An important starting point for understanding Slovakia’s involvement in the Middle East is the perception of resolving the refugee crisis by political elites and the government in Slovakia. The Slovak Republic did not have a tradition of development cooperation in the Middle East. The main impetus was the need to contribute to the so-called refugee crisis, which has become more pro- nounced in Europe since 2015. 

In the introductory chapter, we deal with the Slovak Republic motives in the region and briefly present the development of the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria in the spring of 2021. The study continues with an analysis of the current steps of Slovak diplomacy based on strategic documents and statements, including a brief reflection on the effects of the global covid-19 pandemic. The following is a quick comparison of approaches from donors, similar in size to the Slovak Republic. Finally, we outline four possible scenarios for the further development of official development cooperation (ODA) of the Slovak Republic in the Middle East.

The publication, called ‚Development and humanitarian activities of the Slovak Republic in the Middle East in response to the Syrian crisis‚‚ was written by Ambrela’s executive director – Daniel Kaba. It‘ s a part of project entitled SDGs and Migration – Multipliers and Journalists Addressing Decision Makers and Citizens in the EU implemented within the framework of the Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) programme and part of project entitled Building Management, Coordination and Implementation Capacities of Actors in the Field of Development Cooperation funded by SlovakAid. You can download and read it in Slovak language and in English language here.