Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The bilateral meeting focused mainly on energy cooperation, the renewal of economic contacts and possible technical or investment projects. The meeting took place on the sidelines of state ceremonies in the Chinese capital and was briefly open to the media, with both sides making friendly remarks.
During the meeting, Fico said: "I want to say openly that we are extremely interested in the normalisation of relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation." The Prime Minister also thanked for the stable gas supply through the TurkStream pipeline and indicated his willingness to consider offers from Russian companies in the energy sector. Issues related to security and transport of raw materials, including the impact on transit through Ukraine, were also discussed.
The meeting also opened a discussion on dual cooperation in the nuclear energy sector; during the talks, the possibility that Russian companies could participate in the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Slovakia was mentioned, which represents a major shift in the country's long-term energy strategy. Slovakia also mentioned administrative steps to facilitate trade, according to the participants.
During the interview, Putin reiterated Russia's positions on security guarantees in Europe and said that Russia has never objected to Ukraine's possible entry into the European Union, while its main objection concerns NATO expansion. According to Putin, it is necessary to seek consensus on issues of regional stability.
The domestic opposition reacted to the meeting with strong statements. The chairman of the Progresive Slovakia movement Michal Šimečka he said: "This trip is an international disgrace and damages Slovakia's foreign policy interests." He publicly called on the Prime Minister to reconsider the trip and warned of the risk of diplomatic isolation of Slovakia.
Analysts have warned that the meeting highlights the divergent attitudes in the EU towards energy dependence on Russia and could intensify the debate on coordinating European policy towards Moscow. Official reports and minutes will be published in the coming days. Fico said after the meeting that he would consult the conclusions with his partners; further bilateral contacts are planned. The focus will be on whether to move from today's words to practical steps.
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