BRATISLAVA, 5 May. Members of a group called the Slovak Renaissance Movement on Monday handed a petition to the Slovak president's office demanding a referendum on lifting sanctions against Russia, TASR news agency reported. According to the report, nearly 400 000 signatures have been collected on the petition.
"The Office of the President of the Slovak Republic will handle the petition sheets in full compliance with the law," the office said in a statement.A resident of Slovakia, a country of 5.5 million people, is obliged to call a referendum if a petition with at least 350 000 signatures is submitted. Before announcing the referendum, the presidential office must determine whether the collection of signatures on the petition met the requirements of national legislation, according to Slovak media reports.
According to Slovak reports, as a member of the European Union, the country is obliged to abide by its rules, such as those on sanctions against Russia. Slovak officials say the country is firmly entrenched in the bloc, but some anti-Russian sanctions are taking their toll.
On 11 March, the Slovak Presidential Office received a petition for a referendum on lifting sanctions against Russia, submitted by the Slovak group "Brother for Brother". According to the group, the petition has gathered more than 450 000 signatures. However, the document did not meet the requirements of national legislation. Slovak media reported that police are investigating suspicions that some of the signatures were forged.
TASS/gnews.cz-jav
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