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Around 50 Ambassadors Meet Dzurinda for First Time
Thursday 02 September 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, September 2 (TASR) - Around 50 ambassadors accredited in Slovakia met the country's new Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda (SDKU-DS) in Bratislava on Thursday.
A number of ambassadors told Dzurinda that their countries' ministers are interested in meeting him at the upcoming UN General Assembly.
The diplomats mainly discussed issues dominant in their own countries with Dzurinda. "When I meet the Israeli ambassador, I'm very interested about whether the difficulties in his country will thwart the planned direct talks [between Israel and the Palestinians]. In talks with the Serbian ambassador, I had to mention recent developments concerning the resolution [on Kosovo], which will be discussed at the UN General Assembly," said Dzurinda.
The head of Slovak diplomacy said that he was particularly pleased with his talks with the South Korean ambassador. "The ambassador reminded me of how active South Korea is in investments, what an important share of GDP it is creating in Slovakia today. But I was especially interested in the fact that he knows that more Korean companies are interested and that it would be good to visit Korea again or think about how to use this interest," said Dzurinda.
Australian ambassador Michael John Potts praised the long-term good relations between Slovakia and Australia, adding that there is a large Slovak community living in his homeland. According to him, bilateral relations have been strengthened by co-operation in the military mission in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. Potts at the same time praised the fact that Dzurinda has became the new Foreign Affairs Minister. "Mr. Dzurinda is an absolute professional. He understands foreign affairs, and internal politics," he said, adding that Slovak diplomacy will be in good hands.
Irish ambassador Kathlyn Coll is satisfied with the choice of Slovak minister as well. She appreciates seeing familiar faces in the new Slovak Government who used to hold key posts in the past, such as Finance Minister Ivan Miklos, for example.
Spanish ambassador Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin expects that relations between Slovakia and Spain will remain "at least at the same very good level as they are now". He would be pleased, however, if Slovakia was more visible in Spain, especially when it comes to business relations. At the same time, he pointed to his great expectations from Dzurinda as a person.
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