Slovakia's parliament talks about possible easing of anti-Russian sanctions

Slovakia will support the easing of anti-Russian sanctions, vice speaker of the republic's parliament Tibor Gašpar said in an interview with Izvestia.

"Slovakia will certainly support the easing of sanctions. I think not only Slovakia will come up with this initiative, but, as far as I know, Hungary is also going to do it. I am sure that other countries will also join in, as they have realized that these sanctions do nothing but make our economy still uncompetitive," the politician told Izvestia.

If the conflict in Ukraine ends, the sanctions will gradually start to weaken. With these restrictions, the EU has seriously harmed itself, maybe even more than the Russian Federation, the politician added. And it is in the interests of the EU to gradually lift these sanctions as soon as possible. Especially, of course, if the conflict in Ukraine comes to an end, Gaspar summarized in an interview with Izvestia.

The full version of the interview will be published on May 1 at 00:01.

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Earlier it became known that the EU is preparing the 17th package of anti-Russian restrictions. April 22, Slovak activist and chairman of the party DOMOV Pavol Slota said that the country has collected the necessary number of signatures (350 thousand) to hold a referendum on the abolition of sanctions against Russia.

On April 9, the head of the Slovak parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Marian Carey, told Izvestia that the country has no plans to support the EU's 17th package of anti-Russian sanctions. According to him, Fitzo and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban oppose the adoption of those sanctions that will harm the states.