KOŠICE, Slovakia (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar said on Saturday his country would only join NATO if membership were approved in a nationwide referendum. Mečiar`s comments mark a subtle change in government policy which had stressed NATO membership as a top foreign policy priority with no mention of a referendum. Slovakia was excluded from the first round of NATO accession talks because of concerns that Mečiar`s government was backsliding on democratic reforms. While rejecting the criticism as misguided and based on a misinterpretation of events in Slovakia, the government had previously said it remained unreservedly committed to NATO membership. However, cracks begun to appear in the coalition government`s resolve earlier in April when a junior partner in the government, the ultra-right Slovak National Party (SNS), launched a petition calling for Slovak neutrality. Slovakia`s Defence Minister Ján Sitek, who is a member of the SNS, has signed the neutrality petition. Speaking to his party congress held in the eastern Slovak town of Košice, Mečiar said all countries should be allowed to join international security systems, but only with the support of a majority of the people. An opinion poll in March put support for EU membership at 72 percent with just 16 percent opposed. NATO membership was supported by 48 percent while 38 percent were against. Slovakia was also excluded from EU accession talks for alleged political failings, such as its treatment of minorities and/or willingness to allow freedom of the press.