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Abolishing veto power to spell beginning of end for EU — Slovak PM

Robert Fico condemned the European Commission’s attempts to secure an EU-wide decision to abolish member states’ veto rights on foreign policy issues

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico

© AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool

BRATISLAVA, April 17. /TASS/. Abolishing the veto power of EU member states would mark the beginning of the end of the union, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in a speech broadcast by the TASR news agency.

"The EU is going through a huge crisis," the prime minister said. "Abolishing the veto is the beginning of the end of the EU, the beginning of the end of this significant international organization, which none of us wants. If anyone puts forward such proposals, they are simply demonstrating an inability to reach compromises," he added.

Fico condemned the European Commission’s attempts to secure an EU-wide decision to abolish member states’ veto rights on foreign policy issues. He expressed particular concern over a statement to that effect by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, made immediately after the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Hungary were announced. The outgoing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban rejected attempts to limit the national sovereignty of European countries in foreign policy matters. Fico said he was not yet aware of the position of Hungary’s new authorities.

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Maria Zakharova emphasized that it was a "destructive course"

Russian command in Transnistria declared persona non grata — media

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Andrey Kelin added that Britain had been reluctant to discuss broader European security issues

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Eight shelling attacks by Ukrainian armed groups were registered

EU’s strategy towards Russia flawed, dysfunctional — Slovak prime minister

According to Robert Fico, the European Union "still does not believe in the necessity" of peace initiatives

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He Weiwen noted that Washington had failed to achieve its goal of changing the government in Tehran

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Kirill Dmitriev made the comment in response to a post by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who said that Slovakia is filing a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the European Union over the ban on imports of Russian gas

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Abolishing veto power to spell beginning of end for EU — Slovak PM

Robert Fico condemned the European Commission’s attempts to secure an EU-wide decision to abolish member states’ veto rights on foreign policy issues

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Fire at warehouse in Leningrad Region, 62 drones: aftermath of Ukrainian attack on Russia

TASS has compiled the main information about the consequences