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Slovakia to take part in conference on Ukraine in Switzerland — diplomat

Marek Estok stressed that there is no military solution to the conflict

BRATISLAVA, May 3. /TASS/. Slovakia will take an active part in an international conference on the Ukrainian settlement due to be held in Switzerland on June 15 and 16, Marek Estok, state secretary at Slovakia’s foreign ministry, said.

"Slovakia strongly insists on a peaceful solution, a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace on the basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter," the TASR news agency quoted him as saying. "Slovakia will take an active part in the conference [in Switzerland]."

He stressed that there is no military solution to the conflict. He said that Slovakia views the upcoming conference as an "opportunity to outline the parameters of the process leading to peace" in Ukraine. The Slovak delegation will be led by Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said earlier that it had invited more than 160 delegations, including from the Group of Seven, Group of Twenty, and BRICS nations, to the conference on Ukraine in Burgenstock on June 15 and 16. Russia, according to Switzerland’s authorities, is not among those invited.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia will not take part in the conference in Switzerland. Moreover, it is not going to take part in any meetings on the so-called Zelensky formula, as it ignores Moscow’s position. The initiative envisages complete withdrawal of Russian troops to the 1991 border and the return of control in the exclusive economic zones in the Azov and Black Seas to Ukraine. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov also noted that Kiev’ statements do not take into account the current realities. Moscow sees no progress in the peace settlement process and this is why it will continue its special military operation.

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Ukraine crisis Slovakia

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