BRATISLAVA – Presidents of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria met on Wednesday in Slavkov, Czechia, to discuss cross-border cooperation and foreign policy as part of the Slavkov Format (S3) presidential summit.
Czech President Petr Pavel and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini also addressed bilateral relations between their countries, which used to be exceptionally close. This dynamic changed with the start of Robert Fico’s fourth government, leading to several diplomatic tensions.
Last year, the pro-Ukraine Czech government suspended intergovernmental consultations due to differences over key foreign policy issues. The move was a response to the pro-Russian stance of the Slovak government under Fico, including his meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Fico has also accused Czech politicians and media of “interfering in Slovakia’s internal affairs.”
In this regard, Pellegrini asked Pavel to “intervene” over Slovakia’s negative portrayal in Czech media, citing talk shows, magazine covers, public debates, and even stand-up comedy. He insisted that Slovakia does not do the same and called for a return to mutual respect.
Overall, Pellegrini and Pavel agreed that Slovak-Czech relations should not be overly influenced by emotions or politics, as these are temporary episodes in the shared history of two nations that once formed Czechoslovakia.
Pavel emphasised that relations between Slovakia and Czechia exist on many levels, including among citizens, businesses, and educational institutions, and should not be dictated by political disagreements.
“We both stressed that relations between our countries should not be negatively affected by differences in views on certain foreign and security policy issues. The relationship between our nations is not defined solely by these matters or by politicians,” the Czech president said.
The discussion also touched on Thursday’s EU summit, where Fico has suggested he might block its conclusions unless the EU demands that Ukraine resume gas transit through its territory.
Pellegrini tried to emphasize that Slovakia has never officially used its veto power towards EU decisions but stressed that the current halt in gas transit through Ukraine is “significantly damaging Slovakia’s economy.”
The president of Czechia, a strong supporter of Ukraine, responded that if any country were to block the summit’s conclusions, it might be necessary to consider moving forward with a “coalition of the willing.”
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen voiced his agreement with Pavel’s stance.
(Natália Silenská | Euractiv.sk)