Country´s split helps both Czech, Slovak states - Klaus

Český prezident Václav Klaus zahájil 26. února v Bratislavě dvoudenní státní návštěvu Slovenska. Přivítal ho slovenský prezident Ivan Gašparovič (vpravo).

published: 26.02.2013, 13:04 | updated: 26.02.2013 13:09:00

Bratislava - The split of the former Czechoslovakia 20 years ago has helped both successor countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, President Vaclav Klaus said during his last official visit to Bratislava today.

"I believe the split has been good for both countries. Maybe it has been better for Slovakia," he said after meeting Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic.

Klaus has been head of the Czech state since 2003. His presidential mandate will expire next week, on March 7.

Gasparovic said he believes the relations between Czechs and Slovaks would not be as good as they are now if the joint state had been preserved.

"The relations were not always equal then. Now they are," Gasparovic said.

Until 1993, the Slovaks have never had their own independent state.

Klaus was one of the two key architects of the division of the former Czechoslovakia in two parts. Klaus, then Czech prime minister, negotiated with his Slovak counterpart Vladimir Meciar about the conditions of the peaceful separation in 1992.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz

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