Slovak Honorary Consulate General Officially Opens in Krakow

Krakow, 14 November (TASR-correspondent) - A new Slovak Honorary Consulate General in Krakow was officially opened at the Juliusz Slowacki Theatre on Friday, TASR has learnt from its Warsaw correspondent. The new honorary consul general will be Paulina Sperkova, announced Slovak Ambassador to Poland Andrea Elschekova-Matisova, calling the opening a new chapter in relations between Slovakia and Poland. The original consulate was closed in late 2024. The ambassador stressed that the opening of the new consulate symbolises the return of Slovak diplomatic presence to a city with deep cultural and historical ties to Slovakia. "I believe that the new institution will become a place that will prove that Slovakia and Poland aren't just neighbours on the map, but partners who understand and inspire each other," she added. New honorary consul Sperkova presented the priorities of the new institution: services for Slovak citizens and the community, support for cross-border projects and more significant economic cooperation. She emphasised that she wants to promote Slovakia at Polish forums and conferences in the long term. "I'll work to make Slovakia more visible as a country of great business opportunities," she said. The new consular district includes the Lesser Poland, Lublin, Podkarpacie and Świat Krzysztof voivodeships. Sperkova's nomination for the post has been criticised by the Association of Slovaks Living in Poland, which represents the original Slovak ethnic minority, but it was assessed positively by representatives of the new Slovak diaspora. Sperkova told TASR that she plans to cooperate with both groups. "Both communities are important to me," she said. ko/df