Havel "closes circle" with final trip to Slovakia

Vaclav Havel paid a one-day visit to Bratislava on Wednesday, his last foreign engagement as president of the Czech Republic. The trip was certainly steeped in significance - Slovakia was Mr Havel's first destination after he was elected Czech president in January 1993, and - as he put it - Wednesday's visit had "closed the circle." Rob Cameron travelled with President Havel to Bratislava, and has this report.

Havel "closes circle" with final trip to Slovakia

Vaclav Havel and Rudolf Schuster, Bratislava, photo: CTK

A guard of honour marches by Bratislava's Grassalkovich Palace, seat of the Slovak President, as Vaclav Havel arrives for a press conference with his Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster. President Havel spoke to reporters wearing a medal on his lapel - the Order of the White Double Cross, Slovakia's highest honour. Mr Schuster credited the former dissident and playwright with the peaceful overthrow of Czechoslovakia's communist regime in 1989, and the Slovak president spoke of his warm friendship that had developed with the Czech leader since then.

"I've had the advantage of working very closely with President Havel during critical moments in the history of our two countries since 1989. And I've had the opportunity of following President Havel's steps very closely ever since he started at Prague Castle."

Vaclav Havel resigned as president of Czechoslovakia in July 1992, saying he refused to preside over the dismembering of his country. But earlier this year he said with hindsight he believed the separation of the Czechoslovak federation had been a good thing, although he told reporters on Wednesday that he still regretted the "Velvet Divorce" hadn't been decided by a referendum.

Vaclav Havel, photo: CTK

"I didn't want to save the federation at any cost. But I did make the maximum effort to ensure that the federation was fair and authentic, and that it reflected the will of both nations. I also exerted a great deal of effort so that the future model of our coexistence would be based on a referendum."

President Havel returned to Prague on Wednesday night, ahead of a goodbye party at the National Theatre and a farewell address on Sunday, his last day in office. After that he will go into retirement, returning at last to his writing. Who will succeed him as Czech President is still unclear - parliament has held two failed attempts to elect a successor. Mr Havel told reporters he certainly wasn't happy the process of finding a replacement was taking so long, but the fact that the Czech Republic will be without a state for a short period time was not, he said, a catastrophe.