Danko: Slovakia Will Open Cultural and Information Centre in Jerusalem

Jerusalem/Bratislava, July 4 (TASR-correspondent) – Slovakia will open a cultural and information centre in Jerusalem, according to a decision by the Slovak parliamentary delegation led by the head of Parliament Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS), who is currently paying an official visit to Israel, with the decision being made after a consultation with Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD), TASR learnt on Wednesday.

“We’ve agreed that Slovakia will set up its institute, a cultural and information institute in Jerusalem, which will be both a point of presentation for Slovakia … and, at the same time, it will be a good information point for us Slovaks who will be in Jerusalem,” Danko commented on the decision in an interview with Slovak journalists after visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial on Wednesday.

“I very much like and appreciate the fact that we’ve found a consensus with the Government, the prime minister, the finance minister, the culture minister and, of course, the foreign affairs minister within the framework of diplomacy, as such a continual step towards what the Jewish people want – and it is the capital of Jerusalem,” he said in this regard.

Asked whether the cultural centre will be followed by a transfer of the Slovak embassy, the head of the Slovak Parliament said that he didn’t have a political mandate for such a decision and announcement, adding, however, that his “personal political opinion” is that “there’s no doubt that Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel”.

“This step made by the Foreign Affairs Ministry is the first step, which has also been made by the Czechs, it’s sufficient at this stage,” said Danko, adding that it’s a measure that will be good for Slovak-Israeli relations, where there are strong ties. “I’m glad we’ve evened it up diplomatically,” he stated, referring to the comparison with the Czech Republic.

Danko refused to talk about a date for setting up the centre.