The 59-year-old high official was shot as he was leaving a government meeting and greeting people in the town of Handlova.

Qatar has condemned the assassination attempt of Slovakia’s prime minister, slamming it as an “unacceptable criminal act.”

Robert Fico was shot five times on Wednesday in a “politically motivated” assassination attempt, according to his interior minister.

Fico is no longer in a life-threatening condition after undergoing several hours of surgery.

Now in custody, the gunman is believed to be a 71-year-old writer.

Doha expressed its wishes of a speedy recovery for him in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Thursday, further emphasising “the necessity of bringing those involved in this heinous crime to justice.”

The ministry also reiterated Qatar’s “steadfast position on rejecting violence, terrorism and criminal acts, including political assassinations, regardless of the motives and reasons.”

The 59-year-old high official was shot as he was leaving a government meeting and greeting people in the town of Handlova.

Fico secured a third term as the prime minister of Slovakia in October.

He vowed to halt Slovakian military aid to Ukraine and has pledged to impede Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO, a departure from Slovakia’s historical support for Ukraine.

Before the election, Fico openly expressed his pro-Kremlin views and attributed Russia’s military actions to Ukrainian Nazis and fascists, echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s narrative as underpinning the conflict.

Fico previously held the position of Slovakia’s prime minister for over a decade, from 2006 to 2010, and then again from 2012 to 2018.