Bratislava, Dec 12 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman supported the opening of the Czech House in Bratislava at a press conference after meeting his Slovak counterpart Andrej Kiska during his one-day visit to Slovakia on Tuesday, which is his last foreign trip before the five-year term expires.
Zeman also expressed hope that Czech-Slovak relations would remain trouble-free in the future as well.
“I attended the opening of the Slovak House in Prague. The opening of the Czech House in Bratislava with a cosy pub serving Czech beer and Czech cuisine has long been discussed… So far I have heard a number of excuses and explanations why this is not possible,” Zeman said.
Bratislava is of the view that the problem lies with Prague that has not chosen a particular building for the Czech House, according to CTK sources.
“I express my conviction that relations between our countries would not be burdened with any more serious problems than the Czech House in the future either,” Zeman said.
The fact that he has appointed a member of the Slovak ethnic minority in the Czech Republic, Andrej Babis, born in Bratislava, as the new Czech prime minister proves good cooperation between both nations, Zeman pointed out.
He added that he could see opportunities to improve bilateral cooperation in the military and the defence industry.
Kiska also highlighted excellent bilateral relations.
“I could state with pleasure that I do not know any other two countries that would stand as close to one another as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Our relations are on an excellent level,” Kiska said.
He also appreciated that Zeman had followed the tradition to pay his last official visit to Slovakia before the January presidential election, in which he would seek re-election.
At the end of their term, Czech and Slovak presidents traditionally visit the other succession country of the former joint state, Czechoslovakia, which split in 1993.
Kiska at the same time mentioned a difference between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in particular, that Bratislava had already adopted the euro.
“We are very satisfied with our country adopting the euro. This was a strong impulse to the development of our economy,” Kiska said.
However, Czechs tend to feel an aversion to the euro, Zeman said, adding that Czech taxpayers fear they would have to pay debts of Greece within the European Stabilisation Mechanism.
Both presidents will also lay wreaths to the memorials to Czechoslovak statehood and to Milan Rastislav Stefanik, one of the founders of Czechoslovakia, in the afternoon.
Zeman, 73, who was elected president in January 2013 and whose first five-year term in office expires on March 8, 2018, will be defending his post in the January direct election.
Slovak parliament speaker Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party, SNS), who took part in the luncheon of the two heads of state, expressed support for Zeman’s second candidacy for Czech president.
“It is no secret that I share many views with President Zeman and I believe that he will remain in the presidential post even after the forthcoming election,” the Slovak parliament’s press office quoted Danko as saying.
