Czech Republic–Slovakia relations
Before 1918, both countries were part of Austria–Hungary. However, after the Ausgleich of 1867 Czechia belonged to the Austrian Empire while Slovakia belonged to the administratively separate Kingdom of Hungary, and between 1918 and December 31, 1992, both countries were part of Czechoslovakia. 
Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 1, 1993. These international relations are usually referred to or described as "very good", "cordial", and "above standard" in the media. When a Czech or Slovak president is inaugurated, very often his first international visit is to the former part of the common country. The same custom applies to newly elected prime ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Slovak mafia
In 1989, Czechoslovakia overthrew communism, and in 1993 the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic separated. In the first half of the 1990s, the issue of organized crime was underrated and legislature concerning the fight against it was inadequate. Crime rates in Slovakia soared in the 1990s, and the first post-communist gangsters emerged. At the time of the 1994-1998 Vladimír Mečiar's government, organized crime became well established in the country and it penetrated the highest political positions. An often cited example is the Slovak Secret Service under Ivan Lexa and his deputy Jaroslav Svěchota.