These relations, because the countries are the closest neighbors of the Slovak Republic, are traditionally good. The Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK) with the aim to facilitate development of bilateral relations as much as possible, has been creating and is creating specialized structures in relation to individual territories: Slovak-Czech economic committee, mixed Slovak-Polish and Slovak-Hungarian Chambers of Commerce. Establishment of these structures within the Chamber resulted in that the information of partners within the bilateral cooperation has improved. Ing. Dusan Pamula, director of foreign relations department and commercial services of SOPK speaks about their work.

The Slovak-Czech economic committee was established at the joint meeting of SOPK and the Economic Chamber of the Czech Republic in Trest, Moravia, in June 1998. Its role is to help remove obstacles in mutual trade. Its recommendations will be used by both chambers in negotiations with their governments, in commenting procedures to drafts of economic laws of their respective countries. Common interest is mainly in solution of issues of certification, ATA-carnets, testing, operation of customs offices, quotas for exports and exchange of information related to preparation of legislation for the EU accession.

The domain of the Slovak-Polish Chamber of Commerce constituted in May 1997 are economic relations of both countries. It is working within the structures of Regional Chamber of SOPK in Zilina. The location for operation of this mixed Chamber was selected not by random selection, it reflects high density of mutual economic relations between the neighboring regions. Gradually this cooperation was transferred to a higher level and it includes the region of the whole Slovakia and Poland. Currently the Mixed Slovak-Polish Chamber has 44 members. Its activity is mainly in establishing bilateral contacts between entities from both countries, providing information on the legal environment and opportunities for investments. It organizes seminars, trade missions and visits of fairs in both countries.

It is necessary to add that on the Polish territory, in Bialsku-Biala there is a counterpart to the Slovak-Polish Chamber of Commerce, Polish-Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Mutual exchange of products still has reserves, and increase of mutual deliveries can be achieved without high financial costs.

Since March 1998 a Slovak-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce is operating on the whole territory based on similar principles as the Slovak-Polish Chamber, within the structures of the Regional Chamber of SOPK Lucenec, which has 31 members. In September 1998 within the REGION-CONTACT exhibition Slovak and Hungarian entrepreneurs met in the seat of the Chamber. There were lectures on cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary and on Slovak-Hungarian trade relations.

At the break of March and April 1999 a trade mission of Hungarian entrepreneurs came to Bratislava. Besides lectures focusing on topical issues of mutual trade, there were also bilateral negotiations between business entities. The main task faced by the Slovak-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce is to increase the mutual turnover and to seek assistance in establishing bilateral contacts.

Mixed Chambers of Commerce in the countries of Visegrad group are just at the beginning of their path. The fact that this type of cooperation is justified is proven by the already five years of existence of French-Slovak Chamber of Commerce, or the already two years of operation of the Slovak-Austrian Chamber of Commerce. These chambers are successfully operating as a catalyst of changes in economic environment. To those who are interested in cooperation they provide special information and create basis for meetings of community of people with similar interests.

This is the point also for mixed chambers in the Visegrad four countries, where the intensification of mutual cooperation is a necessity, also with regard to joint goal of the countries in this territory, which is the EU accession.

Slovak Trade FORUM