Blanar Concludes Visit to Australia by Laying Wreath at Tomb of Unknown Soldier

Canberra, 16 October (TASR-correspondent) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) and Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) on Friday visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, thus paying tribute to Australians who have perished in armed conflicts, TASR has learnt from its special correspondent. This was the final item on the agenda of their working visit to Australia. On Friday afternoon (Australian time), the two ministers will leave for Thailand, from where they will continue their journey back to Slovakia the following day. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the purpose of the visit was to strengthen political ties, support Slovak exports and open up new opportunities for trade, investment and technological cooperation. The foreign affairs minister was accompanied by a business delegation. According to the Culture Ministry, Simkovicova focused during the working visit on supporting the Slovak community living in Australia, promoting Slovak cultural heritage and developing relations between Slovakia and Australia. The ministers plan to return to Slovakia on Sunday (18 October). ko/df