After a long break, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are returning to regular intergovernmental consultations. The announcement was made by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico after a joint meeting in Bratislava. Babiš said the next joint meeting of the two governments would take place on 31 March, while Fico specified that it would be held on Czech territory. The resumption of this format is seen as a significant signal of efforts to restart mutual relations, which have cooled in recent years.
According to CT24, the intergovernmental consultations were interrupted in 2024 by a decision of the then Czech government, which pointed to fundamental differences of opinion between Prague and Bratislava on foreign policy and security issues, especially in relation to the war in Ukraine. The current meeting thus symbolically opens a new chapter in Czech-Slovak relations.
One of the key topics of the meeting was energy. At a press conference, Andrej Babiš promised Slovakia assistance in securing natural gas supplies in the context of the European Union's plan to phase out Russian gas imports.
According to ČT24, Babiš stressed that the Czech Republic is ready to offer Slovakia cooperation on both technical and political levels in order to minimise the risks associated with the energy transition.
Robert Fico described energy security as a crucial issue not only for Slovakia, but for the entire Central European region. As Slovak news server Noviny.sk reported, Fico also admitted the possibility of signing a memorandum on closer cooperation between the two countries, which could cover not only energy, but also transport, defence and coordination of positions within the European Union.
During his visit to Bratislava, Babiš also held talks with the Speaker of the Slovak Parliament Richard Rashi and President Peter Pellegrini. According to Slovak media, the President welcomed the resumption of intergovernmental consultations and described it as a step that corresponds to the historical proximity of the two countries and the practical needs of contemporary Europe.
Analysts quoted by Deník N point out that the return to joint negotiations between governments has not only a symbolic but also a pragmatic dimension. The Czech Republic and Slovakia face similar challenges in the areas of energy, industry and social policy, and coordinating their positions can strengthen both countries' negotiating position at the European level.
The planned meeting in March will thus be a test of whether the past tensions can be overcome and the declared desire for closer cooperation can be fulfilled with concrete content. If so, the intergovernmental consultations may once again become one of the pillars of Czech-Slovak relations in a changing European environment.
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