Infrastructure development, situation of cross-border public transport services, employment issues – these were the topics, amongst others, that were discussed at the co-chair meeting of the Inter-Governmental Joint Hungarian-Slovak Commission for Cross-Border Cooperation held at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice today.

The event was hosted by Minister of State for Territorial Public Administration and Elections Erika Szabó, who met Jozef Bucek, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Interior, the newly appointed chair of the Slovak Section of the Commission, for the first time.

The attendees reviewed the results achieved in the past few years in the wake of the Joint Commission’s efforts and the tasks that lie ahead. Promoting the continued, further development of the infrastructure is a priority task of the Commission, and the framework agreement signed by the governments of the two States on public roads that cross the state borders creates firm foundations for the attainment of this goal. After the two bridges across the River Ipoly, the construction of another two bridges may begin over the northern border river based on the agreement of the two governments.

The situation of cross-border public transport services and the options for developing transportation by rail and coach services in areas in the vicinity of the border were also on the agenda in the interest of facilitating the commuting and day-to-day communication of citizens living on the two sides of the border.

Cross-border employment is an issue that concerns primarily those living in the western border regions, while on the eastern section of the border, both States are facing very similar employment problems. It is the joint responsibility of both States to develop their border regions and to facilitate employment by ensuring easy border-crossing. Convenient and easy border crossing is an important requirement also in health care cooperation where two significant problems – yet to be resolved – continue to emerge: the issue of coordinating the rules relating to ambulance traffic and the necessity of simplifying the funding of cross-border health care services.

The Commission also discussed the issue of rural development and the subsidisation of local agricultural producers. The parties believe that they must preserve traditions and must draw the attention of those living in the border regions to the availability of the new EU funds as a joint effort.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)