Fico to make first trip abroad to Prague

Slovak prime minister designate Fico will in all likelihood make his first trip abroad to Prague, he told Czech Television on Sunday. Mr Fico said the Czech and Slovak Republics had always had an excellent relationship regardless of the orientation of their governments. Marking a shift from outgoing PM Iveta Radičová, he said he would not criticise the Czech Republic for its reticence to join the EU fiscal responsibility treaty. Fico, who was prime minister of Slovakia from 2006 to 2010, said he had always respected the internal affairs of the Czech Republic and that it was not for him to comment on such issues. Prime Minister Radičová ruffled feathers in the Czech government in early March, when she described the Czech rejection of the treaty as not fair or honest.