Danko: Global Peace Impossible Without Strong Russia

Moscow/Bratislava, November 15 (TASR-correspondent) – Global peace isn’t possible without a strong Russia, as Russia forms part of a global security architecture whether people like it or not, said Slovak Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) in his address to the lower house of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, on Wednesday.

Danko, who on Wednesday became the first ever Slovak politician to give a speech in the Duma, underlined that Slovakia is a responsible and constructive member of the international community, fully aware that sustainable peace and stability in both Europe and the world can’t be built without cooperation with global powers.

“Therefore, I consider it necessary to keep lines of communication open. The Slavic nations of eastern Europe must act as a bridge for both communications and the improvement of relations across Europe. That’s why we’re here – to improve relations and to help,” Danko told the State Duma members.

Despite the complex foreign affairs situation, Slovakia perceives the Russian Federation as a partner of extraordinary importance, said Danko.

“We need to build on what we share in common, without ideological barriers,” said Danko, adding that negativism prevails in the contemporary world. “In such a situation, it’s not easy to build bridges, as considerably greater attention is given to those who tear them down.”

In his speech, Danko also praised specific steps planned to bolster Russian-Slovak cooperation in education, such as mutual recognition of university degrees, extended study of the Slovak language in Russia and the Russian language in Slovakia as well as extended student exchange programmes. “It’s no secret that study at your universities is a matter of prestige,” he stated.