Czechoslovak Dissolution Set for Jan. 1
The leaders of the Czech and Slovak republics agreed late Wednesday to dissolve the Czechoslovak federation on Jan. 1.
The announcement was made after eight hours of talks between Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and his Slovak counterpart, Vladimir Meciar, in the south-central city of Brno.
“On January 1, there will be two republics, two states,” said Meciar.
“I am sure we shall be able to form better relations with Slovakia than we have now,” said Klaus.
The two leaders said they had reached a consensus on how to divide the 74-year-old federation but said further agreements were needed to complete the peaceful dissolution.
The agreement on the divorce of the two republics is subject to approval by the 300-member federal Parliament in Prague, where a three-fifths majority is needed.
Czechoslovakia was founded in the ashes of the Austro-Hungarian empire after World War I. Irreconcilable disputes over the pace and scope of post-Communist economic reforms are at the root of the split.
Klaus and Meciar said it was necessary to finalize the partition by the end of the year in order to be able to prepare separate budgets for 1993.
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