Bilateral negotiations in Bratislava: preparation for the implementation of the second Swiss contribution in Slovakia

On June 05^th and 6^th, 2023, representatives of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and the Office of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme visited the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava. These institutions are involved in the preparation of the Framework Agreement on the implementation of the second Swiss contribution to selected EU Member States. Within the framework of the second Swiss contribution to the selected EU Member States, MIRRI SR performs the tasks of National Coordination Unit, Paying Authority, and Programme Administrator. The Swiss Ambassador in Bratislava, H.E. Peter Nelson, also participated in the initial negotiations.

In addition to finalizing the text of the bilateral Framework Agreement on the implementation of the second Swiss contribution to the selected EU Member States, the tasks of the individual entities at national level were also presented during the negotiations. In addition to MIRRI SR, representatives of the Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic, which will perform the tasks of the Audit Authority, took part in the negotiations.

Further discussions were held on the thematic focus of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme for the 2019-2029 programming period: vocational education and training, biodiversity and support for sustainable tourism, and health with a focus on prevention. Here, MIRRI SR cooperates intensively with the coordinators of these areas, which are the State Institute of Vocational Training, the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic.