Prime minister enjoys a little piece of Slovakia by the Lee

Cork: Cork became a little piece of Slovakia on Saturday as the city launched its celebrations For the Day of Welcomes.

Cork: Cork became a little piece of Slovakia on Saturday as the city launched its celebrations For the Day of Welcomes.

Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda of the Slovak Republic jetted into the city on a whistle-stop tour to view the festivities laid on for his country's accession to Europe.

The prime minister, along with several aides and a press gallery of 19 Slovak journalists, spent just over an hour in the city.

With all the fanfare of a presidential visit, the visiting dignitary first addressed the City Council at City Hall.

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Mr Dzurinda said Cork and his home country shared many similarities and hoped that in the future both counties could build stronger links.

In a convoy of eight limousines and buses, the entourage moved to the newly refurbished Patrick's Street, where a huge market entitled "Cooking up Culture" had been built.

Prime Minister Dzurinda sampled many of the stalls and met members of the Cork Slovak community.

Stalls sold everything from west Cork salami to Slovak wine and bread.

The day was an appetiser for what can be expected in next year's City of Culture celebrations.

In warm sunshine, Prime Minister Dzurinda mingled with the huge crowd of well-wishers and genuinely seemed to enjoy the attention from the thousands of people crowding the streets.

Mr Dzurinda told The Irish Times that the Cork festivities will help his people understand the lives of their European neighbours.

"I wanted to come here because I love people and I think that the reunification of Europe should be mostly about people.

"I believe that this day is great not only for Slovakia but for the people of Europe so I want to celebrate among people in this beautiful, historic city," he said.

The prime minister added that the Irish experience in the EU has been the template for his own country's plans for Europe.