Slovakia opens honorary consulate, focus on peace talks between Ukraine and Russia
Telegraph | 21 March 2025
The foreign and European affairs minister of Slovakia offered to host peace talks between Ukraine, the country’s eastern neighbour, and Russia, at the inauguration of Slovakia’s honorary consulate in Calcutta on Thursday.
“We support the (peace) efforts of the new US administration led by (Donald) Trump. We have also offered Ukraine and Russia, and our colleagues in the US, that if there is any possibility to have some peace summit on the lower level, just for preparations, Slovakia is offering territory for this negotiation,” said Juraj Blanar, the minister from the landlocked central European country.
“From the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, we were very clear that this conflict has no military solution. After three years of this invasion, it proves we are right. We have to start an immediate ceasefire and then continue with peace negotiations. That is the only way we can stop the senseless killing in Ukraine,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities temporarily but declined to endorse a full 30-day ceasefire that President Donald Trump hoped would be the first step toward a permanent peace deal.
Ukraine said it would support the scaled-back agreement, which would require both countries to hold off firing on each other’s energy infrastructure for about a month.
Blanar welcomed the development. “It is a positive sign.... We support every peace initiative,” he said.
Speaking at the new honorary consulate in Calcutta, Blanar said: “Slovakia is the so-called gateway to the European Union. Bengal is also like a gateway to India. This is a big opportunity to strengthen our cooperation. We consider India as a very important partner. We are like-minded countries. We have shared values of democracy.”
Automobiles, industrial manufacturing, defence, energy, and infrastructure development are the key areas of opportunity in the bilateral trade between India and Slovakia, he said.
Blanar’s delegation included Ladislav Kamenicky, minister of finance of the Slovak Republic and Róbert Maxian, ambassador of Slovakia to India.
Blanar met Shashi Panja, the minister of Bengal’s industry, commerce and enterprises department.
“During this particular visit to India, Bengal is the only state that the Slovak delegation visited apart from Delhi where they met some Union ministers. This adds a lot of weight to their visit to Calcutta,” Panja told Metro.
“A 26-member business team from Slovakia is part of the delegation. They are exploring investment opportunities in Bengal,” she said. “We now have about 40 consulates in our city.”
Vivek Lohia, managing director of Jupiter Wagons, has been appointed the honorary consul general of the Slovak Republic in Calcutta.
“This marks a new chapter in Indo-Slovak relations. With Slovakia’s industrial prowess and West Bengal’s strategic position as an engineering and manufacturing hub, we see immense potential for collaboration. This consulate will play a crucial role in fostering trade, investment, and cultural ties between the two nations,” Lohia said.