President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukrainian-Slovak relations have a solid foundation that allows building and developing further partnership. The President also thanked Slovakia for supporting Ukraine on its path to the EU and NATO. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in a statement to the media after a meeting with President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová in Bratislava.
The Ukrainian Head of State said he had planned to visit Slovakia earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic had changed the plans of many. He thanked his Slovak colleague for the efforts that made this visit a reality, despite the difficult circumstances.
"We were able to discuss a wide range of issues. First of all, the return of peace in Ukraine… In this process, we need the help of our partners, including Slovakia. We highly appreciate their efforts and constant support, in particular the solidarity of Slovakia in restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President stressed that peace in Ukraine is his main task, and there is already some progress in this direction, including the establishment of a comprehensive ceasefire in Donbas. According to him, from time to time there are attempts to disrupt it, but only "silence" will allow to take the next steps towards a peaceful settlement.
The Ukrainian Head of State also noted the active political dialogue between Ukraine and Slovakia.
"Today we have all the prerequisites to bring our relations to a qualitatively new level. In particular, cooperation between our governments and parliaments should become more dynamic," he said.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the issue of Ukraine's European integration was also discussed during the meeting.
"I thanked President Čaputová for the continued support of Ukraine on the path to the EU and NATO. In general, after the talks today, I can confidently say that Ukrainian-Slovak relations have a solid foundation, and this foundation allows us to build and develop our further partnership - successful, effective and profitable for both countries," the Ukrainian President stressed.
For her part, President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová noted that peace and prosperity of Ukraine are important for Slovakia.
She stressed that Slovakia is an ally of Ukraine, which supports the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the path to the European Union.
Zuzana Čaputová also stressed that Slovakia stands in favor of providing Ukraine with specific criteria and a vision for joining the European Union.
