Martin Klus: “Restarting EU-USA relations is good news for Slovakia. We must support the revival of our cooperation with concrete results.”

'We welcome the foreign policy priorities of new US administration, a part of which is a renewed engagement of the United States with the European Union. It is in the interest of Slovakia to reinforce transatlantic relations. We also appreciate the commitment of new US President Joe Biden to search for multilateral solutions to global problems. The current challenges such as the coronavirus, climate change, the weakening of democracy and the aggressive expansion of some world powers emphasize even more the importance of constructive cooperation between the EU and the USA.'

This was the statement of the State Secretary of the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry, Martin Klus, in Bratislava on Thursday (28 January 2021) during a meeting with Ambassador of the United States of America to Slovakia, Bridget A. Brink.

The topic of their talks were, among others, the priorities of the new US Government with regard to the European agenda after Joe Biden has taken office in the White House. In relation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they underlined the importance of the cooperation of Europe and America. In their view, to manage the fight against the coronavirus, it will be necessary to exert greater international efforts.

'Slovakia is a strong proponent of functional multilateralism and the adherence to the rules of international cooperation. We also have one of the most open economies, and therefore we support free trade and the removal of trade barriers. We are convinced that it is in the interest of the EU and the USA to resolve the existing open issues of our economic relations,' stated the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Klus. He further added that the new agreements can result in mutual economic growth that we all need in these times of the corona crisis.

The US Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, Bridget A. Brink, also recalled the resolve of the Government of the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, to continue with the plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and thus to engage in the global fight against climate change along with the European Union.

'We are also pleased by the clear commitments of the USA in the context of the collective defence of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) countries and the willingness to more actively consult with the European allies on all security issues,' explained Klus.

He also added that European states should start to discuss more openly in what areas they might assume greater responsibility for the common security of the transatlantic allies and in what ways they might contribute to the solution of global problems.

According to the State Secretary of the Slovak diplomacy ministry, such areas also include an increasingly disturbing deviation from the rule of law or non-adherence to democratic rules, even in the EU's close neighbourhood.

In relation to the current situation in Belarus and the Russian Federation, where the detention of the opposition leader Alexey Navalny has given to demonstrations, both parties confirmed the importance of the support of civil society and the need to respect fair political competition.