Czech and Austrian foreign ministers discuss bilateral issues in Prague

The Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Spindelegger held talks in Prague on Tuesday with his Czech counterpart Jan Kohout on issues ranging from the Beneš Decrees to the opening of Austria’s labour market to Czechs.

The best of neighbours have their spats, and Austria and the Czech Republic have a long history of convoluted rows, but the key words after the meeting of both countries’ foreign ministers on Tuesday afternoon were cooperation and open discussion.

Michael Spindelegger, Jan Kohout (right), photo: CTK

“I am of course very happy that all of these discussions take place in such an open atmosphere in which we can put everything on the table and talk about it, whether that means Temelín or the Beneš Decrees. All in all it is very pleasant and friendly cooperation for me and I think I can say that relations between Austria and the Czech Republic have never been as good”.

The main issues include the fact that Austria has consistently resisted opening its labour markets to the new member states of the European Union, but Mr Spindelegger seemed happy to assure Czechs that the end of that policy was around the corner.

"Free movement of workers will take effect on May 1 of next year, and nothing has changed in regards to that. I think we are well prepared for it. The standard of wages in the Czech Republic is also different than what it used to be – not yet at the level of Austria, but I do not expect any problems”.

Edvard Beneš signing the Decrees

While each country offered the other a pat on the back for efficient crime fighting and joint border projects, the thorny issue of the Beneš Decrees is always lurking in the background of Czech-Austrian relations. It was natural then that Mr Kohout would be asked about his country’s response to recent comments made by Austrian president Heinz Fischer, who questioned the legality of the post-war decrees in a letter to the Sudeten German Lansdsmanschaft, and called them “severely unjust”.

“We did of course register that comment of the Austrian president, as we did many other comments on the subject, but you could see there was no inappropriate response from our side. The Czech Republic’s stance on this is consistent and clear: the Czech Republic sees no rationale for discussing issues of the past at the political level. There are plenty of debates on this issue among historians, and it is for them to deal with, and not politicians. I think our talks clearly indicate that we are looking more towards the future”.

Other topics discussed by the two top diplomats included their mutual support for the Czech Republic’s ambition to host the Galileo navigational system headquarters, and the Brno-Vienna motorway, a Czech initiative that the Austrians made good on, but the Czechs have no clear plan for. Jan Kohout again:

Michael Spindelegger, Jan Kohout (right), photo: CTK

“After years of asking Austria to begin working on a motorway to Brno we got what we wanted, but in the meantime enthusiasm for it waned on our side, for various reasons, primarily financial. It’s important for both countries, not just so that drivers can travel faster but mainly because it connects two neighbouring countries and brings lots of new opportunities for business and employment, which is a priority for us. But it should be said that there are no funds allocated for the motorway this year, and the budget for next year has not yet been approved.”

Negotiating that budget still awaits the current government, and Mr Kohout said that he would endeavour to make sure that the motorway’s completion is met in a positive way.