Slovak and Czech Foreign Ministers Reach Agreement on Enhanced Cooperation

Bratislava – On Tuesday, Juraj Blanár, the Foreign Minister of Slovakia (Smer-SD), and Jan Lipavský, the Czech Foreign Minister, discussed enhancing cooperation between their two neighboring nations and EU member states. They emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication. During their phone call, Blanár accepted an invitation to visit the Czech Republic, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia (MZVEZ).

Blanár acknowledged that while their views on foreign policy issues may differ, particularly evident in EU meetings, he and Lipavský concurred on the necessity of open communication.

“It’s essential to engage in dialogue with everyone, even those with whom we have differing opinions. Without this communication, reaching a consensus—which is fundamental to all agreements, including international ones—is challenging,” Blanár stated.

The ministers addressed various issues that lie ahead this year. Blanár proposed organizing a symbolic event in Topoľčianky, a shared summer residence of former presidents dating back to T. G. Masaryk, in recognition of his 175th birth anniversary this year.

They also touched on the upcoming meeting of Central European nations in the C5 format (Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and Slovenia), which Slovakia plans to host in the latter half of the year, as well as a meeting of the Slavkov format S3 (Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia), currently led by the Czech Republic.

“My Czech counterpart informed me that they are ready to host the meeting. However, we agreed to hold off until the formation of a new Austrian government, as there are ongoing negotiations following their parliamentary elections. Depending on the timeline, either the Czech Republic or Slovakia will organize a meeting on pertinent topics after July 1 when we assume the S3 leadership,” Blanár added.

Additionally, Blanár accepted an invitation for a spring visit to the Czech Republic. “We also agreed to finalize a consultation plan at the expert level between our ministries, building on the joint cooperation protocol from 2014. We aim to sign this plan during my upcoming visit to the Czech Republic,” he explained. (January 7)

“It’s essential to engage in dialogue with everyone, even those with whom we have differing opinions. Without this communication, reaching a consensus—which is fundamental to all agreements, including international ones—is challenging.” – Juraj Blanár