On 20 September the third Prague Process Ministerial Conference was held in Bratislava under the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU. Gathered at the Conference Ministers, Chairmen of migration services and high level officials reassured their commitment to the Process, addressed the most pressing migration issues and have moved towards decisions which have the strength to positively shape tomorrow's migration policies. 

Speakers at the Conference underlined that solutions to the challenges in various migration related spheres such as border management, asylum, return, irregular migration should be elaborated collectively, pointing out to the fact that development of effective measures goes beyond the capacity of one single state. The positive role of the Prague Process in the efficient migration management throughout the region, and the success of the implemented to this day initiatives, on the one side, as well as future migration challenges and emigration pressures on the other side, became a good reason for participating countries to express the interest in prolonging the Prague Process Action Plan.

The Ministerial Conference , therefore, resulted in the adoption of the Joint Declaration which paved the way for continuation of joint cooperation and gave a mandate to the Process for the years 2017-2021. 

The next step that shall still be taken this year, as stated in the Declaration, is to prepare and endorse the new action plan "outlining specific development measures for the relevant priorities for the period 2017-2021", and to start preparing the basis for creation of the future Training Academy, that has also been supported by participating countries and partners, EEAS and the EC being among them.