PM: Slovakia Can Open Its Borders When Neighbours Are Doing As Well As We Are
Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) – Slovakia can open its borders if the state of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the surrounding countries is as favourable as in our country, stated Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) in response to a request from Slovak representatives abroad for the gradual liberalisation of the border checks, TASR learnt from the Government Office’s press and information department on Wednesday.
“The sooner other countries are doing as well as we are, the sooner we can open borders,” the premier said, adding that the morbidity in the surrounding countries is now about ten times higher than in Slovakia. Matovic also stated that the protection of people in Slovakia is a priority, although he regrets that citizens returning to Slovakia have to spend several days in compulsory state quarantine.
Representatives of Slovaks living abroad, mainly in the Czech Republic, appealed to the Slovak and Czech state authorities for a thoughtful and cautious but significant gradual easing of the border controls between the two countries.
They point to the fact that the coronavirus situation in the two countries is comparable and that residents of the two countries thus don’t represent a threat to each other. TASR was told by Vladimir Skalsky, chairman of the World Association of Slovaks Living Abroad and director of the Slovak House in Prague.
