Annual Report Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic 2008

2.
made the greatest contribution to the development
of bilateral relations.
Austria
In 2008, major state representatives continued
to meet with great frequency, discussing questions
of further multilateral cooperation. Austria
made a significant gesture in lending a number
of Euro banknotes as part of Slovakia’s preparations
for the adoption of the Euro. Both countries
intensively consulted on a variety of issues of
common interest: energy security, the EU climate
and energy package, the further enlargement of
the EU, and so on. Austria and Slovakia mutually
supported a number of each others’ candidacies
in the UN system and in other international organizations.
Mutual economic cooperation maintained a
traditionally high level. Austria is one of Slovakia’s
most important trade partners. It holds the position
of the third largest investor in Slovakia (after
the Netherlands and Germany) with the highest
share of investments in banking. The mutual cooperation
of the Chambers of Commerce of both
countries also developed well.
With the utilization of structural EU funds
through the Cross-Border Cooperation Operational
Programme between the Slovak Republic and
the Republic of Austria for 2007-2013 both countries
strived to contribute to the complex development
of a socially, economically and environmentally
integrated border region which would
be attractive to investors while at the same time
also solving the problem of mutual transport
connections across the River Morava.
Ukraine
Ukraine is one of our foreign policy priorities.
During bilateral negotiations, emphasis was
laid on economic cooperation, the development
of cross-border cooperation, and the support of
Ukrainian integration ambitions. Positive development
of trade and economic cooperation continued
throughout 2008. Slovakia maintained a
positive foreign trade balance. The key events in
cross-border cooperation were the signing of the
Agreement on Local Border Traffic, the implementation
of the Schengen visa regime, and the modernisation
of border crossings.
Carrying out the tasks associated with the
NATO Contact Point Embassy in Ukraine was one
of the greatest challenges for Slovak diplomacy.
The work of our diplomatic mission in this regard
is very highly regarded by both the Ukrainian side
and representatives of the Alliance. The realization
of the annual target plan of Slovak-Ukrainian
cooperation in achieving EU standards was
also one of the important activities of individual
Slovak departments.
Due to Slovakia’s accession to the Schengen
area, fundamental changes were made in the
visa issuing process especially with regard to
the implementation of Schengen criteria in light
of the agreement between Ukraine and the EU
on the liberalization of the visa regime. Despite
the positive development of mutual relations in
culture, education, and compatriot issues, the
problem of ensuring that there is an institutional
basis to this agenda still remains. Ukraine is the
only neighbour country of the SR without an established
Slovak Institute.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Ukraine, Volodymyr Ohryzko
The Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Austria, Ursula Plassnik
The Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Czech Republic, Karel
Schwarzenberg
The Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski
What has the Slovak Parliament done for the development
of good neighbourhood relations and how do
you view its role in the future in this regard?
The National Council of the Slovak Republic (NC SR)
makes full use of its representation in the permanent
delegations of the NC SR in the Parliamentary Assemblies
of the CoE, NATO, WEU, and the OSCE to achieve
its set goals. Our solid institutional integration in the
common political and economic area has created a
new dimension in the further cultivation of neighbourhood
relations. The Inter-Parliamentary Union is
becoming another very significant forum for the presentation
of our positions and proposals and consultation
on various issues. The foreign policy activities of
the NC SR committees have also gained a considerable
position, especially in the V4. The meetings of partner
committees which are not bound by protocol limitations
are proving to be ideal forums for the formulation
of joint positions. But I would also like to mention the
activities focused on EU enlargement. Enlargement is
directly connected to neighbourhood relations. We are
putting a great deal of effort into helping Croatia, Serbia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey in their integration
into the EU. They are all countries with links to
our history and especially now with our tourism and
trade. Their accession will significantly increase the
stability and security of Slovakia. This is the message
I took with me when I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina
as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Of course relations with neighbours are not and in
fact cannot exist without the occasional surge of turbulence.
It is only natural, precisely because we are so
dependent upon each other and we react sensitively
even to internal political movements.
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