The Czech government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala decided at its meeting in Prague on Wednesday to cancel the planned government consultations with the Slovak cabinet of Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico. This is a response to the Slovak government’s conciliatory rhetoric towards Russia.
“We consider some of their activities to be problematic,” Fiala said, explaining the move. Holding the usual meetings is “not appropriate” at this time.
“We agreed that we do not consider it appropriate to hold intergovernmental consultations with the Government of the Slovak Republic in the coming weeks or months, as we have considered. We are convinced that this is not necessary now,” Fiala said after the cabinet meeting, adding that the Czech side had already informed the Slovak side about this step.
“Activities that we experience as problematic”
“We are aware of the close ties between Czech and Slovak society. We will continue our cooperation and are interested in developing relationships and projects,” Fiala further said. “However, there is no hiding the fact that there are significant differences of opinion on some foreign policy issues. There are activities (Bratislava, note) that we consider problematic,” Fiala explains.
For example, the Czech government sees one of the reasons for the action as the fact that Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Antalya, Turkey on Saturday. Prague, like most EU countries, is taking a clear position against Russia in the war in Ukraine. Fico, who has been in power for only a few months, has led his country on a Russia-friendly course, similar to Hungary’s.
Slovakia reacts indignantly
Fico reacted indignantly to the announcement from Prague. The Czech government has decided to endanger Slovak-Czech relations only because it is interested in supporting the war in Ukraine, while the Slovak government openly talks about peace, Fico countered in a statement on Wednesday evening. According to the Slovak Prime Minister, the Czech government’s move will have no impact on Bratislava’s “sovereign foreign policy”.
“Dear Prime Minister of the Czech Government, Mr. Fiala, the relations between our citizens, the Czechs and the Slovaks, are unique and historically proven,” Fico wrote in the statement. The Slovak government will never jeopardize such close Slovak-Czech relations, he added. Czechs and Slovaks were united in one state during decades of communism before parting in peace after the fall of communism in 1993.
Source: Krone
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