Czech President Václav Klaus and his wife paid an official visit to Slovakia. After the end of plenary discussions, the Slovak President appreciated the open and frank nature of mutual relations and the ability to look for and find solutions even in those areas “where opinions differ,” Ivan Gašparovič said. He also noted with content that the impacts of the global economic crisis on our economies have begun to ebb. The Czech Republic is Slovakia’s second most significant economic partner, with the volume of trade exchange in 2010 standing at nearly EUR 12 billion. According to the Slovak President, “priority should be given to the completion of two important expressways, one linking Kysuce and Český Těšín and the other one linking Púchov and Hulín”.

The two presidents also discussed the aspects of the Visegrad cooperation. Ivan Gašparovič stressed that 2011 is the “year of Central Europe” in the EU. He added that the CEE countries holding EU presidency should seize the opportunity to further their interests in Europe.

In discussion with his Czech counterpart, Ivan Gašparovič did not shy away from the issue of rescuing the Greek economy, noting with pleasure that the views of the Slovak Republic are well received across the European Union. “I agree with the concept submitted by the Government and the Minister of Finance,” he went on to clarify. In the context of aid to Greece, Václav Klaus said it was high time we started seeing things for what they really are and clearly distinguishing between a loan and a gift, adding that “no loan will help Greece”.
The presidents also agreed on the need to continue nuclear power generation, provided that the security of nuclear power plants is rigorously enhanced.

Both top officials are also inclined to lend their support to further EU enlargement. They deem Croatia ready for accession and hope that the process of its integration will be completed as soon as possible, without further delays. President Klaus expressed his full support for Slovakia’s stances on the political steps of Budapest.