Czech Slovak government meeting reaffirmed the strengthening of the partnership between the two countries
The ninth joint meeting of the governments of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic took place at Nová Horka Castle in Studénka on Tuesday 31 March 2026. The cabinets, led by Prime Ministers Andrej Babiš and Robert Fico, discussed, among other things, the current situation regarding fuel prices and oil supplies following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. The Prime Ministers of the two countries also signed a Memorandum of Enhanced Cooperation between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of the Slovak Republic, which strengthens the mutual partnership in key areas.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš emphasised the significance of these meetings: "I am very pleased that we were able to meet as the full Czech and Slovak governments after three years. I must say that we had to limit the speeches of individual ministers because there were simply too many topics to discuss. We have a lot to help each other with and a lot to address," he stated. "It was a great meeting, to the point, no formalities. We have a lot to say to each other because, quite simply, we are each other's largest trading partners; our firms invest in Slovakia, and Slovak firms invest in the Czechia. I am glad that we could jointly address matters for the benefit of the everyday lives of our citizens," the Prime Minister described the talks.
The current energy crisis was one of the most important topics discussed. "I believe the solution lies specifically within the V4 countries, Austria, and Germany. We must continue to fight to convince Germany in particular that it is better to cap ETS1 allowance prices for the entire European industry than to subsidise industry," stated Prime Minister Babiš.
According to the head of the Czech Government, high energy prices are a problem for the entire region, and since cooperation within the Visegrád Quartet is currently not functioning, each country is trying to tackle the fuel challenge individually. "Naturally, we wish for the Bratislava and Hungarian MOL refineries to produce at one hundred per cent. It is important for the entire region. I have asked Prime Minister Fico for Slovakia to end the state of oil emergency, as this naturally affects us as well," said Prime Minister Babiš.
Following the talks, the Prime Ministers of the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic signed the Memorandum of Enhanced Cooperation between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of the Slovak Republic, which opens a new stage of strategic partnership between the two countries. The document confirms a joint commitment to develop cooperation in key areas—from foreign and security policy to the economy, energy, transport, and defence, through to education, culture, healthcare, and the environment. The Memorandum builds on the historical closeness of the two nations, reflecting the ambition to jointly strengthen stability, prosperity, and security in the Central European region.
Both Prime Ministers also signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček and Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Economy Denisa Saková also signed the Agreement between the Ministry of Industry of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic on shared responsibility for gas storage in the gas storage facilities in Dolní Bojanovice.
The joint session of the Czech and Slovak governments took place for the ninth time in history. The first joint meeting of the governments of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic took place in 2012 in Uherské Hradiště as an expression of the premium relations between the two countries. To date, eight joint sessions have been held, most recently in 2023 in Trenčín.
