Panyi posted on Facebook what he described as a transcript of a 2020 exchange between Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“The prime minister asked me for this conversation, because we have a very important request. Elections are approaching in Slovakia and it is key for us that the coalition there can continue”, Szijjarto said, according to the transcript published by Panyi.
He said the Slovak coalition was “the only rational force in Slovak politics, operating without foreign influence”, and added: “All the rest is practically financed by George Soros”.
According to Panyi, Szijjarto told Lavrov that Pellegrini had said “if your prime minister received him even for half an hour, it would be very helpful in winning the election”.
“That is much more important for Slovak society than a trip to Washington”, Szijjarto said, according to the transcript.
Lavrov replied: “It is a big request, but I will pass it on to the prime minister”, Panyi wrote. Pellegrini later met then Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow on Feb. 26, three days before Slovakia’s parliamentary election.
Panyi said the conversation had been recorded by the security services of a European Union country. After the 2020 election, Slovakia’s new government was formed by Igor Matovic, and the previous ruling parties did not remain in power.
Earlier on Monday, Hungarian government representatives accused Panyi of giving Szijjarto’s phone number to foreign intelligence services for wiretapping purposes. Responding to the allegations, first published by pro-government weekly Mandiner, Panyi said the cited conversation was with one of his sources while he was working on material about Szijjarto’s contacts with Lavrov.
Panyi said the accusations against him were “an attempt to distort the investigation into the transfer of information to the Russians”.
“I spoke with officials from seven European Union countries who confirmed they knew that Peter Szijjarto was constantly passing confidential information to Sergei Lavrov and other Russians”, he said.
Washington Post reported on Saturday that Szijjarto had regularly provided Lavrov with live accounts of EU meetings. Szijjarto dismissed those reports as “fake news”.
(jh)
Source: PAP