Slovak President Receives President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Milan Štěch

President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič received President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Milan Štěch along with several members of the Czech Senate.

At the beginning of their talks, the Slovak head of state appreciated the high quality of Slovak and Czech bilateral cooperation: “Our relations are extraordinary and this meeting is yet another proof of the high level of our cooperation,” the President said. He added that the recent official visit by newly elected Czech President Miloš Zeman to Slovakia had also confirmed the exceptional quality of the Slovak-Czech relations.

The President of the Senate of the Czech Parliament said at the meeting that following the split-up of the former Czechoslovak federation our relationships had even improved and that Slovakia was the closest partner for the Czech Republic. Milan Štěch pointed out the need for closer cooperation between national parliaments, including with respect to European Union affairs and economic, social and security issues.

President Ivan Gašparovič and his guest also discussed post-crisis developments in Europe and the current situation in the banking sector across the euro area. The work of the European Parliament was among the topics discussed by the two state officials, as well, and they agreed that citizens need be better familiarised with the European Union agenda. In this respect, they shared an opinion that Slovak and Czech MEPs “should get closer to the people” and explain in more detail how the European Parliament works.