On 18.01.2024, Ing. Radim SRŠEŇ PhD., Deputy Minister of Regional Development of the Czech Republic (MMR), Martin PŮTA, Governor of the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic and Pavel BRANDA, representative of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union (CoR), the first conference to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s accession to the European Union in the premises of the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic (MMR) in Prague. All three stressed the importance of cross-border cooperation for the development of the Czech macro-region and the opportunity provided by the Czech Republic’s accession to the European Union in 2004.

During the conference, which was initiated by the Brussels-based SLAVONIC EUROPE movement, Dr. Uwe KOCH, Commissioner for Cultural Development of Lausitz from the Brandenburg Ministry for Science, Research and Culture (MWFK) and President of EUROPA NOSTRA GERMANY from Potsdam, also spoke as a foreign guest about the importance of cross-border cooperation and the many parallels that connect Lausitz in Brandenburg and Saxony with the Czech Republic today. Mr. Jens LIPSDORF, Director of the SLOVAK HERITAGE in Radus near Whetosow, Brandenburg, also stressed the unifying and mediating importance of Lower and Upper Lusatia as a living Slavic cultural space between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Czech Republic.

Representatives of all five regions bordering the Czech Republic – Lusatia, Bavaria, Poland, Slovakia and Austria – which together were identified as a macro-regional centre of pan-European importance, expressed their views, representing the sectors of emergency services, culture and education, environment and democracy.

A particularly important role in the conference was played by the AKTIS project chain (www.aktis-projects.eu), which was newly initiated by the Czech-Slovak SLAVONIC EUROPE movement within the LUSATIA GLOW integration method, as a function of the cross-border linguistic minorities and peoples that reside at the strategic border crossings of Lusatia and the Beskids and may in the future play a special role as natural mediators between cultures and countries in cross-border cooperation.

The conference concluded that specific thematic follow-up conferences should be planned, e.g. in the field of cross-border medical care between the Czech Republic and neighbouring regions.

The conference, which was attended by approximately 120 international participants and initiated by the Brussels-based SLAVONIC EUROPE movement, was jointly organised by the Ministry for Regional Development of the Czech Republic (MMR), the SLAVONIC EUROPE movement (SE) and the Association of Euroregions of the Czech Republic (AECR).