Slovakia vows to rebuild EU trust

• Published Aug 7, 2016 3:44 PM KST
• Updated Aug 7, 2016 3:44 PM KST

By Rachel Lee

Slovakia, which is heading the European Union, is determined to rebuild trust in the organization, which was undermined by Brexit, Slovak Ambassador to Korea Milan Lajciak says.

“We strongly believe that the EU is the best solution for Europe and its population,” the envoy said at a reception to mark the Slovak presidency, at the Slovak Embassy in Seoul on Aug. 2.

“However, it is essential for the union to regain the trust of citizens and to focus on the long-term EU perspective. In the interest of these objectives, the Slovak presidency intends to build upon the positive experience and to promote a sustainable solution.”

The central European country has set four priorities, Lajciak said.

They are: make the European economy stronger; modernize and broaden the single market; work towards a sustainable migration and asylum policy, and contribute to the global engagement of Europe.

To boost the economy, the focus is on creating more investment and jobs, the ambassador said. “Promoting an economy in which small and medium-sized enterprises can flourish is a prerequisite for the stability and the sustainability of public finances,” he said.

The ambassador highlighted oppotunities created by digitalization and e-commerce, expressing a strong will to implement an EU’s digital single market package during the leadership.

“Removing the barriers of data portability, geographic blocking and international roaming will be our focus,” he said.

“Our other ambition is to significantly contribute to building a reliable and competitive Energy Union, because security of supply plays an important role in achieving energy resilience for Europe.”

When it comes to migration, Slovakia has begun to search for other “comprehensive” solutions, along with the current crisis management.

“We must return to a proper functioning of the Schengen area,” Lajciak said. “In this respect, it is essential to make the European border and coast guards operational.

“The effective cooperation with third countries of origin and transit also needs to be established. The EU-Turkey agreement remains one of its crucial parts.”

This is the first time Bratislava has led the union since joining in 2004. The six-month term ends in December.

“I am very glad that Slovakia can be part of the EU success story,” the ambassador said. “Twelve years of EU membership have made Slovakia stronger economically, socially and geopolitically. In other words, I would like to say that the EU is our home, the euro is our currency and Schengen our area.”

Lajciak said Bratislava’s leadership comes as the union faces scores of internal and external challenges — migration and the refugee crisis; the growing scale of terrorism; continuing conflicts (Ukraine/Russia, ISIS/Syria), the Greek bailout issue and Brexit.

“All these challenges have undoubtedly impacted the overall shape of the EU and also heavily subscribed in forming moods of the EU population,” he said.

“The EU is an amazing and unique project. It is aproject that brought peace, prosperity and security to a Europe that was plagued by centuries of hatred and bloody wars among European nations.”

The ambassador added: “It was born on the ruins of two brutal armed conflicts with tens of millions of unnecessary victims. Let’s not forget that.”

For more information, visit www.eu2016.sk/en.