Bratislava, 30 November 2022 (TDI): Laurence Boone, France’s Secretary of State for Europe met with her counterparts from Slovakia, Austria, and the Czech Republic. In Bratislava, she met with State Secretary Slovakia, Andrej Stančik.
Laurence Boone is on an official visit to Slovakia, where she will be discussing areas of strategic partnership, strengthening economic and academic partnerships, and support for Ukraine.
The officials discussed major bilateral issues including the Ukraine war and the energy crisis. They also underscored Europe’s response to the issue of migration and the fight against radicalization and disinformation.
Moreover, they discussed ways to boost their strategic partnership. In addition to this, the counterparts from France, Austria, Czech Republic, and Slovakia also discussed European values and the European political community.
The European perspective on the western Balkans and the value of rule of law were also the main points of the discussion.
The officials reaffirmed their commitment to support Ukraine, ahead of the December 13th Conference in support of civilian resilience in Ukraine. This conference will be held in December at French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris, jointly organized by Ukraine and France.
France and Slovakia
The bilateral relations between both states were established in 2008 and built on a strategic partnership. Since then, the economic and diplomatic ties have enhanced.
The year 2023 will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both states.
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Moreover, cultural cooperation has also flourished particularly in the academic field. the President of France visited Slovakia for the first time in 2013. This was the first high-level visit by the French President since Slovakia’s independence in 1993.
In terms of economy, France is Slovakia’s 11th largest investor and 6th largest trading partner. Both states also have cultural, educational, and technical cooperation.
Both states have been strengthening their strategic partnership in a number of areas which they commit to continue and strengthen in the coming times.
