Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has penned in her first meeting with EC President Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday, 13 July in Brussels.
Barroso extended the invitation in a letter to the new PM as he became the first of the top representatives of European institutions to offer his congratulations on her success at being sworn in as Slovakia’s first female prime minister.
He wrote, “On behalf of the European Commission, I have the pleasure to convey to you our sincere congratulations on the occasion of your appointment as Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic. Your election has come at a crucial time, and I am confident that under your leadership Slovakia will take full advantage of its membership of the European Union. I look forward to your active involvement in communicating the unique European project to your citizens and I count on your support.”
The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, who will also be at the meeting, echoed Barroso’s warm sentiment. “I will be very happy to receive you in Brussels very shortly. I wish you every success in the challenging tasks which lie ahead of you and your government.”
NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is thought to be another of the big names due to meet with Radicova during her Brussels visit.
As yet the topics set to be discussed have not been confirmed, although while the European Union waits for Slovakia to decide whether or not to sign an agreement on the framework for the European Financial Stability Facility/EFSF, a tool designed to aid eurozone member states, such as Greece and Spain, afflicted with financial troubles in the future, this may be something they could bring to the table.
Euro-area Member States will have an obligation to issue guarantees for the EFSF debt tools once the agreement is signed by 90% of Member States.