Slovak leader Fico, critic of Russia sanctions, to visit Moscow

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is seen during a press conference with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc (unseen) at the Government Office in Hanoi, Vietnam July 18, 2016. REUTERS/Kham

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has called for the West to lift sanctions on Russia, will meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, a spokeswoman said.

Slovakia currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, which agreed in June to extend energy, financial and defence sanctions on Russia until the end of January.