Off the wire
• Algeria urges for int'l counter-terrorism efforts after Istanbul airport attacks  • Draft regulation allows children rescued from abduction to be adopted  • Chinese WWII slave workers reject Mitsubishi Materials settlement deal  • Interview: Philippines' initiation of arbitration on South China Sea dispute "to solve nothing": Cypriot expert  • China says Arbitral Tribunal has no jurisdiction over South China Sea case  • 3rd LD Writethru: Law-abusing tribunal to issue award on South China Sea arbitration  • Don urges EAC countries to translate climate change policies into actions  • Brexit macroeconomic effects on country "very small": Portugal's IMF mission chief  • China upgrades plan to boost rail network  • Interview: Arbitration not conducive to South China Sea dispute settlement: German expert  
You are here: 　 Home

EU institutions need to show more empathy: Slovak, Polish presidents

Xinhua, June 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The European Union (EU) is not in its best shape ever following the British referendum on Brexit and its institutions need to show more empathy and sensitivity towards recent developments in member countries, Slovak and Polish presidents noted on Wednesday.

Slovak President Andrej Kiska had talks with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda here on Wednesday.

"It's also very important not to shift the blame for internal problems of our countries automatically to Brussels. If someone criticises the EU, they need to make the criticism specific," stressed Kiska.

Duda's visit falls on the eve of the beginning of Slovakia's Council of the EU Presidency, whereas Poland is set to assume the Presidency of Visegrad Four group, or V4, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, at the same time.

Both leaders concurred that the V4 could play an important role in the search for joint European solutions. They also believe that it's necessary to approach the British decision to leave the EU with level-headed calm.

"When I look at the EU from the perspective of the referendum, citizens want the union in the form in which it was created in the beginning," said Duda.

He went on to talk about a union that helps and provides freedom, not the union that gets in the way and issues commands. Endit