The Embassy of Spain, which currently presides the EU, organizes every month a meeting of the EU member states’ Ambassadors to Slovakia. In the past few weeks the leaders of diplomatic missions expressed their interest to have the meeting in Košice. The date was set for May 5, 2010. On this occasion the EU Ambassadors had the opportunity to meet with the regional leaders and discuss the situation and perspectives of Kosice and its surrounding areas in more detail.
In the morning, the Ambassadors met in the hotel Double Tree by Hilton and at noon they were received at the historical Town Hall by Mayor of the City, František Knapík, and by the Head of the Self-governing Region of Košice, Zdenko Trebuľa. After reception, the Ambassadors went to see the Main Street with its dominant monuments and some of the activities taking place within the celebration of the Day of Košice.
They had their lunch at the hotel Bankov and in the afternoon the Ambassadors attended a colloquium titled “2004-2010 Experience of the Slovak Republic in the European Union”
Mayor Knapík presented Košice to Ambassadors of twenty EU member states as the city of rich and unique history with the first coat of arms in Europe, as the city of young people with three universities, city of culture with title of European Capital of Culture 2013, city of sports and the oldest European marathon, city of justice with the seat of the Constitutional Court, and the city of great potential for development of culture and creative industry.
“The economic growth of Košice in the past few years attracted to our city and region a number of foreign investors creating new jobs for our citizens. We offer attractive and strategic location between Middle and Eastern Europe, and flexible, pricewise interesting, and qualified labor force,” said Mayor Knapík. In his address, the Mayor mentioned that Košice is active in joining European activities. For instance, last year our city hosted the external seminar of the EU Relex Committee of the Regions focusing on strengthening of EU partnership with the eastern neighbors.
“We came as partners to gain more information that could be useful for the help of the European Union and its member states to Slovakia and to your region. We are mainly interested in your social and economic situation, reduction of differences among regions within the country, and plans of further development of Košice and the East of Slovakia,” said Spanish Ambassador to Slovakia, José Ángel López Jorrin.
