Besides bilateral relations, the talks focused on the future of the European Union and on identifying mutual interests of both countries regarding the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. From the perspective of the Czech Republic, this concerns especially preserving the current access to the goods and services market, ensuring the rights of citizens and companies, and resolving budgetary matters. Both countries have also like-minded interests in the Single Market, free trade and energy, and they put emphasis on the need to keep a unified position of the 27 EU Member States during the negotiations with the United Kingdom. The ministers further discussed the current security issues, particularly the situation in Syria and in Ukraine.