Danko: Recalling of Ambassador from Russia Maximum Possible Move

Danko: Recalling of Ambassador from Russia Maximum Possible Move

Bratislava, March 28 (TASR) – The withdrawal of the Slovak ambassador in Russia for consultations over the poisoning case of ex-spy Sergei Skripal on Wednesday is the maximum possible move considering the amount of information Slovakia has at the moment, stated Parliamentary Chairman Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) on the same day.

Noting that he met the ambassadors of both the UK and Russia earlier in the day, Danko stated that he wants to see clear evidence on who is responsible for the poisoning.

“I condemn it, but I reject the shifting of such incidents into politics. I reject holding people accountable without evidence. I, as parliamentary chairman and chairman of a governing coalition party, have asked [the ambassadors] not to consider Slovakia an enemy, if we keep our decision and judgement,” said Danko, adding that he also told British Ambassador Andrew Garth that his country should release more information on Russia’s alleged responsibility for the poisoning.

“I’d like to see our partners in the EU respecting one substantial thing, namely that we aren’t a state unable to act on its own, that we aren’t a guberniya [a governorate] and no constitutional official is obliged to obey the officials of another state,” said Danko, adding that SNS’s pro-European orientation shouldn’t be challenged due to this attitude, however.

“We don’t have information that should lead us to a firm decision to act differently than the Foreign Affairs Ministry has,” said Danko in reference to the recalling of Slovak ambassador Peter Priputen.