Medvedev arrives in Slovakia to mark Bratislava liberation

Bratislava - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Bratislava on Tuesday for a two-day visit marking the 65th anniversary of the Slovak capital's liberation by the Soviet Red Army at the end of World War II.

Medvedev is visiting Slovakia before heading to Prague to sign a new arms control treaty with his US counterpart Barack Obama on Thursday.

In Bratislava, the Russian president is to meet his Slovak counterpart Ivan Gasparovic, Prime Minister Robert Fico and parliament speaker Pavol Paska.

On Wednesday, the presidents are to decorate Russian and Slovak wartime veterans, honor fallen Soviet troops and attend a signing of bilateral agreements. Medvedev and Slovak leaders are to discuss security, energy and trade.

Slovakia relies on Russian energy imports and its industries were hit hard by the Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis in early 2009.

Nevertheless, Slovakia, a NATO and EU member since 2004, maintains cordial relations with Russia, unlike some other ex-Soviet satellites.

Fico has for example slammed a Bush-era US plan to base missile defense bases in the neighboring Czech Republic and Poland, a project fiercely opposed by Russia.

Obama dropped the Bush-era project last year, but his overhauled missile shield plans, under which Romania could host a base, remain a sore point in US-Russian ties.

Medvedev is planned to depart Bratislava for Prague on Wednesday evening after attending a concert by the Alexandrov ensemble, Russia's legendary army choir. The Red Army liberated Bratislava on April 4, 1945.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317375,medvedev-arrives-in-slovakia-to-mark-bratislava-liberation.html.