Bilateral relations and relations between Switzerland and the EU
During the meeting with his Slovak counterpart, Martin Candinas emphasised the close cooperation between Switzerland and Slovakia and the increased willingness of the two countries to work together to defend democratic values since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
Mr Candinas gave his guest an overview of relations between Switzerland and the EU. He spoke about the negotiation package that Switzerland has put forward to the EU and the exploratory talks that are being held with Brussels. The aim of these negotiations is to find a common basis that benefits both parties.
In this context, Mr Candinas enquired about the delay in the negotiations on the bilateral framework agreement with Slovakia regarding Switzerland's second contribution to the EU. Slovakia is a beneficiary of Switzerland's second contribution to the EU, amounting to CHF 44.2 million. Boris Kollár replied that negotiations on the implementation of this second contribution had not yet been able to start due to the political situation in Slovakia.
Impact of the war in Ukraine
The impact of the war in Ukraine on Slovakia, Ukraine's neighbouring state, the political and humanitarian support of both countries and the reception of Ukrainian refugees were also discussed during the meeting. The two speakers also discussed Switzerland’s neutrality. Mr Candinas pointed out that the export of war materiel is currently the subject of intense debate in both chambers of Parliament. Switzerland faces the dilemma of wanting to show as much solidarity as possible, while at the same time respecting the principle of equal treatment in terms of neutrality.
The speaker of the Slovak parliament said that in order to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Slovakia had already opened up a range of other supply routes. It sources gas via a pipeline from Poland, which, like Germany, is building terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Mr Kollár and his delegation were also received by the President of the Council of States, Brigitte Häberli-Koller, for an official lunch.
Photos from the official visit