Slovak language, avoid any complicated to speak Slovak. I hope that will not have problems translating from Slovak language to Russian language. How was the travel? The first...
I will be normal and relaxed. I am very glad that...
I am very glad that I can once again take part in the celebrations of the victory over fascism.
I have no reason to comment on how other politicians in Europe approach these celebrations.
But I have very strong reasons for being here.
I am very glad that my delegation also includes a significant representative of the Slovak parliament, the Vice-Chairman of the National Council, Mr. Gašpar.
He is a deputy of the parliament, he is the Vice-Chairman of the Slovak parliament, Mr. Gašpar.
Likewise, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Štoksekár, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Mr. Štoksekár.
And another second member of the delegation.
The first and main reason why I am here is the indisputable historical fact that it was the nations of the former Soviet Union, and in particular today's Russian Federation, that paid the highest price in the fight against fascism and in the Second World War.
I also considered it important to show respect to the soldiers of the Red Army who fell during the liberation of the Slovak Republic. So I am thinking of the Red Army, which had...
...to 10 million young people.
To everyone who criticizes my positions, I say:
Go and look at the Slavín in Bratislava.
Go and look at the largest military cemeteries in Slovakia.
And you will find there thousands of young people who were 18, 19, 20 years old.
It would be a denial of history, and I do not do that, if we did not show respect and regard for the victims that the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation brought in the fight against fascism.
I want to promise, as I stand here, that the government I lead will continue to pay great attention to the protection and care of military cemeteries in Slovakia.
For example, we have just reconstructed a military cemetery in Michalovce, and I also plan to visit this place again.
The last thing I want to say is that despite the critical and crisis atmosphere in Europe, I am a politician who prefers dialogue to strong words.
And I care about normal, friendly and standard relations between the Russian Federation and the Slovak Republic.
There are also several practical issues here. I hope that tomorrow there will be an opportunity to talk about these topics with your President Putin.
Will you have problems because you came here? I understood the question. [laughter] I understood the problem.
In the European Union, you always have some black sheep, so-called Black Sheep of the Family. And I belong to this herd, Black Sheep of the Family. [laughter] So I say this everywhere, and that is why I have no problem saying it here too.
I am an opponent of the single mandatory opinion.
I think that this approach is very wrong.
And I often encounter opinions that do not correspond to this single correct political opinion that we are supposed to hold.
Sometimes I even fight over historical facts.
Look, every year we celebrate the anniversary of the Carpathian-Dukla operation.
It is about 1944.
It is not possible to ignore the horrors that the soldiers of the Red Army had to go through, but of course also the soldiers of the army corps that was formed in exile.
I do not pick cherries on the cake, and I try to show respect to everyone who contributed to the fall of fascism.
We take great care, for example, of the cemeteries of Romanian soldiers in Slovakia.
I will even go to Normandy in connection with the anniversary of the opening of the second front.
But to everyone who denies this, I recommend that they visit one of the last places where the heroes of the Second World War are buried.
Yesterday I was at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.
I was told that as soon as it was a prisoner of the Red Army, he was executed.
That is thousands of executions just in the camp itself, in the camp itself.
And I see absolutely no reason for us to deny these historical facts just because we have the situation we have today.
Better one than none.
I have no reason, neither at my age nor after everything I have been through, to change history, which cannot be turned back.
And I am even more convinced in my opinions because two years ago they wanted to shoot me in Slovakia.
Not because I stole someone's wife, but because of my clear positions and political opinions.
So believe me, I had absolutely no problem deciding to come here to Moscow for these celebrations.
On the contrary, I am glad that tomorrow I will also have some space to talk with President Putin, because I also want to ask him some questions. I am curious.
I also want to pass on some messages, because several European politicians were interested in this trip.
Yes, of course, I understand what you are asking, but before I answer, I will first answer the question of what would be or what will be the main message that I want to leave with the President tomorrow.
The basic word is dialogue. We must talk.
I am an absolute supporter of any form of ceasefire.
And I think it is a hundred times more sensible to fight that battle at the negotiating table.
And I want to express the conviction that we are approaching the end of the Russian-Ukrainian story.
As for Hungary, I have so far spoken with the new Hungarian Prime Minister only by phone.
We are waiting for when he will be definitively appointed to the office.
I assume that he will come for the first time as Prime Minister to the meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
We agreed that we will meet there for the first time and agree on the first steps, because we are neighbors.
I want to have friendly, good relations with my neighbors.
In Slovakia we say that having a bad neighbor is worse than burning down.
I must care. I do not know Mr. Magyar personally.
But it is my duty to find a way to him.
So that relations between Slovakia and Hungary have the same quality as they had under Viktor Orbán.
We can only congratulate the winner of the Hungarian elections and look forward to cooperation with him.
I understand the questions, you know what?
I do not think there is a nation in the world that would so experience and really feel what happened in the years 1941 to 1945.
I of course wish the Russian people that this feeling remains with them.
So that what commonly happens in European countries never happens here.
Where basic historical facts are routinely distorted and there is disrespect for what happened.
I even realize that you have another significant anniversary coming up.
I do not know if that is a good word, jubilee, a significant moment.
I am talking about June 22, 1941, when Operation Barbarossa began.
Barbarossa, that means the 85th anniversary of the invasion of the Soviet Union.
I think that this is also a suitable opportunity to greet the representatives of the Russian Federation, but also of other nations and countries that then formed the Soviet Union.
So wish us, dear friends, a useful and good visit.
Thank you very much on behalf of the entire delegation.
And I believe that this trip will not be just a formal expression of respect.
But that tomorrow's meeting with President Putin will also be extremely important.
So keep your fingers crossed for us. Thank you very much. Thank you.
