Fico and Babis Unveil Czech-Slovak Friendship Statue in Prague

Prague/Bratislava, 27 October (TASR-correspondent) – Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis unveiled a statue of Czech-Slovak friendship in the garden of the Czech Government Office on Tuesday, TASR's correspondent in Prague reported on the same day. Fico stated that the monument reaffirms the countries' exceptionally close relations, with cooperation between Slovakia and the Czech Republic being more important now than ever. According to the Slovak prime minister, both countries are facing challenging times, citing the oil crisis and threats of war as examples. "I want to appreciate the fact that, in these difficult times, cooperation between the Czech Republic and Slovakia is proving perhaps more important than ever before," he underlined. "Let's look around us and consider what happened in the former Yugoslavia. Let's look at what's happening in Ukraine today. The Czechs and Slovaks are extremely fortunate that there have never been fratricidal conflicts between us. There have been no mass graves. We have always managed to resolve issues to the mutual satisfaction of both nations, above all in a peaceful spirit and a friendly atmosphere," Fico declared. He welcomed the resumption of talks in the Visegrad Four (V4: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) format and praised Babis's efforts within the EU, particularly on energy prices. The Czech prime minister said Slovakia was a neighbour on whom the Czech Republic could rely, adding that this could not be taken for granted nowadays. "We do not have to agree on everything, but we're able to talk to one another and respect each other," Babis accentuated. He welcomed the resumption of joint government sessions between the two countries. The bronze statue, entitled Between Us, depicts the Czech Republic and Slovakia as two forms shaking hands. It stands on a granite plinth and was created by academic sculptor Vladimir Durbak. According to Fico, the work represents two independent countries that nevertheless remain close to one another. The Slovak Embassy donated the statue to the Czech Government Office. "We see two separate parts that retain their own form, yet are connected in the middle by hands reaching out to one another. Two countries with their own identities that nevertheless form a whole wherever their interests and people naturally meet. That is the meaning of the title Between Us," the Czech prime minister explained. The unveiling was also attended by the foreign ministers of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Juraj Blanar and Petr Macinka, respectively, as well as the ambassadors of both countries and other guests. mf