The first official visit of the new Czech President, Miloš Zeman, and his wife to Slovakia began with a welcome ceremony at the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava.

Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič said he was extremely pleased that his guest kept the tradition according to which each newly elected Czech president visits Slovakia on their first official visit abroad in the office. He also touched upon the problems, and their solutions, that two countries had gone through since their split-up to two sovereign countries. “We shared common problems that we also managed to jointly resolve. Slovakia has become a country recognised both in Europe and globally,” the Slovak head of state added.

The two presidents further discussed particular ways to intensify bilateral cooperation, not only within multinational institutions and groupings of countries “but also as two neighbouring countries with good trade exchange and joint opportunities to invest in transport, road infrastructure and defence,” all of which are Slovakia’s priorities for the Slovak and Czech cooperation as described by President Ivan Gašparovič He also confirmed an agreement with his Czech counterpart in discussions concerning the Europe-level cooperation and the single European currency.

Czech President Miloš Zeman pointed out that he visited Slovakia not only in order to keep the tradition, but also because “the relations between the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic can without any exaggeration be described as above standard ones.”

Further issues discussed by the two presidents included concrete ways to enhance dynamics in bilateral economic cooperation, for example, through improvements in transport infrastructure, establishment of a new joint cargo transport undertaking, or intensified cooperation in security of energy supply, bilateral trade, as well as sports.

With respect to foreign policy projects, Miloš Zeman said he personally wished that the Visegrad Group be enlarged to include Slovenia, as well. He added that “inspiration by Slovakia” – adoption of the single European currency – was also among his priorities in the area of foreign policy.