The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, met yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with his Slovak counterpart, Ivan Korčok.
During the meeting, the two Ministers discussed the numerous areas of bilateral cooperation, calling for a more regular and structured political dialogue to strengthen coordination on the main European and international issues. On the subject of economic cooperation, Minister Di Maio hoped for a rapid return of bilateral trade values to pre-Covid levels. The Minister also encouraged the strengthening of the industrial cooperation emphasising the role that a qualified Italian business presence in the Slovak Republic could play and the opportunities resulting from the Slovak National Revival and Resilience Plan.
The two speakers then addressed the fight against the pandemic, agreeing on the importance of maintaining EU coordination on restrictive measures, especially given the resumption of tourist flows in the summer season. Minister Di Maio stressed the importance of prompt ratification of the EU Decision regarding the resources by all member states to allow the actual launch of the Next Generation EU plan.
The two Ministers also underlined their shared views on the importance of giving new impetus to the EU enlargement process, beginning with adopting the negotiating frameworks for Albania and North Macedonia. Finally, concerning the relations with Russia, Minister Di Maio reiterated his concern about the hybrid threats coming from Russian actors and underlined the importance of maintaining a balanced and coordinated European approach to send a clear and unequivocal message firmness to Russia, keeping the door open to selective dialogue.
