You're reading: Slovak President to visit Ukraine in May 2015

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the President of Slovakia Andrej Kiska had a meeting in Kyiv on Feb. 22 after a march to commemorate the protestors killed during the Maidan revolution last year, and President Poroshenko subsequently invited his counterpart to return to Ukraine later in the year.

“The President has reiterated his invitation to the President of Slovakia to visit Ukraine. Andrej Kiska has informed us of his intention to make a visit to Ukraine in May, 2015,” the Ukrainian president’s press service said.

Poroshenko thanked Slovakia and the other countries of the Visegrad Four for their support for the European integration of Ukraine, practical assistance on reforms and humanitarian aid, and for the treatment and rehabilitation of Ukrainian servicemen wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone.

“We have strategic and very important relations between our countries,” the president said, adding that it is important to create an energy hub with participation of Slovakia to ensure additional gas supply to Ukraine, and noted he was satisfied with the progress made so far.

Poroshenko discussed the situation in Donbas with his Slovak counterpart. The president underlined the importance of coordinated efforts between European countries to ensure Russia’s fulfillment of its commitments made under the Minsk Agreements.

In turn, the President of Slovakia said he had come to Ukraine to support the European aspirations of the Ukrainian people. “Maidan became a symbol of the Ukrainian nation’s decision to become a part of our democratic Europe,” he said.

Kiska also said that the other reason for his visit was to help facilitate a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict. However, according to him, discussing “plan B” is still important in case the Minsk II Agreements fail.