Prague and Warsaw move forward on long-running territorial dispute

The Czech Republic and Poland have made progress in resolving the long-standing issue of the Czech territorial debt to Poland, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said after talks in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski.

Minister Macinka said the resolution would not involve territorial or financial compensation, but rather a joint flood protection project that would benefit both sides.

Under a 1958 treaty, the Czechoslovak–Polish border was straightened, shortening it by 80 kilometres. A subsequent comparison of territorial gains and losses showed that Czechoslovakia retained approximately 368 hectares more than Poland. Since 1992, Prague and Warsaw have held numerous rounds of talks aimed at resolving the matter.

During Monday’s talks, Minister Macinka described Poland as the Czech Republic’s closest neighbour after Slovakia. He said he would like to “relaunch” broader Czech-Polish government consultations across a range of areas, including security, energy and competitiveness. He also expressed support for continuing the Czech-Polish Forum to strengthen bilateral cooperation.