BRATISLAVA – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) should pursue "friendly competition" with China rather than treat the country as an enemy and put up barriers.

Fico made the remarks after talks in Bratislava with European Council President Antonio Costa, who began his annual tour of EU capitals in Slovakia. Their discussions covered the EU's next long-term budget, competitiveness, energy prices and enlargement.

Fico said Slovakia was concerned about the EU's ability to compete globally, arguing that greater competitiveness should not mean imposing new tariffs or barriers, but rather striving to do better and outperform others.

"I have a different view about relations between the EU and China. I don't think we should fight China by putting up barriers and treating it as an enemy," Fico said. "China is a country with which we should compete in a friendly spirit and strive to do better."

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On the EU's next long-term budget, Fico said Slovakia supported maintaining a strong cohesion policy to reduce regional disparities across the bloc.

"We're even saying that some extra funding should be found for countries in the eastern part of the EU, which, for example, share borders with Ukraine," he said, adding that a strong agricultural policy is another key Slovak priority.

The two leaders also discussed EU enlargement. Fico reiterated Slovakia's support for countries seeking membership, but said all applicants must meet the required criteria.

"That means no exceptions and no shortcuts. And that also applies to Ukraine," he stressed.

Fico said Ukraine should not be allowed to overtake countries such as Montenegro, Albania or Serbia in the accession process, arguing that they had been preparing for EU membership for much longer.