Slavkovská spolupráca

Updated 31.07.2023
Published 17.06.2022

The Slavkov format (S3) is an intergovernmental cooperation format of three Central European neighbouring and historically linked states – the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Austria – that brings together several areas with the potential for joint initiatives.

The name comes from Slavkov u Brna (German: Austerlitz), a town in the South Moravian Region in the Czech Republic where on 29 January 2015 the first meeting of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and the Chancellor of the Republic of Austria took place. During the meeting the Slavkov Declaration was also signed.

The intention was to create a platform for regional cooperation, which would help stimulate new projects in sectorial areas of common interest, as well as exchange of information and coordination of positions (especially with regard to the current EU agenda) with aim of strengthening mutual ties for the benefit of the three states, their citizens, the region as well as the whole EU.

Inward activities are always coordinated by one of the three participating states on a rotating basis for one year (from July to June of the following year).

On 1 July 2023, Austria took over the S3 rotating leadership from Slovakia.

The S3 work plan for 2023-2024 was adopted at the S3 national coordinators (State Secretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs) meeting on 12 July 2023 in Rust, Austria. It includes the following areas of cooperation:

  • energy transition and energy security,
  • international law,
  • EU enlargement,
  • Western Balkans,
  • European affairs,
  • digital transformation,
  • transport,
  • development cooperation.

20.02.2024

State Secretary of the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Marek Eštok attended the session of the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU (FAC) in Brussels on 19 January 2024. Main topics of the talks by EU foreign affairs ministers were the situation in the Middle East, as well as developments in Ukraine and the African Sahel region.

22.11.2023

On 22 November 2023, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanár, held talks in Vienna with Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria. The topic of the meeting between the ministerial partners was the current issues of bilateral and international relations, including migration and the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. They also discussed European policy, the development of regional cooperation and support for the Western Balkan countries.

13.07.2023

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Wlachovský visited North Macedonia on Thursday, 13 July 2023.

12.07.2023

On July 2023 in Rust, Austria, State Secretary of the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Peter Mišík met with the Slavkov format (S3) partners - Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Secretary General of Austria´s Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, and Jaroslav Kurfürst, Director General of the Europe Section of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Czech Republic. The meeting was held at the invitation of our Austria partner after Austria took over the S3 Presidency from Slovakia on 1 July 2023. It also included adoption of the S3 work plan for the upcoming year.

05.06.2023

On 5 June 2023, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Peter Mišík visited the Czech Republic. 

30.05.2023

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Wlachovský, held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel Eli Cohen in Bratislava on 30 May 2023. The partners stressed the importance of Slovak-Israeli friendship and agreed on the need to further enhance mutual relations. Particularly, they expressed interest in deepening cooperation in trade, research, innovation and modern technologies, as well as in tourism – an area welcomed by tourists from both countries.

29.05.2023

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Wlachovský, met with his partners from the Slavkov Format (S3), the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavský, in Bratislava on Monday, 29 May 2023.

19.05.2023

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Wlachovský held negotiations with his counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský in Prague on Friday, 19 May 2023. This was the first foreign trip by the chief Slovak diplomat since taking office, thus following tradition, while at the same time also emphasizing the importance of the above-standard relations and strategic importance of the close partnership between Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

24.04.2023

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Rastislav Káčer, attended a meeting of the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday, 24 April 2023.

02.01.2023

On Monday, 2 January 2023, in Vienna, Rastislav Káčer, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, held talks with Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India. The topics of the discussions between the heads of diplomacy of the Slavkov Format (S3) countries and their Indian counterpart included the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine and its global security and economic implications, relations between the European Union (EU) and India, as well as India's presidency of the G20.