A private meeting between Ján Kubiš, the foreign policy advisor to Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Minsk on 28 October 2025 has drawn scrutiny for its timing, participants, and opaque agenda, taking place on the sidelines of a Belarus-hosted Eurasian security forum dominated by authoritarian regimes and senior officials from Russia, North Korea, Myanmar, and Hungary. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials discussed expanding bilateral ties and exchanged views on global issues, though no further details were disclosed. The meeting occurred shortly after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko publicly stated that he had been in contact with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and expected his upcoming visit to Minsk—a remark that has yet to be confirmed by Slovak authorities.
The broader event, the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, served as a platform for senior Russian officials to reiterate longstanding accusations against NATO and the European Union, with Lavrov alleging Western preparations for a new European war and offering conditional security guarantees that exclude NATO enlargement. Kubiš, a veteran Slovak diplomat educated in Moscow and previously appointed as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative in several conflict zones, was named presidential advisor in June 2024. His participation in the Minsk meeting marks a rare high-level Slovak engagement with Russian officials amid continued EU sanctions and international isolation of Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On 28 October 2025, Ján Kubiš, the foreign policy advisor to Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, met in Minsk with Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The meeting took place alongside the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, which was organised under the auspices of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials highlighted the importance of maintaining bilateral contacts and expanding cooperation in the areas of economics, culture, and humanitarian exchange. They also discussed inter-parliamentary dialogue and shared views on international issues of mutual concern. However, no specific agenda items or outcomes of the talks were disclosed.
Coverage in Slovak media described the meeting as a bilateral engagement taking place within the broader framework of the conference, which gathered delegations from more than 40 countries and seven international organisations. During a separate session with event participants, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that he had recently been in contact with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Lukashenko expressed his expectation that the prime minister would soon visit Minsk, though no official confirmation of such a visit has been provided.
The conference, held from 28 to 29 October 2025, focused on the theme “Global (Dis)Order and the Puzzle of Eurasian Security.” High-level representatives in attendance included Sergei Lavrov of the Russian Federation; Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary; Choe Son-hui, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Than Swe, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar; Imangali Tasmagambetov, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); and Sergei Glazyev, State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.
In his address to the conference, Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of preparing for what he referred to as a “new major European war.” He criticised the ongoing expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), claiming it violated earlier commitments. Lavrov further asserted that the Russian Federation “has never had any intention of attacking any current NATO or European Union member,” and expressed willingness to formalise this stance in future security arrangements. He also alleged that European Union leaders prefer security guarantees “not with Russia, but against it,” thereby avoiding what he described as a “truly collective” approach.
Ján Kubiš, who participated in the meeting with Lavrov, is a seasoned Slovak diplomat with a long international career. Born on 12 November 1952 in Bratislava, he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), a prestigious Russian institution specialising in diplomacy and international affairs. He is fluent in English and Russian and has working knowledge of French. Kubiš has held multiple high-ranking international posts, including Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. He also served as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon. From 2006 to 2009, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia under the government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico. President Pellegrini appointed him in June 2024 as his advisor on foreign and international policy.
