Foreign Policies

Kiska and Kissinger Discuss Migration, USA, Russia and Europe

New York, September 22 (TASR-correspondent) – Former US secretary of state and renowned diplomat Henry Kissinger was an advisor to four US presidents and is still one of the most respected figures in global diplomacy, said Slovak President Andrej Kiska after an informal meeting with Kissinger on Wednesday.

Kiska noted that Kissinger is 93 years old, but he’s still a passionate debater with a huge amount of knowledge. He likes to hear out your opinion first before he tells you his, added Kiska.

“We spoke about global politics, the migration crisis, the global role of the USA, Russia, the situation in Europe, the US presidential election as well as the election of a new UN secretary-general,” Kiska told TASR.

Apart from meeting Kissinger, Kiska also spoke to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. “He [Kiska] spoke with Poroshenko about the implementation of the Minsk Agreements and the current situation in Ukraine. They also discussed the liberalisation of visa requirements for Ukraine,” said the President Office’s communications department director Roman Krpelan.

Kiska attended several bilateral meetings while on his working trip to New York. Along with Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak he also attended the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, where he delivered a speech.

In addition, Kiska met representatives of the Slovak-American Business and Innovation Council (SABIC) for a working lunch that was co-organised by former US ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick. He also took part in an event dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the Open Government Partnership, where he stated that Slovakia is one of only a few countries that disclose contracts concluded by state, regional and local administrations. He also noted that just like many other countries, Slovakia isn’t immune to corruption and nepotism.

“We won’t succeed on our own in the fight against double standards, tax evasion and the bypassing of transparency. In this I see scope for the Open Government Partnership and its international network to set standards, bring solutions and provide incentives for international cooperation,” said Kiska after the event.

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