ESI in Bratislava: meeting of Slovak and Hungarian political analysts

 

More than a dozen leading Slovak and Hungarian political analysts met on 19 July 2010 in Bratislava to discuss perspectives for the improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries. The new governments in Bratislava and Budapest, formed after recent parliamentary elections, had declared that improving their relations belongs to their priorities. 

The informal debate, taking place one day before the new prime ministers of Slovakia and Hungary, Iveta Radicova and Viktor Orban, met in Budapest at the summit of the Visegrad-Four group, was co-organized by ESI's Milan Nic. In a joint declaration the group of analysts called on Radicova and Orban to seize this opportunity to create a new climate, allowing for the improvement of Slovak-Hungarian relations.

This meeting of analysts will be followed by a series of public debates in Budapest and Bratislava, starting in autumn, aiming at fostering political dialogue across the Danube and encouraging political leaders in both countries to focus on issues of joint strategic interests such as energy security, joint infrastructure projects, and EU enlargement.

The meeting of analysts was one of the last activities that Milan conducted for ESI. After one and a half year of excellent work for ESI he will take on a new challenging job as the Balkan adviser to the new Slovak Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda and Deputy Foreign Minister Milan Jezovica. We wish him the best of luck and a lot of success! 

Milan Nic. Photo: SITA / Thomas Benedikovič