Slovak and Czech Foreign Affairs Ministers Agree to Further Cooperation

Bratislava, January 7 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) and his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky have agreed to further cooperation between the two neighbouring countries and on the need for open communication, doing so via a telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry has told TASR, adding that Blanar also accepted an invitation to visit the Czech Republic. "Despite our different views on foreign policy, J. Lipavsky and I concurred that open communication is the most important thing. It's necessary to talk to everyone - even those with whom we disagree. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find consensus, which is the essence of all agreements, including the international ones that both our republics advocate," stated Blanar. During the phone call, the ministers raised a number of the issues that they are facing this year. Blanar suggested to Lipavsky that their ministries should prepare a symbolic event in the municipality of Topolcianky (Nitra region), which connects the two states as the summer residence of former Czechoslovak presidents since the time of T.G. Masaryk, the 175th anniversary of whose birth is being commemorated this year. Meanwhile, the Slovak minister accepted an invitation to visit the Czech Republic, which is planned for the spring. "We also agreed that by the time of our meeting, a plan for consultations at expert level between the two ministries will be finalised. This a follow-up to a joint cooperation protocol from 2014. We plan to sign this consultation plan together during my visit to the Czech Republic," added Blanar. am/df