Latest news with #Slovak
See - Sada Elbalad
2 hours ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Slovakia Temporarily Closes Embassy in Tehran
Israa Farhan Slovakia has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran and the full evacuation of its diplomatic staff from Iran, citing rising military tensions in the region. The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the decision on Friday, citing escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel as a major security concern. Meanwhile, South Korea has successfully evacuated dozens of its nationals from both Iran and Israel as fears grow over the intensifying conflict between the two countries. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 60 South Korean citizens and their family members departed the region via land routes and arrived safely in neighboring countries. The ministry stated that 30 South Koreans and four family members left Iran and crossed into Turkmenistan using transport arranged by the South Korean government. They arrived in the capital, Ashgabat, on 18 and 19 June, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. A foreign ministry official explained that the eastern land route used for evacuation spanned roughly 1,200 kilometers and took around 30 hours to complete by bus, including rest stops along the way. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
Al-Ahram Weekly
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Slovakia FM thanks Egypt for evacuating its nationals amid regional conflict - Foreign Affairs
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár thanked Egypt during a phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Thursday for facilitating the evacuation of Slovak nationals from Israel to Egyptian territory, ensuring their safe return home amid the ongoing regional escalation. During their call, the two top diplomats discussed the escalating regional tensions driven by the ongoing military confrontation between Israel and Iran. Minister Abdelatty warned of the danger that the Middle East could slide into chaos and stressed the need to de-escalate, halt hostilities, and contain the situation through political and diplomatic channels. Several governments have launched emergency operations to evacuate their nationals from Israel through Egypt and Jordan as Tel Aviv closed its airspace. On Wednesday, Poland and France urged their nationals to evacuate via Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh or Jordan as safe exit points from the region. On Monday, the Czech Republic expressed hope for Egypt's assistance in evacuating its nationals from Israel. The two top diplomats also exchanged views on the recent developments in the Gaza Strip. Minister Abdelatty highlighted to his Slovakian counterpart Cairo's intensive efforts to restore the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Also on Thursday, during a separate phone call, Minister Abdelatty held similar regional discussions on the Israel-Iran conflict and the Gaza war with his Slovenian counterpart, Tanja Fajon. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Slovak police detain eight in probe into military aid to Ukraine
Slovak police detain eight in probe into military aid to Ukraine Slovak police have detained eight people, including defence ministry officials, in an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office into possible misuse of funds for military aid to Ukraine, the office said on Wednesday. Police confirmed earlier on Wednesday they were carrying out seizure operations in an EPPO prosecution, after media outlets reported authorities sought to detain a former defence minister who is out of the country on vacation. The EPPO, an independent body of the European Union, said four of those detained were officials at the defence ministry and that the value of the misused funds was 7.4 million euros ($8.51 million). It said it suspected top-ranking personnel of violating budgetary rules "by giving unjustified orders to purchase ammunition from two private companies," at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "EPPO suspects that the public procurement procedure was rigged and that the ammunition may have been overpriced," it said. The defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. News website Dennik N said earlier that police had wanted to detain former defence minister Jaroslav Nad, a member of the previous government. He denied allegations of wrongdoing related to Ukraine aid and wrote on Facebook on Wednesday how he was proud of assisting the country. Nad, calling the police action "theatre", said he was on vacation in Canada and due to return at the end of the month. Slovakia's leftist-nationalist government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has taken sharp policy turns since taking power in 2023, including stopping military aid to Ukraine and seeking better ties with Russia, which supplies it with oil and gas. Opposition officials and activists have been highly critical of the new policies, while the government has accused the previous administration of treason and other offences in its donations to Ukraine. A report from the Supreme Audit Office last year said errors related to budgetary rules were made in purchasing ammunition for Ukraine and it had handed findings to police. Fico has been critical of the European Union's Ukraine policy, saying weapons supplies prolong the war. On Tuesday, he criticised NATO plans to ramp up spending in the coming years and for the first time questioned Slovakia's place in the military alliance by saying neutrality would benefit the country. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Slovak PM Fico Questions NATO Membership, Sparks Backlash Over Call For Neutrality
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has sparked a political debate after publicly suggesting that Slovakia might benefit from adopting a neutral stance in foreign policy — an idea that would mean withdrawal from the NATO alliance. Speaking during a visit to the Ministry of Economy, Fico asked, 'Wouldn't Slovakia's neutrality be good in this crazy period? I put this question very officially, very clearly.' Though he admitted the decision was not in his hands, he added, 'What are we all dragged into? What kind of war are you talking about? Who on earth wants to fight with whom? I still don't know.' As reported by Denník Postoj, the Slovak premier also denounced plans by the European Union to increase defense spending, criticizing what he called the 'senseless times of armaments' and comparing weapons manufacturers to pharmaceutical firms profiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'How do you want to spend the €800 billion that the Union is talking about? That's impossible,' he said. His remarks sparked outrage among his political opposition. Michal Šimečka, leader of Progressive Slovakia (PS), described Fico's remarks as 'absolutely scandalous,' saying, 'He is questioning our entire foreign policy anchorage, breaking our relations with key partners and throwing us to Putin.' Karol Galek of the center-right Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, pointed to Ukraine's experience as a warning, noting that its neutrality was supposedly guaranteed by Russia — until it was invaded. 'If there is a war in our country, there is only a threat from Russia,' Galek said, adding that neutrality would place the full financial burden of national defense on Slovakia. 'The Baltics and Poland are already at 5 percent [in defense spending] because they are aware that the threat is already behind their gates. The threat is Russia,' added Milan Majerský of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), who warned neutrality would result in an overwhelming and unsustainable hike in Slovakia's defense budget. Slovak President Peter Pellegrini also responded to Fico's remarks. 'I respect his opinion. Maybe he really thinks that Slovakia should be a neutral country, but in this way, a general discussion can be provoked, which can again result in some kind of petition action,' he said. 'A statesman can never question the security of the state. Neutrality does not mean that you are friends with everyone around you and no one can hurt you, but that you have to guarantee everything yourself,' he warned. The Slovak president did, however, acknowledge the political nature of Fico's comments, which he suggested have been made to spark a political discussion. 'I consider it a provocative idea, for which the prime minister is an expert – to overwhelm the public space with a topic that we will all discuss, but nothing will come of it anyway,' Pellegrini said. 'At the moment, it is unnecessary and risky.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Slovak police seek former defence minister over Ukraine aid, media report
(Reuters) -Slovak police attempted to detain a former defence minister and other former officials on Wednesday as part of investigations into how military aid was given to Ukraine, media outlets reported. The police confirmed they were carrying out seizure operations in a prosecution initiated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), but gave no more details. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said on Facebook a team investigating ammunition donations to Ukraine under the former government, after Russia's invasion in 2022, was involved. EPPO did not immediately reply to a request for comment. News website Dennik N said police had sought to detain former defence minister Jaroslav Nad, who is out of the country on vacation, and another former ministry official. Nad has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing related to Ukraine aid. Police had detained the former head of a state-owned defence firm, Dennik N said. Slovakia's leftist-nationalist government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has taken sharp policy turns since taking power in 2023, including stopping military aid to Ukraine and seeking better ties with Russia, which supplies oil and gas to the country. Last year, Fico's government accused the previous administration of treason and other offences for various donations to Ukraine. In November, an investigation into discrepancies into data on the donations was set up. A report from the Supreme Audit Office last year had said errors related to budgetary rules were made in purchasing ammunition for Ukraine and it had handed findings to police. Nad has denied allegations against him, and he said on Wednesday on social media that he was on vacation in Canada and due to return at the end of the month. "Today's theatre honestly did not surprise or bother me," Nad said on Facebook. "I will keep repeating to myself how proud I am of how we helped Ukraine. I would do it again. And again." Separately, the government has also called on police to investigate the previous government for donating MiG-29 fighter planes and an air defence system to Ukraine. Fico has been vocally critical of European Union policy to Ukraine, saying weapons supplies prolong the war with Russia. On Tuesday, he criticised plans of NATO, in which Slovakia is a member, to ramp up spending in the coming years and for the first time questioned Slovakia's place in the military alliance by saying neutrality would benefit the country.
