Hungary has promised to extend its assistance in protecting Slovakia's airspace until the end of 2025. President Peter Pellegrini announced this following his meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Tamas Sulyok in Budapest on Thursday.
"I am very pleased that next week Slovakia will have the first two F-16 fighter jets that will gradually take control of our airspace, but until the end of 2025 we will still be dependent on Hungary's help," stated Pellegrini.
After the meeting, Pellegrini informed that Slovakia will not join the activities aimed at boycotting the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"I don't think it's necessary to punish people just because they're trying to forge a dialogue - and the Slovak Republic certainly won't do so," declared Pellegrini. At the same time, he asked the Hungarian President to include the issue of unfair trade practices and the persistent dual quality of foodstuffs among Hungary's priorities during the presidency.
Pellegrini called the Visegrad Four (V4) group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) a viable project.
Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Wednesday that he had instructed the Foreign Ministry not to give consent at the European level to any proposal to punish Hungary as the presiding country of the Council of the EU.
Source: TASR
