Former Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic visited Budapest to request assistance in inspecting the Russian vaccines. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary is glad to honour Mr Matovic s request.

The fate of the 200 thousand Russian vaccine doses received by Slovakia in early March still hangs in the balance. The V4 state ordered a total of two million vaccines from Russia, but the procurement has triggered a crisis in Slovakia s ruling four-party coalition, eventually leading to a government reshuffle.

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Igor Matovic, who resigned as prime minister and took the seat of the financial minister, is still doing all he can to ensure that the Sputnik V jabs ordered from Russia receive the green-light in Slovakia. On Thursday, Russia asked Slovakia to return the shipment of vaccines, but Mr Matovic managed to prevent that by travelling to Moscow, where he met the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Mr Matovic also paid a visit to Budapest to request assistance from Hungary in testing the inoculations.

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He was received by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and the two politicians summer up the results of their meeting in a joint press briefing.

Mr Szijjarto said it was an honour to receive Igor Matovic, whom he welcomed as a friend. He said the coronavirus disease has made the two neighbouring countries all the more inter-dependent, adding that it is in Hungary s interest that its neighbours are successful in their pandemic response efforts, because it also contributes to a successful Hungarian defence.

Slovakia and Hungary have been cooperatiing with each other in terms of pandemic response efforts, Hungary s foreign minister said. He noted that the ultimate success in combatting the virus depends on vaccination, adding that Slovakia has now turned to Hungary to request help in assessing the Russian jabs. Hungary is pleased to grant this request, and as the necessary laboratory capacities and expertise are available, Hungarians can contribute to administering the vaccine to as many Slovaks as possible.

At the press conference, Igor Matovic spoke higly of the very close friendship between Hungary and Slovakia. A friend in need is a friend indeed, as the saying goes, the Slovak minister said, adding that when Slovakia and he himself, as prime minister, were in trouble, he made new friends in the persons of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and FM Peter Szijjarto.

This is not the first instance that Hungary has extended assistance to its Visegrad neighbour amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, Hungarians sent medical experts and ventilators to help Slovakia.

Slovakia s former prime minister praised Hungary s vaccination drive, describing it as exemplary in global comparison. He noted that Hungary had followed not only the roadmap set out by the European Union, but its also opened a pathway to the East. The pandemic can only be contained if we vaccinate as many people, and as swiftly, as possible, he stressed. 

In conclusion, Igor Matovic thanked Hungary for its assistance and praised their joint fight against the disease that the two Visegrad countries are now engaged in.