PS: Slovakia Hiding Its Position ahead of NATO Summit

Bratislava, 6 July (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has claimed that Slovakia's leaders are concealing the stance with which they are heading to the NATO summit in Turkey, describing such conduct as a mockery of the public. PS vice-chair Ivan Korcok described Monday's meeting between President Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) ahead of the summit as a farce. "Fico has clearly instructed Pellegrini to agree to everything at the summit. However, the public has no idea what position the president is actually going to take there or what he's expected to agree to there. One thing is certain: at this summit, the president will once again be merely making up the numbers, and Slovakia will continue to be seen among its allies as a fare-dodger," the PS media department cited Korcok as saying. PS vice-chair and MP Tomas Valasek pointed out that the declaration from the summit won't commit anyone to providing financial support for Ukraine. In his view, Fico is exploiting Slovakia's foreign policy for domestic political theatrics. "The prime minister is rallying his own voters against the EU, NATO and Ukraine. These theatrics serve to distract attention from failed tasks at home, such as the absence of a plan to increase defence spending for that matter. Yet the central theme at the NATO summit is for every member state to present such a plan," stated Valasek. The NATO summit will take place in Ankara, Turkey, on 7 and 8 July, with the main session of Allied leaders scheduled to take place at the Beştepe Presidential Complex on Wednesday. The meeting will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This is the second time a NATO summit is taking place in Turkey. jrg/df