MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC MARKS THE 11TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SLAVKOV COOPERATION FORMAT
Slovakia highlights priorities during its presidency of the Slavkov Cooperation Format
February 03rd, 2026
On the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the establishment of the Slavkov Cooperation Format (S3), Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Juraj Blanár highlighted the importance of pragmatic regional cooperation as an effective tool for addressing shared challenges faced by Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
The Slavkov Format, established through the signing of the Slavkov Declaration on 29 January 2015, serves as an informal platform for cooperation among Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Austria. The Slovak Republic currently holds the rotating presidency of the format for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
Minister Blanár underlined that the Slavkov Format provides a valuable framework for coordinating responses to current regional challenges. He noted that Slovakia’s current presidency focuses on seven priority areas, including energy security, competitiveness, the development of transport infrastructure, development cooperation, and digital transformation.
According to the Minister, the objective of Slovakia’s leadership within the Slavkov Format is to support projects with a tangible positive impact on the lives of citizens in all three participating countries, with particular attention to cross-border regions. He further emphasised that the format represents a stable and practical instrument of regional dialogue in Central Europe, grounded in geographical proximity and strong historical, economic, and people-to-people ties.
Examples of successful cooperation within the Slavkov Format include the modernisation of railway connections between the capitals Prague, Bratislava, and Vienna, as well as joint activities in the field of development cooperation. These include assistance projects in Georgia focused on the sustainable development of the Aragvi protected area and local communities, as well as an environmental project addressing the processing of medical waste in Lebanon.
The Slavkov Cooperation Format is based on a rotating presidency, with leadership passing annually from July to June of the following year. The symbolic handover of the presidency from the Czech Republic to Slovakia took place on 23 June 2025 on the margins of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The first meeting held under Slovakia’s current presidency took place on 1 July 2025 in Bratislava.
Austria will assume the presidency of the Slavkov Format on 1 July 2026.
