Slovak, Hungarian leaders meet in Budapest

Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger has met with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán in Budapest to discuss cooperation on economic matters and the fight against the pandemic.

At a joint press conference with Orbán, Heger spoke about the importance of European values such as human rights, the protection of minorities and freedom of expression, noting that Slovakia is taking a neutral stance on the controversial Hungarian LGBTQI+ bill.

Though Slovakia’s PM said the two had only discussed the issue for a short time, he stressed that when discussing the future of the EU, it is crucial to talk about “the values of the European Community.”

“For me, as the prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, it is very important to be the prime minister of all citizens and all minorities. It is one of the areas I want to focus on so that all citizens of the Slovak Republic feel at home in Slovakia,” he said.

At a summit in Brussels on Friday, 17 EU leaders signed a joint letter pledging to “continue fighting against discrimination of the LGBTI community, reaffirming our defence of their fundamental rights.” Slovakia did not sign.

(Marián Koreň | EURACTIV.sk)