The new Minister of Culture of Slovakia has canceled her predecessor’s order to stop such cooperation.
Slovakia is returning to cultural cooperation with the Russian Federation and Belarus after an almost two-year pause. The Slovak publication Pravda writes about this.
It is noted that the Minister of Culture Martina Shimkovicheva canceled the order of her predecessor Natalya Milanova to stop such cooperation with Moscow and Minsk. His former minister extradited him immediately after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“All organizations falling within the constituent competence of the Ministry of Culture and their employees, as well as structural units and employees of the Ministry are ordered to suspend any academic, cultural or other similar official cooperation with the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus until further notice,” the order dated 2 March 2022.
The publication notes that the new document canceling the order dated January 12 is at its disposal and has already entered into force.
“There are dozens of military conflicts in the world, and, in our opinion, artists and culture should not pay for this,” said Martina Shimkovicheva’s press secretary.
War in Ukraine: Slovakia’s position
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Slovakia has condemned Russian aggression and provided our state with a variety of support, including military assistance.
However, after the pro-Russian politician Robert Fico led the government following the parliamentary elections, the rhetoric changed. In particular, he opposes military support for Ukraine, but promises to continue to provide humanitarian assistance. In addition, Fico supported Hungary’s decision to block the provision of assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 50 billion euros.
On January 24, a meeting between the Slovak Prime Minister and his Ukrainian counterpart Denis Shmygal is due to take place in Uzhgorod. Fico said that he will notify the Prime Minister of Ukraine that he opposes Ukraine’s membership in NATO, “will use the right of veto and block it, because this will be the foundation of the Third World War.”
