Fico: No One Interested in Revisiting Fundamental EU Agreements

Fico: No One Interested in Revisiting Fundamental EU Agreements

Brussels, June 29 (TASR) – No one has any interest in revisiting the fundamental agreements that govern the inner workings of the EU and the external state of affairs. “We want to talk about policies; about what EU does well and what it does badly,” Prime Minister Robert Fico said at an EU summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

“We have our own priorities that we’ll approve tomorrow at the Government session. It was quite right for us to wait for this because we knew that today’s summit might bring important messages. These messages are quite clearly outlined: that we need to pay attention particularly to policies aimed at improving the lives of people in the EU,” emphasised Fico.

The Prime Minister pointed out that even though Brexit, migration crisis and quite likely also terrorism will influence Slovakia’s presidency agenda, the priorities identified by Slovakia will be the subject of negotiations at the EU summit set for Bratislava in September. Among these priorities are building an economically stronger Europe, the streamlined use of internal market, sustainable migration asylum policies and the prospective of the EU as a global player.

Fico is glad that Slovakia will host the summit, seeing as it is not customary for EU leaders to meet in a city other than Brussels. “If memory serves, the only other such meeting was held in Lisbon a long time ago and linked to the inking of the Treaty of Lisbon. Ever since then, we haven’t met regularly at any other place but Brussels and Brussels only,” he claimed.

Slovakia will assume the Council of the EU Presidency as of Friday (July 1), but a meeting with foreign journalists and the European Commission – headed by its President Jean-Claude Juncker – is slated already for Thursday (June 30). “On a personal note, I have the impression that we’re being passed the Presidency in work mode. It’s likely that a meeting will also be held in July, although I’m not saying this one will be at the level of EU leaders,” added Fico.