BUDAPEST, May 17. /TASS/. The Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, who was shot earlier, is currently between life and death, and this is a horrible loss not only for Slovakia, but for Hungary, as well, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

He pointed out that he and his Slovak counterpart adhered to similar views on many international issues, including in regards to the conflict in Ukraine.

"We pray for the Prime Minister of Slovakia, we are concerned about him and, of course, we wish him to recover and get back to work as soon as possible. Right now, Robert Fico fights for his life, he is between life and death," Orban said.

"However," the prime minister continued, "if we look at this situation from a political standpoint, it is a horrible loss for Hungary, because, even if the prime minister of Slovakia recovers, he would not be able to work for several months."

Orban believes that the upcoming months will be extremely important for the future of Europe in due to the upcoming European Parliament elections and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Fico was shot on May 15 in the city of Handlova in the western part of Slovakia. The Prime Minister sustained gunshot wounds to the chest, to the abdomen and to an extremity; he underwent surgery, he is in serious condition, but the medics believe that the threat to life has passed. The attacker has been detained. According to the Slovak media, the assailant, writer Juraj Cintula, has been detained and charged with an attempted assassination of the prime minister over political motives.