On Monday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with ambassadors of European Union (EU) member states accredited to the Slovak Republic at a working lunch on the Cabinet Office's premises. According to the press release of the Cabinet Office's Press Department, the topics of the meeting included current European Issues, the ongoing intergovernmental EU conference, EU safety and defense policies, the European Neighborhood Policy, as well as Slovakia's preparation for Eurozone and Schengen zone entry, and the drawing of EU structural funds.
In connection with the ongoing intergovernmental conference, the prime minister stated that the Slovak Republic appreciates the efforts of the Portuguese EU presidency and supports the agreed-upon time schedule for concluding discussions on these issues. Prime Minister Fico informed the EU ambassadors of the positive results of the recent evaluation mission of Slovakia's readiness for Schengen zone entry. With regard to Eurozone entry, the prime minister told his guests that Slovakia's ambition to enter the Eurozone at the beginning of 2009 is a realistic one, based on evident efforts to meet the conversion criteria and very good macroeconomic development.
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