Updates: 12/30/2021 2:42 PM
Released: 30.12.2021, 13:26

Prague – The Czechia and Austria must continue to work together and exchange information on the coronavirus epidemic so that the closure of mutual borders does not happen again as last spring. This was stated by the Czech and Austrian foreign ministers Jan Lipavský and Alexander Schallenberg after today’s meeting in Prague. According to them, it must no longer happen that Austria closes itself, for example, to Czechs and Slovaks who go to this country for work or tourism. Lipavský said that he would like to organize a meeting of representatives of all three countries of the so-called Austerlitz Troika in the Czech Republic in the coming months.

“The situation we experienced in the spring of 2020 must not be repeated under any circumstances. Hermetic border closure really is not. Tens of thousands of people go to Austria for work, we really cannot allow this gainful activity to be disrupted,” Schallenberg said after the meeting. According to Lipavský, it is necessary that cross-border cooperation still works perfectly, including active exchanges of information, so that problems do not arise for commuters, tourists or students. “No one wants the borders to close again,” Lipavský added.

According to Lipavský, there were no new concrete measures concerning coronavirus and cross-border relations. The Austrian Minister noted that the situation was unpredictable with regard to the new coronavirus variants. However, given the economic impact, it is no longer possible for countries to close their borders again.

The Austrian minister said that the Czechia could count on Austrian support for the priority of its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year. In both countries, there is a similar approach to migration, external border protection or EU enlargement to the Western Balkans. “In Prague, we have a partner we can rely on in these matters,” said Schallenberg. He appreciated the mutual openness, which according to him allows to present the different views of Austria on the development of nuclear energy, including the completion of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, renewable energy sources or access to the environment.

Lipavský stated that the regional cooperation between the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, agreed by the prime ministers of these countries in 2015 in Slavkov u Brna, is not a competitor of the cooperation between the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary within the Visegrad Group. According to the Czech Minister, the Austerlitz Troika represents a different format of cooperation. According to Schallenberg, the Austerlitz Group is a very valuable format for the nearest neighborhood cooperation, but good cooperation at the level of the entire EU is very important. Austria is a member of a number of other groups, has never been invited to join the Visegrad Four and did not intend to expand it, Schallenberg said.

Schallenberg was the first foreign minister whom Lipavský welcomed after taking office. He described the visit of his Austrian counterpart as a “very strong gesture of friendship”.

EU Austria diplomacy Schallenberg