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Germany will maintain border controls with Czechia and its other neighbor states, which it reinstated in mid-October, the DPA news agency reported. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the prime ministers of the federal states agreed on their extension on Monday night. During the meeting, which lasted for more than six hours, the top officials also agreed on a new distribution of costs for asylum seekers or speeding up asylum procedures, DPA said. The checks are conducted on a random basis. German police patrols will also check vehicles on the motorway between Prague and Dresden.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Monday met for talks with his newly-appointed Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanár from the ruling SMER party. The talks focused on bilateral relations, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and migration problems that have led several EU member states to renew border controls.

Mr. Lipavský said at a press briefing following the talks, that despite differences of opinion on certain issues, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have exceptionally close ties and would continue to cooperate closely in areas where they have common interests, such as pushing for a viable European migration pact.

In the past, Czechia and Slovakia were both staunch supporters of Ukraine, but after the appointment of the new Slovak coalition government at the end of October, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made it clear that his country would stop all military aid to Ukraine. Slovak foreign minister Juraj Blanár said that despite divisions among the Visegrad Group member states on this issue, he hoped that the alliance encompassing Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary would remain active and functional.

He said that in line with tradition, the new Slovak prime minister’s first foreign visit would be to the Czech Republic. It is expected to take place on November 24.

The Czech authorities are increasingly cracking down on companies violating the EU sanctions against Russia by exporting and importing goods via third countries, Czech Television reported. The Czech customs administration has detected about 40 cases in which the sanctions regime was violated, often via Turkey or post-Soviet republics. One case now being prosecuted involves the illegal export of cars to Russia and the police is currently investigating the Czech company Labara, which, according to the newspaper Deník N, sent machines that can be used to manufacture weapons to its subsidiary in Russia via Turkey.

The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, spoke at the opening of a Czech-Kenyan business forum in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Monday. Continuing a weeklong visit to sub-Saharan Africa, he discussed the possible deepening of cooperation between his country and Kenya in the defense sector. He also said Czechia could help stabilise Kenya’s energy infrastructure.

Mr. Fiala also spoke about possible cooperation in healthcare and agriculture, as well as the opportunity to establish new contacts in the fields of information technology and space research.

The forum was attended by representatives of nearly two dozen Czech firms and over 70 Kenyan companies.