Slovakia will not boycott Hungarian EU Presidency in any way, Pellegrini says

The Slovak and Hungarian heads of state met in Budapest on Thursday and held a joint press conference afterwards, where Peter Pellegrini stated that Slovakia will not join any attempt or activity to boycott the Hungarian EU presidency, MTI reports.

While categorically rejecting the boycott, Pellegrini stressed that the representatives of the Slovak government will support all Hungarian efforts. He said he did not think that anyone should be punished for seeking to initiate a dialogue. He also thanked Hungary for its promise to extend covering Slovakia's air defence until the end of 2025.

The President of Hungary's neighbour in the north also said that economic assistance between the two countries would continue to be developed, not only in terms of trade but also in terms of manpower. Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok also spoke about this, pointing out that the bilateral dialogue should not only be maintained but also strengthened in order to enable Hungary and Slovakia to serve their national interests as well as those of the strategic partnership between the two countries even better at regional and European level. According to the latest Eurostat figures, by the way, Slovakia (45.7 percent) and Hungary (44.9 percent) are the two member states with the highest number of people in the EU who cannot afford a meal with meat, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent every other day.

Sulyok also spoke of the need to speed up the EU accession process of the Western Balkan countries, and of the deep condemnation of "aggressors against peace, who use military force, or terrorist acts or assassinations of people in other places".

The situation of minorities was also discussed, with Sulyok noting that it is in the interest of both sides to support coexistence, which he hopes will be fuelled by the future Slovakian Hungarian advisor to the Slovak President.