Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico unveiled Vladimír Durbák's statue Medzi nami in the garden of Straka Academy in Prague on 27 October 2026, the day before the anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia. The statue is meant to express Czech-Slovak friendship. The ceremony was also attended by the foreign ministers of both countries.[1][2]
The statue consists of three-dimensional outlines of the territory of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, joined by hands reaching toward each other from both sides for a handshake. In the garden, it adds to the Cesta diplomacie project; its first exhibit, since 2021, has been the Lion and She-wolf sculpture group by Adam Fejfar, donated to the Office of the Government by the Italian embassy. According to Seznam Zprávy, the Czech Republic received the statue as a gift from Slovakia, and its creation was funded by Penta.[1][3]
Babiš said that Czechs and Slovaks are like family, and announced that the next joint meeting of the Czech and Slovak governments would take place on 10 November; the agenda will include an evaluation of the memorandum on deepened intergovernmental cooperation and a discussion of further steps. In his speech, Fico stated that Czech-Slovak cooperation is more important than ever amid the oil crisis and military threats.[1][2]
The ceremony was preceded by a protest by about a dozen people carrying a Ukrainian flag, who whistled and chanted slogans against Fico and his relationship with Russia from behind the fence along Kosárkovo nábřeží. During his visit to Prague, Fico also met with former president Miloš Zeman.[1][3][4]
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 27 October 2026
- Echo24 — 27 October 2026
- Seznam Zprávy — 27 October 2026
- Blesk.cz — 28 October 2026