The position of Slovak ambassador to Czechia stood empty for a year from September 2022; the office was under the interim leadership of Chargé d'Affaires Soňa Budayová. October 2023 has changed that. The position of ambassador was assumed by Ingrid Brocková, who was nominated by her predecessor Rastislav Káčer.
What kind of diplomatic and professional career has brought you to Prague?
To tell you the truth, I was surprised by the offer; I accepted it with great respect and humility. Diplomacy is a service, first and foremost, and you often don't know exactly where you'll end up representing your country. It's not my first diplomatic posting; I'm coming to Prague from the position of deputy minister of foreign affairs. The posting in the Czech Republic is a diplomatic challenge; our relations are robust, intense but also emotional, and extremely politically intertwined.
You came to the embassy just as the new coalition headed by Robert Fico assumed office in Slovakia. The tradition of the first visit to Prague has been upheld. How do you feel about the contact between the new members of the Slovak government and their Czech peers so far?
We have just had the inaugural visits of the the highest government officials, specifically the prime minister and the speaker of the Parliament as well as various ministers. I am very pleased that they upheld the tradition of first bilateral foreign visits to the Czech Republic. Symbolism is crucially important for the relations between these two countries; politicians leave in the end, but geography remains the same. Inaugural visits set the tone of the dialog and a little bit of the chemistry between our representatives. It has been confirmed that we are facing a number of the same challenges, such as migration, the EU's multi-year financial framework, and questions of connectivity, be they related to transportation, energy, or digital matters. We are also united in our efforts to aid Ukraine. Talking is necessary.
Czechia and Slovakia still have exceptional relations even thirty years after the split of the federation. Wherein do you see the foundation that could be built upon going forward?
Yes, we all say that our relations are exceptional. But even exceptionality needs to be cultivated and filled with relevant content. We have historical ties, a common past. This year will mark 30 years of independence. Today, we have a generation that never experienced the common state and that doesn't have that historical sentiment. That's one of the reasons why my ambitions as an ambassador are to make sure our relations remain up-to-date and relevant.
Brocková came to present her credentials to President Petr Pavel in a traditional Podpoľanie folk costume
According to certain estimates, there are nearly a million people who were born in Slovakia now living in Czechia. Does the presence of Slovak culture, gastronomy, or even literature in the Czech environment reflect that?
The Slovak community is one of the largest ones in Czechia. That's why I would like to work together with the embassy staff to increase the level of communication with traditional Slovak associations as well as with the so-called young diaspora. And to encourage them to be more engaged in the development of bilateral contacts.
What could be done to help young Czech people understand Slovak?
A difficult task because our relationship in this regard has always been asymmetric. The short answer is to try and stoke interest, to be creative in promoting our country in Czechia.
The economic relations between our two countries are also exceptional. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for further cooperation and possible challenges to be solved jointly?
The potential for economic cooperation, given the relatively similar challenges we face, is immense. Be it European topics, energy, transportation, defense, or linking the innovation ecosystems of our countries. Both countries are in need of a new economic model and a policy to foster new work opportunities and sustain talent, as well as steps leading to increased competitiveness.
The fact that one of the historically largest deployments of the Czech army is helping protect Slovakia's eastern border isn't much talked about. How do Slovaks feel about that?
First and foremost, we take every opportunity we get to thank the Czech Republic for its involvement in the defense of our airspace as well as in the NATO armed unit based in our territory. Spain will soon take over leadership from the Czech Republic. And that's how it should be in NATO, we are allies.
Are you fostering a project, intention, or even a diplomatic dream to help elevate Czecho-Slovak relations to an even higher level than they are today?
I see that as a continuous task for both diplomacies – practical and specific cooperation on various activities to help cement our mutual closeness, partnership, and alliance.
With Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský
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Ingrid Brocková (born September 13, 1963, in Bratislava) has been the Slovak ambassador to the Czech Republic since October 18, 2023.
She earned a degree in Business Management and Economics from the Slovak University of Technology and graduated in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University in Washington and the Department of International Relations of the Comenius University Bratislava Faculty of Law.
She has been at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MFEA) since 1993. In 2000, she was appointed deputy director of the policy planning department. A year later, she was the department's director, and by 2008, also the Slovak representative of the World Bank.
Between 2011 and 2015, she served as the Slovak permanent representative to the OECD and for two years after that as director of the MFEA Directorate General for Economic Cooperation. She then returned to her OECD position for another two years. In 2020, she was appointed the MFEA's state secretary. She has been an ambassador to Czechia since the fall of 2023.
The author is a European editor for Deník
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