Slovak Speaker in Malta

The president of the national council of the Slovak Republic, Josef Migas, is in Malta on an official visit to reciprocate a visit made by Speaker Anton Tabone last year.

Mr Migas is accompanied by members of the Slovak National Council (parliament), Mr Jan Rusnak, who is the chairman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition and Christian Union, Mr Tibor Cabaj, chairman of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia and Mr Jozef Klemens, a member of the parliamentary committee on agriculture and member of the Slovak Democratic Left Party.

Mr Migas and his delegation yesterday met Opposition leader Alfred Sant.

The MLP said Dr Sant informed Mr Migas about his party`s views and stand with regard to the EU.

Dr Sant told Mr Migas that a Labour government would inform the EU it would like to revert to the 1998 agreement between the two sides. Dr Sant explained, the MLP added, that a Labour government would make the request as it felt such an arrangement best suited Malta. The MLP believed the EU would agree with such a stand as the Union was not a "hegemonic concept".

The MLP also said that at the meeting Dr Sant recalled that the party had always been in the forefront to introduce European values into the country.

The delegation will also be meeting the President, the prime minister and the Malta-Slovakia Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Mr Migas has been president of the National Council of the Slovak Republic since 1998.

He is the co-founder of the party of the Democratic Left.