- The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Dutch ambassador.
- The reason was the designation of Slovakia as a country actively undermining Europe.
- Slovakia considers this designation to be unacceptable interference in its affairs.
On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MZVEZ) of the Slovak Republic summoned the the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Slovak Republic, Jules Gerzon, so that already after the official appointment of the new Dutch minority government expressed protest against a part of its coalition agreement, labeling Slovakia as a country that is said to be “actively undermining Europe”. Slovakia perceives this designation as an unacceptable interference in the affairs of the Slovak Republic and strongly opposes it. TASR was informed about this by the communication department of the department.
“Even before the appointment of a new minority government in the Netherlands Slovak diplomacy transparently communicated the reservations to the Dutch partners through standard diplomatic channels along with a call for an open dialogue about these claims. Unfortunately, without an adequate response from the Dutch side, which left the false statement in question in the coalition agreement,” the ministry clarified.
The department emphasized that the Slovak Republic depends on good relations with the Netherlands. However, according to him, these must be based on mutual respect, understanding and equal partnership, not guardianship.
“Each member state of the European Union has an equal right to defend national-state interests, which cannot be denied to him by threats of withdrawal of voting rights by another member country, as stated in the coalition agreement of the new minority Dutch government. We are fundamentally opposed to this and we consider the preservation of the right of veto in the areas in which it is still valid to be crucial for the future of the EU as a grouping of states where decisions are not made by great powers, but every – even smaller – country has its own sovereign voice.” noted MZVEZ SR.
It added that it will continue to communicate sovereign positions in the EU in the interest of its development. “And we are ready to conduct substantive dialogue with the Netherlands as well,” the ministry added.
