine's Path to EU

Vinnytsia, 5 June (TASR) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) on Friday for Slovakia's support of Ukraine's path to the EU, TASR has learnt from his post on X on the same day. "I thanked Slovakia for its support of Ukraine's EU accession path, including its readiness to support the opening of negotiation clusters. Ukraine's future is in the European Union, and our membership will only strengthen the security, resilience, and competitiveness of Europe as a whole," Sybiha wrote on X, adding that Ukraine and Slovakia have "every reason to deepen their partnership". According to the Ukrainian minister, good neighbourly relations, mutual trust, and practical cooperation remain the foundation of partnership between Ukraine and Slovakia. He therefore discussed with Blanar further steps to deepen Ukrainian-Slovak cooperation, including in the areas of defence, energy resilience, infrastructure, and regional development. Ukraine is also open to closer cooperation with Slovakia on joint defence projects, he added. Sybiha further stated that priorities include preparations for the next round of intergovernmental consultations, which according to him, remain an important tool for advancing bilateral agenda and delivering concrete outcomes. "We also focused on our shared security. Lasting peace requires stronger pressure on Russia, stronger European unity, and closer cooperation between neighbours who understand that the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe are inseparable," concluded Sybiha. Blanar travelled to Ukraine to deliver Slovak humanitarian aid in the form of modern medical equipment in the city of Vinnytsia. The Slovak Foreign Ministry reported that its head discussed with Sybiha energy security, the implementation of joint infrastructure projects based on the so-called roadmap, humanitarian aid, current developments related to the war in Ukraine, and issues concerning Ukraine's European integration. am