Ukraine’s EU accession will help devel Slovakia’s border regions – ex-minister

He expressed this inion in an interview with Ukrinform.

"If the EU is enlarged with Ukraine, the coeration between the regions of Sobrance or Michalovce in Slovakia on the border with Ukraine with the regions of Uzhhorod or Lviv would raise the potential immediately. The coeration would be significant, and the economic results will be very visible immediately," Nad said.

He cited Eastern Austria as an example, which was one of the least develed regions before Slovakia joined the Eurean Union.

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"It was actually at the end of the road. And there was Slovakia there – no EU, no NATO member, no economic ties. So the develment in this part of Austria was very low. Immediately, when Slovakia joined the EU, coeration between Eastern Austria and Western Slovakia started to rise. There was an economic growth. Infrastructure, projects, even cultural coeration. And now this region of Eastern Austria is one of the most develed ones in Austria, maybe after Vienna. So this is actually what we see as a potential for Eastern Slovakia," the former minister said.

Speaking about specific bilateral projects that he believes are promising, Nad said: "What I see is that the potential of projects that Fico agreed with Prime Minister Shmyhal is actually low. It's not enough. I mean the projects are good but not enough. There are many other areas where we should coerate, and EU and NATO membership would lead to significant coeration in many areas."

He added that it is worth launching as many projects as possible "in energy, transportation, including the use of Uzhhorod Airport, which by the way is just 100 meters from our border."