Speech of the PM of the CR Mirek Topolánek, on the occasion of Czech Republic's entering the Schengen area, given at Hodonín on 21st December 2007

This is my third and the last stop on my way along removed border crossings. When I say the last stop, I do not mean the last in a row. On the contrary, as people say, only the end crowns the work.
Where else would be appropriate to finish that symbolical farewell to the last barriers, which separated us from our neighbours than here on the Slovakian-Czech frontier.
No frontier separated us from Slovaks, in fact. On the contrary, after a smooth division of the federation, our mutual relationships are the best in our history.
It demonstrates also my relationship with the Prime Minister Robert Fico. Any political opinions cannot play a role here. We are obliged to maintain above-standard relationships whoever governs in Bratislava and Prague.
So, we are meeting here again, Slovakian brothers, under a single roof, but just symbolically, because in spite of the fact that we have our own houses, we did never demolish our common roof.
It is symbolical that we are removing the border here in Hodonín, the birthplace of our first president of our common state, T.G. Masaryk. I think that both our nations can profess his democratic heritage, in spite of the fact that each of us paddles his own canoe now.
We are two nations, but we are together. We are together in NATO and in the EU. Now, we will be together in the enlarged Schengen area. We have also been striving for as early enlargement of the Schengen area as in the end of this year.
The enlargement of the Schengen area also means acknowledgement of the existing relationships with Slovaks. Participation of Eurocommissioners Vladimír Špidla and Ján Figel also indicates that it is a great step for the European Union itself.
Just Slovaks and Czechs are a good example of foundations of the EU – a common space of freedom where everyone can exert his individuality, in which everyone can decide and consequently use all advantages of cooperation with the others.
I believe that this day is further significant milestone on the way to the Europe without barriers, which is a felicitous motto of our presidency to the EU. We have common interest with Slovaks to remove remaining barriers which divide us in Europe. I believe that we will also be able to push it forward from now on.
Welcome, brothers, we will be glad to visit you in a common Europe of many free nations. We were together, we are together and we will be together.