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Dzurinda: Slovakia's Goal is Respect in Ties Between Serbia and Kosovo
Wednesday 20 Octtber 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Washington, October 20 (TASR) - Slovakia's objective doesn't lie in recognising Kosovo's independence but in contributing to developing relations between Belgrade and Pristina in a manner that will ensure mutual respect and long-term sustainability, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said when meeting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Tuesday.
"This is what we're striving for. Although everything else may be of importance it only comes second to this. Our activities in the Western Balkans have been and will continue to be subject to this objective," the Slovak official told TASR. "We'll consider the tools that will allow us to accomplish this goal," he said.
The U.S.A. was among the first countries to recognise the unilateral independence of Kosovo, while Slovakia is reluctant to do so to this day.
In his talks with Clinton, Dzurinda reiterated Slovakia's intention to boost its military contingent in Afghanistan by several dozen troops. He said that Clinton praised "with great respect and recognition" the involvement of the Slovak army in the war-torn country.
"I foresee that along with Defence Minister [Lubomir] Galko we'll submit a proposal to Parliament in November whereby we'll request consent to increase our contingent and make the activities of our troops there a little more flexible. Obviously, all in line with our financial scope," said Dzurinda.
As regards security, the two officials discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Lisbon, which will also see talks between the Alliance and Russia. "We feel that NATO is catching its second breath. That matters because there's no alternative to it from the point of view of our security," he stated.
In the area of economy, Dzurinda noted that 120 U.S. companies are currently active in Slovakia, but the Government wants to increase bilateral co-operation, particularly in the spheres of science, research and innovation.
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