On 6 May 2021, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg travelled to Prague to meet his new Czech counterpart, Jakub Kulhánek.
Their discussions centred on the continuous joint efforts to re-establish freedom of travel in the summer. The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the EU-wide “Green Pass” COVID-19 passport, which will be crucial for the resumption of travel across Europe. Austria and the Czech Republic are also lobbying for a “preliminary” version of the scheme to be introduced at the bilateral level. At the very least, this would allow people who have already been vaccinated to travel freely, before the EU-wide system comes into effect on 1 June 2021, thus supporting the tourism industry.
As Foreign Minister Schallenberg commented,
Mobility is not a luxury, it’s a fundamental right.
Czech plans to expand the Dukovany nuclear power plant and develop an underground nuclear waste facility were also raised during the meeting.
Austria respects its neighbours’ sovereign right to choose how they source their energy, but we have our own legitimate interests, too. Openness and transparency are required in this area,
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg stated.
He also assured the Czech Republic of Austrian support in its ongoing diplomatic dispute with Russia, and offered to provide concrete assistance via the Austrian Embassy in Moscow. He noted that all potential options for further action would be discussed at the upcoming EU summit, and that the EU needed to present a united front on this issue.
The press conference following the talks also saw the official launch of the Austro-Czech history book “Nachbarn/Sousede” [Neighbours]. Foreign Minister Schallenberg said the work, which features contributions from 27 Austrian and Czech historians, would stimulate discussions among people on both sides of the border, and represented a
fundamental contribution for the future and an effort to overcome prejudices.
