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Leaders say Czechoslovakia's peaceful split could be model

Posted January 05, 2018 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, left, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico shake hands prior to their meeting in Bratislava on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Vaclav Salek/CTK via AP) The Associated Press

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) - The prime ministers of Slovakia and the Czech Republic say the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia could be an example for other nations, including Spain as it struggles with the restive Catalonia region.

Robert Fico of Slovakia and Andrej Babis of the Czech Republic spoke at a joint news conference in the Slovak capital of Bratislava on Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the 2003 breakup that shaped their two countries.

Babis says Czechoslovakia's dissolution could be "an example to follow for anyone in the world, in Europe." He cited "what has been happening in Spain, in Catalonia," as a possibility.

He said relations between the neighboring countries that once formed Czechoslovakia are "excellent." Fico echoed the sentiment.

Fico said: "It can be an example for many countries that are seeking independence today."

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, left, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico joke during a meeting in Bratislava on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Vaclav Salek/CTK via AP) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 file photo, Czech billionaire and leader of ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis addresses the media after meeting with Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman at the Lany Castle following the Czech Republic's parliamentary elections in Lany, Czech Republic. The prime ministers of Slovakia Robert Fico and Czech Republic Andrej Babis, have marked the 25th anniversary of the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia by saying it set an example for any other country, including Spain and Catalonia. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File) The Associated Press

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