CNN: Netanyahu seeks emergency meeting with Trump amid mounting tensions over negotiations with Iran
28 minutes agoFormer Slovak Foreign Minister Edward Kukan Dies
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Former Slovakia Foreign Minister Edward Kukan has died at the age of 82, the Slovakia Foreign Ministry has confirmed on Thursday. “Serving in difficult times, he devoted his life to building Slovakia's Foreign Service. His decisions enabled our membership in the European Union and NATO. Without it, Slovakia's story can [...]
“Serving in difficult times, he devoted his life to building Slovakia's Foreign Service. His decisions enabled our membership in the European Union and NATO. Without it, Slovakia's story could be quite different”, the Slovak Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter.
The reasons for death are not clear.
Kukan has also been a European Parliament deputy and chief of the EU delegation for Southeast Europe.
While at the helm of the EU delegation, Kukan has voiced support for Kosovo's European integration, and in particular for visa liberalisation.
“We will continue to help you in this regard, helping you and negotiating with the European Commission, so that this discriminatory situation for your people will be resolved, and you will enjoy visa-free and visa-free travel to the Schengen” area, Kukan said in October 2013.
Kosovo is the only country in the Western Balkan region whose citizens cannot freely move to EU countries.
Kukan comes from Slovakia, one of five EU nations that have not yet recognised Kosovo's independence, declared February 17th, 2008.
On January 22, 2013, Kukan has declared that encouraging the five EU nations to recognise Kosovo, “is not an unconstructive encouragement”.
