Premier: We'll Consider How to Morally and Financially Compensate Hambalek

        Bratislava, March 14 (TASR) - The government will think about how to morally and financially compensate Slovak national Jozef Hambalek, who was removed from the EU's sanctions list, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said at a press conference on Thursday, at which he also apologised to Hambalek.
        The premier considers Hambalek's removal from the sanctions list a great example of Slovakia's sovereign foreign policy.
        According to Fico, Hambalek was placed on the EU's sanctions list on the basis of fabricated reasons. "His entire business life was ruined because of the stupidity and hatred of the government members that ruled in July 2022, especially the foreign minister, who did nothing for him," he noted. The prime Minister also called on the authorities to correct "all the nonsense" done to Hambalek after July 2022, such as the seizure of his property, business holdings and the taking of his arms.
        Current head of the Foreign Ministry Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) stated that the absurdity of the whole case, is that all member states have to agree for someone to be put on the sanctions list. "If Ivan Korcok, as the then foreign minister, had even the slightest doubt about what the German side had done, our citizen couldn't be listed. This is just a confirmation that he must have been part of the whole case and therefore the foreign policy that was made by Korcok at that time was not sovereign," noted Blanar.
        The EU put the head of the European branch of Night Wolves Jozef Hambalek on the sanctions list in July 2022 over his support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fico discussed the issue in January with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.