Foreign Policies

Slovakia Offers Bulgaria Cooperation within V4

Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (stock photo by TASR)

        Sofia, 4 September (TASR-correspondent) - Premier Robert Fico was accompanied on his official visit to Bulgaria on Friday by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (all Smer-SD), with Blanar stating that Slovakia, which currently holds the presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), has offered Bulgaria cooperation with the V4 at various levels.
        Kalinak emphasised that they can cooperate with Sofia in the field of military aviation and other areas of defence.
        Slovakia's chief diplomat noted that a meeting of the V4 and Japanese foreign ministers took place this week and Slovakia has also offered this format of cooperation to Bulgaria. "We're also offering this to Bulgaria at various levels. This doesn't mean Bulgaria's accession to the V4, but it does mean an offer of cooperation in this format with countries representing 65 million people, that is, at various working levels," he said.
        Blanar can also envisage cooperation in the V4+ format at European Union level, with certain matters being coordinated jointly. During negotiations on the EU's multiannual financial framework, both countries share a common position within the Coalition of Friends of Cohesion.
        Kalinak stressed that Bulgaria has experience in operating several types of aircraft and, compared to Slovakia, is far more successful in keeping MiG-29 fighter jets and American F-16s operational.

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