Slovak National Party (SNS) leaders are rejecting the Slovak government's plans for the rebirth of the brand "Made in Czechoslovakia".
Party leader Andrej Danko has called it “misleading and a lie. Czechoslovakia has fallen apart more than 20 years ago and both countries are building their own brand,” as he told the local news agency TASR on Monday.
“SNP feels that the idea for the rebirth of the joint brand can be hazardous and disposing of our own brand that we have been building for the past 20 years. The work behind the rebirth of Made in Czechoslovkia, will not help Slovak companies on the international markets," said Danko.
The party expressed concerns that it would only promote the Czech side of business and that Slovaks would not benefit from it.
Danko added that SNP wants to keep exceptional relations with the Czech Republic on all levels, but he also said, “But we do not think that the efforts of Eximbanka and the Czech Export Bank, for a rebirth of the brand from the times of our joint state, is a good idea."
"Recreating the brand, in the belief that it will bring back the glory of the old companies, is naive,” stated by Danko.
"These companies don't exist today. We have our own products, with which we want to work on international marketplaces and we believe that their quality and good name will build up reputation by themselves,” Danko added.
Danko believed it would be more beneficial for Slovakia if it would focus on building its own brand, rather than to adhere to the past.
The recreation of the brand "Made in Czechoslovakia", is the effort of the Slovak Eximbanka and its Czech counterpart, Czech Export Bank.
These two export and investments banks have signed a deal to promote Czech and Slovak companies, in their exporting endeavors. The deal was made between chairman of the Eximbanka Igor Lichnovsky and his Czech colleague, Karel Bures, on July 29 in Bratislava.