Czech-Slovak talks

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have signed an agreement on mutual assistance in the event of terrorist attacks or other emergency situations. The document was signed in Prague by the visiting Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan and his Czech counterpart Cyril Svoboda. The two ministers also discussed a border agreement which should toughen the regime on their joint border. According to the agreement, which has not yet been ratified by the countries' parliaments, free movement would be limited to 22 official border crossings and an additional 72 selected points. At present Czech and Slovak citizens are free to cross the border practically anywhere and many people in the border regions object to the new arrangement.