Stretnutie predsedu vlády SR Roberta Fica s mimoriadnymi a splnomocnenými veľvyslancami akreditovanými pre SR (+ENG)
Príhovor predsedu vlády SR R. Fica (ENG)
Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic:
In this environment of a particularly lively world, the role of diplomacy, and therefore your work, is indispensable. I would like to use this opportunity and thank you for acting as a kind of bridge that connects Slovakia with the world. Thank you also for your participation. I cannot begin in any other way, even though it seems a little ridiculous to me, but I must repeat it. I have said about 1,450 times in the last two months that my government is not changing Slovakia's foreign policy direction, nor is it trying to do so, nor does it have any such intentions. We are, and we want to remain, firmly anchored in the European Union and in NATO. It is strange that the subject of membership of the European Union, where it was the governments that I led that achieved the highest possible level of integration, whether it was Schengen or whether it was the euro. It is now the subject of a political battle in Slovakia, where the entire Slovak public is being brutally deceived. I have to reject that in front of you. I reject the lies that the Slovak opposition is spreading about membership of the European Union. They are filthy lies made up, the purpose of which is merely to create an explosive atmosphere, which is then, of course, to lead to the next steps, which I will talk about in a moment. Of course, we have a different, more active approach to membership of the European Union and NATO than the current opposition. The opposition is very passive and accepts whatever comes from the European Union and from the North Atlantic Alliance background. However, we will remain critical of some of the policies and decisions of the European Union. If we are convinced that these decisions, these policies are not right and are damaging both the European Union as a whole and the individual Member States of the European Union. I repeat this, therefore, perhaps 1,769 times, Your Excellencies, and you know this very well. The Government of the Slovak Republic is not taking any steps that would call into question the Slovak Republic's membership of the European Union and NATO. And forgive me for the expressive language.
This is a stupid lie by the opposition, which is seeking at all costs to create tensions in society that should lead to a coup d'état. I am not afraid of these strong words, and I would very much like to repeat for you what we are already saying and what we may yet be saying, because today at quarter past eleven, I will be holding a very serious press conference at which we will be reporting on what concrete steps the government is taking against people who are working with the opposition to prepare for the subversion of the Slovak Republic. It was no coincidence, ladies and gentlemen, that the President of the Slovak Republic asked the Government of the Slovak Republic to convene the Security Council meeting. At this Security Council meeting, as well as at the closed session of the National Council, documents were presented which clearly confirm that individual protests which, under the guise of this filthy lie that someone is preparing to leave the European Union, were preparing the ground for the creation of a conflict between the security forces and the demonstrators who attend these protests. The documents that we have intercepted, which have been presented in part in the media, make it very clear that, through these protests, the opposition wanted to occupy, I repeat the word occupy, government buildings. Can you imagine that in Germany, in France, in the United Kingdom, demonstrators would occupy government buildings? These documents clearly state that the aim of this occupation was to obstruct the work of the government, to frustrate the decision-making processes of the Government of the Slovak Republic. We have intercepted communications that say, 'Take your sleeping bags, we are going to spend the night in the buildings of the National Council'. In the buildings of the Government of the Slovak Republic, maybe even in the Presidential Palace.
The cyber-attacks were also meant to serve this entire process. The attack on geodesy and cartography institute was not accident; it fits into this process. The aim was to create an atmosphere in the state that we are unable to guarantee the citizens of the Slovak Republic their legal property relations. Imagine, then, if everyone who owns something in Slovakia lost any record of that ownership. What would happen in the Slovak streets? And it would not be an accident. The attack against the General Health Insurance Company, which continues, it continues, is moving towards the same thing. And, of course, the most frequently used lie is that someone here is thinking of leaving the European Union, which I must absolutely deny and reject. It was expected that various security forces would intervene against actions such as the occupation of government buildings. When they intervened, as we see in other countries, legitimate force would have been used and, at that point, Slovakia would have been an object of interest to the whole world. How democracy is not working here, how violence is used, and there would be the phenomena that we saw in 2014 in Ukraine and that we saw at the end of 2024 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, you may like us, you may not like us, but we are not going to let Slovakia be subverted. That is why today, if you will allow me, at quarter past eleven, there will be a press conference at which we will announce measures with regard to eight to ten people who will be expelled or prevented from entering the territory of the Slovak Republic. You will be informed about what financial flows we are checking for some NGOs. In particular, we will talk about the Georgian National Legion and we will not allow anyone to question the role of this military unit, which is under the control of Ukrainian Intelligence Service. So, with regard to the 2014 Maidan in Ukraine, with regard to the Maidan in Tbilisi and with regard to the role of this unit on the territory of the Slovak Republic, I will say it again. We will not allow Slovakia to be subverted. I understand that not everyone is thrilled with our positions on foreign issues, but here is a legitimate government that was formed on the basis of the results of a democratic parliamentary election in 2023, and it will not be up to the street to decide what the government should look like. What is the government supposed to look like? Only a parliamentary election can decide and it will either be early or it will be a proper election.
In this context, because you will certainly be interested, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you that significant stabilising steps have been taken within the governing coalition. On Tuesday, there will be an important National Council session at which we will be discussing serious health bills that are necessary to stabilise the relationship between the medical unions and the government. The extremely important Building Act and the relevant building legislation will also be approved, because on the first of April 2025 this legislation must enter into force. We are nearing agreements on staffing issues. I believe that the meeting on Tuesday could be a stabilising first step in terms of the continuation and functioning of the governing coalition. The governing coalition is very clear on foreign policy. It is not only that none of us questions membership of the European Union. None of us questions NATO membership, but we think that our foreign policy must be sovereign, active and, with full respect for EU and NATO membership, must be oriented towards all four cardinal directions. We are interested, ladies and gentlemen, in building partnerships that respect our national interests and take into account the shift in the geopolitical centre of gravity not only towards the Indo-Pacific and the countries of the so-called global South, but also towards other spheres of the world. We want to be solidary, responsible and predictable, which is why I always have clear outcomes on every foreign trip I take. I say what are our aims and what we are pursuing with these foreign trips. On every single trip, ladies and gentlemen, I promote a policy of de-escalation of tension and dialogue in international relations on every single trip, whether it was to China, whether it was to South Korea, whether it was to an informal meeting with President Putin, whether it was to an informal meeting with senior Vietnamese officials during my holiday, and whether it was to Brazil or whether it is to other countries that we will be visiting in the near future. I would not like to go into defining for you now what it means to be oriented towards all four cardinal points, because I would consider it a waste of time. In any case, I would like to remind you that, above all, relations with our neighbours, with whom we want to develop an absolutely constructive dialogue, are crucial. Even though we may not be of the same opinion on some issues. I see the Ambassador of the Czech Republic here, Mr Ambassador, I do not understand the interference of the Czech political scene and media scene in the internal political affairs of the Slovak Republic. We do not understand it.
The Slovak Republic refuses to take part in this. We are not going to react to it, but again I think it is wrong for any attitudes, views or recommendations to be made from the other side of Morava river about the Slovak internal political situation, not to mention the image that the Czech media creates of the Slovak political representation. This is far beyond what is acceptable and beyond any idea of decency. We are all watching very closely, and the European Union is literally in a panic about how the new administration of the newly elected U.S. President, Mr. Donald Trump, is acting today. I absolutely understand his focus on national interests. In the end, he is only doing what he proclaimed. He is not doing anything surprising, so we should not be in any way shocked that his policy is so active and so focused on the economic interests of the United States. Slovakia is an extremely open, export-dependent economy, and we are also one of the most industrialised countries in the European Union, with the associated high energy intensity. It is hard to believe, but if we take the level of industry, Slovakia is probably the most industrialised country in the entire EU. Looking at the whole gross domestic product, therefore, it is natural that we are closely watching the actions of the new U.S. administration, which could have either a direct or indirect impact on our competitiveness and our national interests in the area of trade or energy. Of course, every month of expectation, or as months of expectation turn into tangible action from the first day after the inauguration, our main expectation is that the United States of America, under the leadership of the new President Trump, will contribute to the strategic balance in the world and will, of course, contribute to ending the conflict that we are witnessing today in Ukraine. For this reason, too, I would like to announce that we are naturally interested in maintaining above-standard relations with the United States of America, given the role it is playing at this time. Our foreign policy priority remains the Western Balkans. We are in favour of the speedy accession of prepared Western Balkan countries to the European Union. Serbia, despite being one of the best-prepared candidate countries, has been stuck in the accession process for years, along with Montenegro, also as a result of the creation of additional political criteria by some Member States. I am speaking very clearly, very openly about these issues. It is unfair to Serbia, very unfair to Serbia what some Member States of the European Union are doing. Please remember the role that Serbia played when it came to illegal migration, together with Hungary. If Serbia and Hungary had not taken serious decisions, we would have a much bigger problem in terms of illegal migration than we have now.
That is also why I am talking about unfairness towards Serbia if some Member States act the way they do. The creation of additional political criteria is unacceptable from our point of view and is signalling an increase in euroscepticism in the region. The tangible prospect of EU membership, together with genuine political will for enlargement, is essential for the credibility of the European Union. We cannot meet with the Western Balkan countries every year and say the same thing and meet again a year later without any further progress. I would also like to say that, in the context of the enlargement of the European Union, we consistently emphasise the principle of merit and equality and reject political shortcuts against any country. I am referring to the shortcut on the road to the European Union, because we like these better than others. And because we like them better than others, we will take them into the EU, even if they do not meet any of the conditions. And the ones we do not like so much, even though they meet the conditions, we will not take, because a political shortcut is being taken. Internal politics. And I want to make this very clear, this cannot continue to be subject to influence by the European Union or any other international organisation. We may not like Georgia's decision to suspend the integration process, but we must respect the decision of autonomous governments. We must respect, and I am following with all seriousness, the attempted coup in Georgia, which seems to have been survived by the existing Georgian Government. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a mockery of democracy if someone wins a parliamentary election, only the person who is not supposed to win wins, and then various measures are taken against the winner. I am not going to comment. I have witnessed the talks about the first round of the presidential elections in Romania. Similarly, this story raises major doubts about the functioning of democracy and the credibility of democracy as such. I would like to touch on relations with Turkey. During a recent visit to Turkey, we elevated our ties to the level of a strategic partnership. We support Turkey in its efforts to integrate into the European Union and we will work to strengthen strong ties with the European Union. We have qualitatively upgraded our relations to the level of a strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China, and we are also working to strengthen relations with India, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam, which I plan to visit this year with a large business delegation. I would like to highlight the official visit to Brazil at the end of last year. It was the first visit by a Slovak Prime Minister to that country and to South America. We are interested in balanced relations with all the countries of the Central Asian region. We are preparing a trip to Uzbekistan with a view to visiting other countries in the region.
Of course, the government's priority is to make the economic pillar of foreign policy more effective. In this regard, I want to visit the various Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, in the short term. We want to harness the economic potential in strategic locations in the Indo-Pacific region and, more generally, in the countries of the so-called global South. The creation and opening of new embassies in Algeria, the Philippines, Malaysia and Tanzania should also contribute to this. The reopening of an embassy in Australia, as well as the establishment of a diplomatic mission at the African Union in Addis Ababa, and we are also preparing Slovakia's new Asia-Pacific Strategy, which will be published in the first half of 2025. I am also planning to visit another major regional player that will host the first G20 summit on the African continent this year, South Africa. We are keen to strengthen our economic ties and cooperation in multilateral fora. I will touch on our relationship with the Russian Federation. We are repeatedly assuming that the conflict will end at some point. I reject the idea and policy of any new Iron Curtain between Europe and the Russian Federation. The Slovak Republic will act in a standard, pragmatic manner. We are interested in good relations, Mr. Ambassador, and we will do everything we can to ensure that, after the end of the war conflict, relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation will be standardised as we have seen them in the past. And I confirm, although it is, in my opinion, causing an unnecessary storm in a glass of water, that, health permitting, I will take part in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union. Anniversary of the victory over fascism and the end of the Second World War, which will be organised in Moscow. We will do the same celebrations here in the Slovak Republic on several occasions. You are all welcome, you are all invited, whoever shows interest and you will be welcomed with full honours among us. As far as the security architecture that has existed since the Second World War is concerned, we have to say that it is on the verge of collapse. The current crises and potential conflicts around the world reflect the gradual erosion of respect for international law. For some, international law applies; for others, it does not. This is also why the credibility of international institutions is declining considerably. We believe in the just resolution of conflicts, not their escalation and prolongation. That is why I am cautiously optimistic about the agreed ceasefire in Gaza, which can be the basis for the resumption of the peace process and lead to a two-state solution. We talked a great deal about this when we visited Turkey with President Erdogan. This subject is, of course, extremely important for Turkey. The war in Ukraine does not have a military solution from our point of view either. I am looking you all straight in the eye here. You know exactly what I have been saying. Since February 2022. What views I have on this war conflict. I don't want to make a list of statements I have made that are now proving to be absolutely true. On behalf of the Government of the Slovak Republic, we support all peace initiatives and coalition building at the UN level. We are also ready to cooperate with the Friends of Peace Group, and I thank both the representatives of China and Brazil for drawing up the joint China-Brazil peace plan. We also subscribe to the group that has been set up within the structures of the United Nations. We must take steps to stop the conflict as soon as possible. I personally spoke about this with President Trump on the telephone back in November after I congratulated him on his massive electoral victory in the United States, and I would like to add that Slovakia is ready to contribute to this effort.
We are aware that we are a small country, but as a country we have our own sovereign views on this conflict. We are not a country that automatically adopts one single obligatory view of the narrative that is being spread in the EU. We think that we are a suitable country to host a certain level of negotiations which, at some point or other, will start to take place between the warring parties. At the NATO summit in The Hague. We will be ready to negotiate on strengthening NATO's credible defence capabilities, which are the basis of our Slovak, European and transatlantic security. I can confirm that Slovakia is fulfilling its commitment to 2% of GDP in defence spending, a target that we intend to meet again this year. However, we hear talk of three, four, even five percent. Very clearly, our ambitions must be realistic. Yes, let us talk about defence expenditure, assuming that a significant part of this defence expenditure can be used for so-called dual-purpose projects. The military hospital is also part of the military infrastructure. Today, we are building such a military hospital in Prešov. Infrastructure in the form of high-quality bridges cannot be ignored in any consideration of the defence of the country. So, yes, let us talk about the structure of defence spending. Assuming that these considerations include the dual-purpose projects already mentioned. In this context, let me thank all the Member States that are actively contributing to the multinational battle group in Lest under the current command of Spain. In February, the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Mark Rutte, will also visit us in Slovakia. You know that I have reservations about some of his statements, and I believe that a personal meeting with the Secretary-General will enable me to clarify these things, because I am not aware, ladies and gentlemen, ambassadors of the Member States of the European Union, that at any time there has been a decision by the European Union that if the United States of America continues to supply arms to Ukraine, that we Europeans will pay for it. There has never been such a decision and such a discussion, and on behalf of the Government of the Slovak Republic, I want to make it very clear that Slovakia does not intend to participate in, pay or jointly foot the bill for the weapons that will be supplied from the United States of America to Ukraine.
The European Union has never made such a decision. A few words on Ukraine. Ukraine is our biggest neighbour and it is in our interest to have a democratic, sovereign, stable and prosperous neighbour, and we even support Ukraine's membership of the European Union. We are also clear and predictable, and no one can accuse me of that when I say that we reject Ukraine's membership of NATO. As long as I have the opportunity to control part of the political spectrum in Slovakia, I will politically lead that part of the political spectrum so that such a decision, if it is on the table, will never be supported in Slovakia. Ukraine's NATO membership is only good for World War III. We have rational reasons for being so principled on this issue. We have been helping Ukraine from the start. Slovakia has so far provided a total of EUR 3.48 billion in aid, making us one of the countries with the largest and highest level of solidarity with Ukraine in terms of aid as a proportion of GDP. I do not know whether we are not even first in that notional ranking. If we compare the volume with GDP. Some 3 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed our border. Our people in Slovakia have opened not only their hearts, but also their homes. Our people have greatly helped these people, and today we have over 130 000 Ukrainian citizens registered in Slovakia who have access to employment, education, health and social services and who contribute to the economic growth of the Slovak Republic. And I am certainly grateful to them for that. Last year, our relations with Ukraine intensified at a joint meeting of governments. We supported three flagship cross-border projects, even one was launched, and that is a direct passenger railway line between Kiev and Bratislava. I am surprised that, after we spoke very openly together with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, about further gas transit through Ukraine and there was a clear agreement that we were prepared to work together on a number of alternatives, either an alternative Azerbaijani gas or an alternative of other gas, the decision was taken, which was announced personally at the European Council by the Ukrainian President, Mr. Zelensky, that Ukraine would not continue any gas transit through its territory. And that, of course, on 31 December 2024, there was a termination of transit, because there was a termination of the agreement between the respective partners from Ukraine and the Russian Federation. As soon as President Zelensky announced that what had been agreed between the Slovak and Ukrainian governments was no longer in force, the price of gas began to rise sharply. Ladies and gentlemen, open your newspapers every morning and see where we are. Yesterday it was 53 EUR per megawatt hour of gas. In the United States, how much? 8 or 9. Tell me how we are going to compete with the United States of America. The decision to stop gas transit via Ukraine threatens the entire European Union and the competitiveness of the European Union, and everyone knows this well within the European Union. They are all aware of it. I am not going to add to this that it is significantly damaging the Slovak Republic, because the Slovak Republic has been receiving around 500 million EUR in transit fees. I would remind you that a private foreign partner has a half-share in this company.
We are taking all possible steps at European Commission level. I would like to thank the European Commission for issuing a declaration in which it stated unequivocally that the supply of gas and energy to the territory of the European Union is a security issue for the European Union and that this must be respected by third countries as well. I welcome the fact that the Commission has officially declared that it will communicate and negotiate with Ukraine on the continuation of gas transit through Ukrainian territory. While fully respecting the obligations and commitments that Ukraine has towards the European Union as an associated state. Ladies and gentlemen, we have always supported Ukraine in all things, in everything, always and everywhere. This decision taken by the President under Mr Zelensky is damaging to Slovakia and damaging to the entire European Union. And I stand by those words. If transit through Ukraine is not resumed. If Slovakia continues to be harmed by transit fees. If the European Union continues to be harmed by high prices, not to mention what will happen at the end of 2025, when the reservoirs start to fill up. I am saying again, officially and in front of you, what I have already said. The Government of the Slovak Republic will take reciprocal action in relation to Ukraine. The measure of vetoing certain decisions of the European Council in relation to Ukraine seems to be the most appropriate way of responding to President Zelensky's unilateral, nonsensical and politically damaging decision in relation to the European Union and in relation to the Slovak Republic. We will not make the decision regarding electricity. We will not address the issue of additional humanitarian aid. We think that this is an issue that would affect the citizens of Ukraine, and we do not want that. But there are options at the European Union level where I can use my decision as the Government of the Slovak Republic and as Prime Minister. I welcome President Zelensky's statement that an Azerbaijani project is beginning to be considered. Yesterday, I was scheduled to travel to Brussels and meet with the President of the European Commission and the relevant Commissioner.
Unfortunately, technical reasons at the Brussels airport did not allow us to land in Belgium, and therefore these negotiations are very likely to take place on Monday during the informal summit, which I will be attending. I also declare, ladies and gentlemen, that the Government of the Slovak Republic is ready for the next joint meeting with Ukraine. We have a number of other good projects on the table that need to be discussed, and the Government of the Slovak Republic will behave very rationally in this spirit. Let me make two or three more remarks on European affairs. Mr Ambassador of Hungary, I congratulate the Hungarian Presidency on the very successful handling of the duties that Hungary has had in the Council. I also wish our Polish colleagues well for the next semester. The Polish Presidency can count on the support of the Slovak Republic, particularly with regard to the priorities in the area of combating illegal migration, as well as the abuse and instrumentalization of migration. We supported the Polish Prime Minister at the last European Council meeting, where he came up with quite vigorous proposals concerning the fight against illegal migration. As regards competitiveness, we believe that the Polish Presidency will pay maximum attention to this topic, because the European Union is aware of how badly we are doing in terms of competitiveness and it should be a fundamental topic of our discussions. Green transformation and decarbonisation must not weaken the European Union's global competitiveness, nor can they lead to de-industrialisation or a reduction in social standards. It is no use boasting that we have the best strategies, but we will empty our countries. There will be no industry, there will be nothing. That is why the decisions that the United States is making today should also be inspiring for the European Union in some areas, and knowing the courage of the Polish Prime Minister, I believe that he will come up with something that will be stimulating for us, for everyone, and that it will also receive the full support of the Government of the Slovak Republic.
The subject of energy is also related to this topic, and it is a fundamental priority. We all know that this is why we are uncompetitive, because we have high energy prices. Despite assurances from the institutions that the European Union is prepared for this situation. We still have questions about the future, because the high price level represents a significant competitive disadvantage for European industry and will, I repeat, will be problematic in filling the reservoirs for next winter. We are drawing from the storage tanks today, plus, as far as Slovakia is concerned, thanks to the cooperation with Hungary, we are shipping some of the gas through Velke Zlievce, but it is clear that, unless decisions are made, we are facing a huge gas crisis at the end of 2025 and 26, with consequences that we cannot even imagine. The question is whether we will take off our political glasses and return to reality. I am glad to say that I am not the only one, but there are other voices in the European Union that are coming out in favour of restoring transit through Ukraine. Resuming cooperation with the Russian Federation is the only way that can also lead to a ceasefire and can, of course, lead to different price levels and energy security. It is up to us, the players involved, to decide whether or not to go ahead with this. And we must thank the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, who raised the issue of high energy prices during his Hungarian Presidency. At his initiative, the European Commission is to make initial proposals to the European Council on what we are going to do about this, because this is a huge problem. Closely linked to the subject of competitiveness is the negotiation of the multiannual financial framework for the period after 2027. This will, of course, be a very difficult debate. Each country will pursue its own national interests. We want to be in solidarity, but I want to say that we will see no room for concessions when it comes to cohesion policy, that is, cohesion, and we will see no room for any concessions when it comes to the common agricultural policy.
These are the two areas cohesion and the common agricultural policy where I assume a number of nation states within the European Union will take categorical positions. Throughout the year, I will, of course, be actively involved in the European Council negotiations, because the European Council is the key place where everyone's voice is equal and, thanks also to the principle of unanimity, must be respected. I am already travelling to the informal leaders' summit mentioned earlier on Monday. In particular, we will be discussing European common defence. We will meet the Secretary-General of NATO as well as the British Prime Minister. We will support initiatives aimed at increasing the productivity, funding and competitiveness of our defence industry, where the Minister for Defence and Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic is literally doing wonders, in the first, let us say, sixteen months, fifteen months, the performance is incredible, and I want to congratulate him on that. I will make one last comment on the United Nations. However, once again, I will repeat before all of you a sentence that I have said twice today. Slovakia is not changing its foreign orientation; we just want to be a more active player. We want to participate in the changes that will be much talked about in this area. Therefore, I consider the Slovak opposition's rampage to be a gross and obscene lie, damaging the interests of the Slovak Republic and attempting to mobilise people who do not have enough information to protest, which is to be abused, then to violent expressions, and gradually to an attempt to overthrow the government of the Slovak Republic and to cause elections, which would, of course, take place in an extremely nervous, I would go so far as to say unsuitable, environment for Slovak democracy, which has always been able to deal with its internal affairs on its own, since 1989. Within the UN, I would add that we are running, and I say this at every meeting abroad, for the position of non-permanent member of the Security Council for the years 28 to 29. I would like to thank the countries that have supported Slovakia's candidacy so far, and at the same time I would like to call on other countries to support Slovakia's candidacy. If elected, we will be guided by a strong commitment to multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter, because there is no alternative to this. We have only international law, multilateralism, we have the UN Charter.
There is no other alternative, and until we agree on it, we should not even respect any attempt to circumvent what we have today as a result of the Second World War. We are interested in strengthening dialogue, solidarity and understanding between nations and in making greater use of diplomacy to defuse tensions and promote peace in the world. Peace is a word that belongs in the vocabulary of my Government and will have a privileged place there compared with other countries in the European Union. I do not want to go into detail, sometimes I am shocked and appalled by the European Council's deliberations. This is a war cabinet. This is not the European Council. It is the supreme representative of the EU as a peace project. We will also strive to make the UN Security Council more effective, so I am inclined to the view that we need to expand the Security Council to include countries that will be able to take on the global responsibility of permanent membership and also to increase the number of non-permanent members accordingly. We can imagine such a reform, and if there is agreement on it, we would all be very happy to participate in it. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I have gone topic by topic, because it is not easy to go through all aspects of foreign policy in a short space of time. Thank you for this opportunity. I would now like to ask you for a short two-minute technical break when we would ask the media to leave this room and I am prepared to stay for another twenty minutes with you for any questions you may have, with the understanding that the Foreign Minister would then continue in the presence of the Secretaries of State and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once again, thank you very much for allowing me to present myself to you. Thank you very much.