The Czech Republic and Hungary strengthen cooperation, plan first joint government session
The plan for the first joint government session in the history of both countries, along with cooperation in healthcare, culture, and transport, were among the topics of the meeting between the Hungarian and Czech prime ministers in Gödöllő. The current Hungarian and Czech prime ministers sat down at a joint negotiating table for the first time since their election.
At a bilateral meeting ahead of the V4 summit in Gödöllő, Péter Magyar and Andrej Babiš agreed to organise a joint government session for the first time in the history of the two nations. Both sides also confirmed that cooperation can be bolstered through cultural ties, with the diverse cultural heritage of both countries providing an excellent opportunity for this. It is no coincidence that the Hungarian prime minister quoted Milan Kundera during his speech in parliament this morning.
Healthcare will also be a central focus of bilateral cooperation. The Czech Republic recently opened an oncology centre in Brno and plans to host a V4 healthcare conference in the autumn. Furthermore, the prime ministers of the two countries agreed that their transport ministers will initiate consultations on developing north-south transport connections in Central Europe. Péter Magyar and Andrej Babiš also touched upon other economic issues. They commended mutual investments and agreed on strengthening them, particularly in the fields of defence, transport, and energy. The bilateral meeting between the Hungarian and Czech prime ministers was also attended by Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, Head of the Prime Minister’s Office Bálint Ruff (both deputy prime ministers), and Hungarian Chief EU Negotiator Tamás Széles. The Czech delegation was added to by the Head of the Office of the Government Tünde Bartha, Milena Hrdinková, Chief EU Negotiator of the Czech Republic, Eva Dvořáková, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to Hungary, and the Director of the Communication Department of the Office of the Government Martin Vodička.
