S3 Presidents Address Coordination on Geopolitics and AI at Summit

Bratislava, 12 May (TASR) - The presidents of Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic discussed foreign policy challenges and their impact on the region, as well as the influence of artificial intelligence and modern technologies, during Tuesday's presidential summit of the Austerlitz Format (S3) in Bratislava. They agreed that joint coordination among Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic is important in promoting common solutions. All three presidents praised the constructive and open discussion and confirmed the good relations between their countries at a joint press conference after the summit. "There is harmony among the three of us, good friendly and working relations, and good cooperation," Slovak President Peter Pellegrini declared. He noted that they had discussed all current geopolitical issues and their impact on the three countries, underlining the need for cooperation. "None of our countries can face this alone, which is why it is important that we meet and jointly coordinate our positions and seek solutions together," he said. Pellegrini described the debate on modern technologies and AI as the most interesting part of the talks, and said that the presidents agreed on the need to find a healthy balance in regulating them. "I proposed that we jointly coordinate the preparation of legislation that would restrict young people's access to social networks," he added, saying they bring benefits but also many risks. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen praised the way Slovakia is handling the S3 presidency. Vienna, he said, will also approach the presidency dynamically, and he stressed the importance of cooperation among the countries. "We are linked not only by geography and history, but also by common interests and common challenges, of which there are many. When economies and societies are so interconnected, as in our case, we naturally have to coordinate our approaches in the future, whether in energy security, transport or economic framework conditions," he said. Therefore, Van der Bellen considers regular exchanges of information and experience between the countries important. In his view, it is natural that agreement cannot be reached on every issue. He also agreed that in the case of modern technologies and AI it is necessary to find solutions enabling their meaningful use while maintaining a critical approach towards disinformation. Czech President Petr Pavel highlighted that cooperation between the countries functions at all levels. "Good neighbourly relations are the basis of good relations in Europe. And the basis of these relations is honesty towards one another, understanding each other, taking time to listen to one another and understanding each other's arguments," he said. He welcomed the fact that the summit created room not only for discussions on foreign policy issues, but also for a better understanding of the situation in each country. "So that we better understand the motivations behind certain decisions or statements," he added. Pavel noted that the challenges posed by AI will not concern only its impact on young people, but also areas such as security, defence and public administration. mf