Slovak Interior Minister Hopes for Renewal of Czech-Slovak Talks

Bratislava, 31 July (TASR) – Leader of Voice-SD and Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok voiced his hope that, following the Czech Republic's parliamentary election in the autumn, joint negotiations between the Slovak and Czech governments can resume. Sutaj Estok made the remarks in an interview with TASR TV. The intergovernmental consultations were suspended by the Czech side in 2024 due to disagreement with Slovakia’s foreign policy stance on Ukraine. Sutaj Estok noted that since then, the Slovak government has held two joint meetings with the Ukrainian side. „As a politician, I sincerely wish that after the elections – regardless of the outcome – cooperation between the Czech and Slovak governments will be renewed," said Sutaj Estok. „I experienced several such meetings while serving as Head of the Government Office under Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, and they were always highly constructive," he added. According to the minister, current relations are affected by the upcoming Czech elections, which have also impacted communication between Czech and Slovak officials, particularly after the recent operation in Ukraine’s Dnipro. During the operation, conducted by Ukrainian, Slovak, and Czech police, a suspect accused of sending bomb threats to Czech and Slovak schools was detained. The Czech side criticised Slovakia for informing public about the case prematurely, but failing to mention an investigative theory suggesting that the Ukrainian suspect might have been financed by Russia. „We shared the information within the scope approved by the investigator, who was part of the international team," Sutaj Estok responded. He added that there are multiple lines of investigation and that sharing details prematurely is inappropriate. „I don't want to speculate, but the timing of the Czech elections has unfortunately influenced statements made by several Czech officials. That’s regrettable, because this was a successful international police operation, and Slovak officers played a key role," the minister stated. mf