Kiska: Israel Wants to Intensify Cooperation in Cyber Safety
Jerusalem, March 29 (TASR correspondent) – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called for bilateral cooperation in the field of cyber safety to be intensified during my meeting with him on Wednesday, Slovak President Andrej Kiska, who is currently paying a visit to Israel, told TASR on the same day.
“We have something to offer, but we also have something to learn, and I believe that this trip will be contributory not only in terms of bilateral relations, but also in terms of the economy and the further development of our country,” Kiska told a news conference held following the meeting at the Israeli president’s residence in Jerusalem.
Kiska said that the talks were aimed at Russia, Turkey and the bilateral relationship. The two presidents will have dinner together later on Wednesday, during which Kiska would like to discuss the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his Israeli host.
Kiska described Israel as an inspiring country. “Israel is our partner, Israel is our friend, but first of all, it’s a country that might be an inspiration to us in many things. It’s a country that is almost the same size as ours, but, unlike ours, it’s an actual centre of innovations and the latest achievements in terms of science and start-ups. Twelve Nobel Prize laureates have come from Israel, and Tel Aviv has been declared the most innovative city in the world,” stated Kiska.
Kiska said that the most inspiring moment of his visit was when he found that in addition to defining problems, Israel is also seeking solutions to them with concrete results. “There are problems in Israel stemming from its position and history, and these problems are being defined and solutions to them are being sought. However, the most important thing is that results are expected to follow measures. We in Slovakia often get stuck halfway – we’re able to define the problem, maybe we’re able to come up with its solution, but on key issues we often fail to offer tangible results quickly enough so that people can feel them,” stressed Kiska.
The Israeli president finds bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding to be of key importance for the future. His answer to everyone who wants to spread hatred and racism is ‘never again’. “Our answer to those who want a religious conflict is ‘no’,” said Rivlin, adding that Israel is trying to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “We realise that this region faces many challenges that also have an impact on Europe, as well as on the rest of the world,” he stated, praising the stances of the Slovak president, who rejects fascism and anti-Semitism.
On his working visit to Israel, Kiska is being accompanied by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak (a Smer-SD nominee) and representatives of the Slovak scientific and business community. He’ll conclude his visit on Thursday (March 30).
