Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister, Juraj BlanĂ¡r, believes that all EU member states should retain their veto power.
In an exclusive interview with Phileleftheros, he stresses that any differences between member states can be resolved through dialogue, without resorting to threats within the EU.
Reflecting on Slovakia’s accession to the EU, alongside Cyprus, two decades ago, Minister BlanĂ¡r shares his insights during his visit to Cyprus. He also discusses the potential role of the EU on the international stage in the present day.
It has been 20 years since Slovakia, like Cyprus, joined the European Union. How important was this for your country?
On 1 May 2004, the European Union became the living space for the Slovak Republic and nine other states, including Cyprus. During these two decades, our homeland has proven to be an active member that wants to and, with its sovereign input, can participate in decisions shaping the character of the European Union, its policies and its future direction. The Slovak Republic is the success story of an independent state and our membership in the EU is part of this success story. However, completing our journey to membership in this unique economic and political grouping of democratic European countries was not easy and required enormous effort. Slovakia went through an extensive transformation process and managed to meet the demanding political and economic criteria.
Joining the Union has opened up opportunities for us, which we have fully taken advantage of and, at present, we are one of the most integrated EU states in our region. We have adopted what the EU offers – in 2007 we joined the Schengen area, which has removed border controls on 94 % of our borders, and, in 2009, we implemented the euro, owing to which we can pay and do business with a single currency, which gives us a competitive advantage and significantly helps us to develop our trade and economy. This is our contribution to the functioning of Europe and this makes us stronger.
In the last 20 years, we have also managed to show that we can accept the responsibility that our membership brings. We have gone through many crises together with the European Union and in all these challenging times Slovakia has been a constructive and responsible partner. In the Government Manifesto of the Slovak Republic, we have clearly stated that the EU is the living space for Slovakia, which not only provides added value to our homeland and citizens in many aspects of their everyday life but is also a unique space for growth and prosperity. Our objective is to develop this community to the benefit of our homeland and our citizens while maintaining mutual respect for all member states, including the smaller ones.
Could the European Union become a third pillar between the United States and Russia?
The ongoing crises in several parts of the world have absolutely changed the global security environment as we know it. The European Union is one of the pillars of international order and, in my view, it should have the ambition of becoming a full-fledged geopolitical actor. However, we must not forget the fundamentals on which the EU was built. The European Union is a peace project that won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. The EU was awarded for “transforming most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace”. And based on these fundamentals the EU should also approach the strengthening of its position within the global order.
Do you think that the changes that are currently being discussed will help the EU or will they create friction?
The European Union is a democratic community. It is natural that within it there are legitimately various opinions on current political and economic issues. This has always been the case. The European Union is neither ideal nor perfect but it is developing and growing from its own experiences. In any community, there are problematic issues, but it is necessary to solve them through mutual dialogue as well as to resolve topics that are more difficult, but important for our future. Therefore, it is necessary to see various opinions and the application of national policies of individual member states. It is also in this context that, in our view, it is of extreme importance to preserve the right of veto in the areas where it still exists. At the same time, it is also important to say that although the current differences of opinions may create a certain tension, the functioning of the EU is not at risk, all the institutions work normally and we can agree on an absolute majority of issues relatively quickly.
Therefore, it is necessary to search for solutions through dialogue and consider the fundamental requirements of each country.
How do you view the possibility of a new EU enlargement?
Slovakia is a long-term proponent of the merit-based EU enlargement process. It is necessary to look at enlargement not only from an economic point of view but also from that of the efforts to maintain and develop the foundations of peace. It is also through sharing experiences from our own accession process that we want to support the integration of these countries, whether the Western Balkans or East European countries, as membership in the European Union, is motivation and a way to successfully carry out these transformation processes. We should work together to support and help these countries and provide them all with the same conditions for integration.
As many as nine countries have shown interest in European Union membership, which is why the EU needs to prepare for this enlargement, to adapt its budget, policies as well and decision-making processes. It is also essential that within the accession process, we apply the same rules for all states because the Western Balkan countries, in particular, were given the promise of a European future already two decades ago. However, from our side, it is necessary to adhere to the agreed-upon conditions. Implementing any additional criteria would not only postpone the negotiations but also raise concerns about the trustworthiness of the entire process. The Slovak Republic is ready to lend a helping hand and share our experiences from the accession process because many of these states have a very challenging road ahead of them.
What are Cyprus’ relations with Slovakia both within and outside the EU?
Our relations with the Republic of Cyprus are excellent and friendly, based on close values, membership in the EU and the Eurozone, as well as the same or similar positions on key foreign policy topics such as EU enlargement, cohesion policy, and qualified majority voting. There has long been an intensive ongoing dialogue between our two states at all levels concerning bilateral, European as well as broader international policy issues.
Slovakia-Cyprus trade currently stands at EUR 60 to 65 million a year, including the intensively developing fields of innovations and the arms industry. Cyprus is also a favourite holiday destination for Slovaks, with the number of visitors approaching 40,000 in recent years. And, of course, an important part of our partnership includes the community of Slovak expats in Cyprus, of which there are approximately 2,500.
Slovakia also supports a resolution of the Cyprus issue and, in this regard, we emphasise the necessity of complying with international law and, in particular, restoring direct negotiations between the leaders of both communities. Through its Embassy in Nicosia, Slovakia has been the mediator of the dialogue between the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot political parties for almost 35 years, being the only direct communication channel at this level.
Since 2001, we have also been part of the United Nations peace mission in Cyprus– UNFICYP, where members of the Slovak Police Corps and the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic participate in maintaining security and stability on the island.
This is our Slovak contribution – the added value to the quality of bilateral relations between the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Cyprus.
