Slovakia decides to establish cultural ties with Russia and Belarus

Slovakia's new Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová has cancelled the ban on cultural co-operation with Russia and Belarus. This is reported by the Slovak edition Pravda.Správy.

There are dozens of military conflicts in the world, and, in our opinion, artists and culture should not pay for it," commented on Shimkovichova's decision in the Ministry.

Note, in March 2022, the Ministry of Culture of Slovakia banned cultural ties and cooperation with Russia and Belarus. The former head of the ministry, Natalia Milanova, explained such a decision by condemnation of the war unleashed by the Russian Federation.

Milanová's document banned any contacts with institutions, organisations based on their territory or having financial ties with public or private sources from Russia or Belarus.

International cultural ties are: exhibitions, music and film festivals, conferences, seminars, training programmes, performance of creative teams, exchange of literature.

It should be noted that the leader of the anti-Ukrainian party Smer-SD Robert Fitzo, who became the new prime minister of Slovakia and formed a management team, has repeatedly voiced Kremlin theses and demonstrated support for Russia. He also opposes military support for Ukraine, as well as its accession to NATO.