Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski met in the Upper Orava region. In addition to discussing cross-border cooperation, improvements in communications and energy transport interconnections, as well as developments in a wider European region, both Presidents also touched upon the issue of the upcoming summit of the Central and Eastern European heads of state which will be held in Bratislava in June 2013.

Another interesting subject of their talks was the idea of both countries jointly organising the Winter Olympics in the Tatras. President Gašparovič and his Polish counterpart described such effort to be “the best signal for intensifying the Slovak-Polish neighbourhood cooperation. A few months ago, our governments already provided an impetus to organise the Winter Olympics together. Regardless of whether the Olympics are organised here, it should mark the beginning of our even more intensive cooperation as neighbours. For instance, it should be a signal of a much more effective spending of the European funds, because we have not been using them much within our cross-border cooperation,” Gašparovič noted.

President Komorowski added that the process of building a firm “tissue” of cross-border cooperation should be launched immediately, and not only in the areas of tourism and sports. “Continuing the construction of roads – and motorways in particular – as quickly as possible is a very important task.”

According to Gašparovič, the Olympics represent a great opportunity for every country to show its capabilities. “On the other hand, it is a very courageous decision while many think that this investment would not be economically feasible and would not pay off. But practically all the facilities that are going to be built will indeed continue to serve their purpose even after the Olympics – and that’s the best sign of a potential return on investment,” he added.

On the next day, both presidents started the 5th year of the “Stopa bez hraníc” (Trail without Frontiers) cross-country skiing competition in Kościelisko-Witów, Poland, with a shot from the starting gun.