A joint effort of the Silesian frontier Istebna - Jaworzynka - Koniakow triple village and their district town of Zywiec are aiming to find a common ground with the nearby Slovakia in tourism, business and culture.

The triple village had been linked with the Czech Republic by the crossing already before 1981, but during the state of emergency it was closed. Later attempts to open the border passage were unsuccessful, but frontier zone passage arrangements are the first signs that the authorities are doing their best to meet the demand. An intensive pressure of the Czech and Polish officials of the frontier zone settlements resulted at last in opening up the border crossing.

"We would appreciate if a similar scenario would also apply in case of the Polish - Slovak check point," says D. Rabin adding, that this time, back to 1991, it has been the Slovak side that should take the move: "In 1991 we adopted a resolution stating that if the Slovaks speed up their share of preparation arrangements, we will join in." The Slovak counterpart of the Istebny, Jaworzynka, and Koniakowa is the village Cierne, and that's where the check point should be built. Creating this passage would end up in a three-country frontier zone passage, since in the land area of Jaworzinky is geographical meeting point of the Polish, Czech and Slovak borders. Zywiec, a town known for its beer, is in a different position: the Poles pull the shorter end of a rope. Andrzej Zielinski, head of the District Administration, does not oppose an emphasis on improving neighbour relations, confirmed unambiguously by 20 years of Zywiec / Cadca friendship, but the corner stone of the future economy, based in the frontier zone co-operation, is the Polish - Slovak section of the Bielsko-Biala - Zwardon - Skalite motorway. "The road is a backbone of our economy, it will decide on further development," highlighted Janusz Kudwarczyk, chairman of Zywiec. It was in the Zywiec castle where the agreement on the motorway development was signed by the former SR and PR prime ministers Vladimir Meciar and Jerzy Oleksy. The Slovak party started off performing their contract commitments, yet Poland fell behind, just like Slovakia did in the EU integration efforts. The first structural components on the Bielsko-Biala should be built next year. The route layout and procurement of the land property of the Bielsko-Biala - Zywiec section are presently in progress. The Zywiec - Zwardon section, having already its conception, can start laying out the route after land property disputes will have been settled. "We are vigorously lobbying the project acceleration in the Parliament and at the Ministry of Transport," says Jerzy Krawczyk, Bielsko-Biala vice chairman, and adds smiling: "I believe that we catch you up soon, just as you will catch us up in the EU integration process"

Slovak Trade FORUM