Bavaria’s European Minister Huml meets with colleagues from the Czech Republic and Austria
Huml: “Starting together after Corona”
Bavaria’s Minister of State for European Affairs and International Affairs, Melanie Huml (CSU, Bamberg), met on Tuesday at her invitation with the Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek and Karoline Edtstadler, Austria’s Federal Minister for the EU and the Constitution, for a personal exchange in the Berggasthof Dreisessel in Neureichenau. The main focus was on issues of cross-border cooperation. All emphasized that regular and institutional coordination between the ministries in Munich, Prague and Vienna had proven to be an important instrument during the corona pandemic. Huml: “Our friendly relationships did not suffer during the pandemic. We were always in close contact and exchange – also on a political level. That helped a lot! “
During the political exchange between the three countries on the Dreisesselberg, a representative of the border regions also had the opportunity to report on their experiences and make their suggestions for future cooperation. With the regional representatives, the two ministers and their Czech colleague agreed on a joint conference of the emergency services, a municipal conference of the three countries as a regional exchange forum and networking meeting, as well as a joint cultural event in the border area. In addition, the youth exchange is to be intensified, for example in the form of a youth camp.
Furthermore, it was agreed that in future overarching European topics on the future of Europe or a green deal would also be discussed more in the border regions. To this end, this three-country meeting is to be continued. Increased cooperation on scientific topics is also absolutely conceivable, says Huml. “We are dependent here in this border region in the tri-border region due to the spatial proximity and the close cross-border Bavarian interdependencies, in particular commuters or close family relationships between Prague, Vienna and Munich,” said the Bavarian European Minister.