Press Advisories

23. 8. 201722:40

Prime Minister Sobotka dealt with Austrian Chancellor Kern on Central European cooperation

On Wednesday, 23 August 2017, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka held a meeting with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern on the occasion of the meeting of the Slavkov format in Salzburg. The main topics were Central European cooperation and Czech-Austrian relations.

The two countries’ prime ministers debated about the directive on posting of workers, the economic situation in the region and also the internal political situation both in Austria and in the Czech Republic before the autumn elections.

Czech-Austrian relations are currently developing dynamically and the political dialogue is very intense due to frequent contacts. The prime minister dealt with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern for the last time during his visit to Austria last year, when he also met with then-President Heinz Fischer. He held a meeting with present Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen during his visit to the Czech Republic in this June.

Both prime ministers also discussed Central European cooperation under the so-called Slavkov format, chaired by Austria since this July. At the last meeting in Brno, Czech, Austrian and Slovak prime ministers confirmed their interest in deepening cooperation in the five areas outlined in the work plan of the group – transport, energy, dual education, Industry 4.0 and EU affairs.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka met with French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he discussed, among other things, the fair rewarding of workers.