Pellegrini Holds Bilateral Talks with French President Macron in Paris

Paris/Bratislava, 11 November (TASR-correspondent) - President Peter Pellegrini held bilateral talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday with a focus on energy, the aviation and defence industries, the situation in Ukraine and protecting young people from social media and the negative effects of digital technologies, TASR learnt from its special correspondent on the same day. After the meeting, Pellegrini stated that Slovakia and France share a long-standing friendship and a strong strategic partnership. "Today, we have an opportunity to move our cooperation forward, particularly in the fields of energy, the economy and security," he said. The presidents also discussed nuclear energy, with Pellegrini stating that Slovakia and France were "in the same boat" in this respect. "We should cooperate more intensively in the future, and President Macron has also expressed very strong interest in this," said Pellegrini, adding that France could be Slovakia's partner in nuclear fuel supplies. The talks also revolved around the issue of finding a new method for determining energy prices, which shouldn't be linked to excessively expensive natural gas, according to Pellegrini. "As regards electricity generation, Slovakia is indeed not dependent on gas. Therefore, we consider it illogical for this price to be derived from gas prices," explained the Slovak head of state. Pellegrini said that France is strong in the aviation industry and is interested in supplying some components to Slovakia as well, adding that a contract for three heavy helicopters for Slovak police and rescue services had been signed in recent days. The helicopters are made by a French manufacturer, and France is also expected to bid in a tender for the possible supply of additional lighter helicopters. "Another area we discussed was the possibility of intensifying cooperation and discussions in the defence industry. Technical talks are currently underway between the Slovak and French defence ministers," said Pellegrini. The two presidents also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the need to find a way to involve the EU in negotiations. "We are compelled to seek a diplomatic solution to the military conflict as soon as possible. A military solution, if the situation continues as it is today, won't produce any desired outcome and will cause even more casualties and damage," stated Pellegrini, adding that a diplomatic settlement, an end to the fighting, as well as efforts to find a solution on security guarantees were the only possible path forward. "I discussed with the president which European leader could represent the EU and command the respect of all sides, as this cannot be a discussion at some technical level, or of some observers. It has to be someone from Europe who has a mandate and is capable of moving things forward," said Pellegrini. The Slovak president considers France to be a country with a very realistic perspective on the current situation in Ukraine. "President Macron understands very well what the situation is and what the only possible scenarios for further developments are," stated Pellegrini. According to the Slovak head of state, cooperation between Slovakia and France is intensive. "A strategic partnership has been signed between our countries for several years now. Every few years, a new action plan is prepared and signed to cover the subsequent four or five years. Slovakia and France are destined for further bilateral cooperation. For Slovakia, France is the eighth most important trade market, with French companies employing more than 35,000 people in Slovakia," specified Pellegrini, describing the Wednesday's bilateral talks with Macron in Paris as confirmation of the good relations between the two countries and their commitment to maintaining the ties at the strategic level. jrg