Czech official Šedivý on shortlist to head European Defence Agency

The Czech diplomat Jiří Šedivý has made the shortlist for the post of chief executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), the newspaper Lidové noviny reported on Monday, citing Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Mr. Šedivý was the Czech Republic’s ambassador at NATO and is also a former minister of defence. At present he is government commissioner for combating disinformation and hostile foreign influences.

If Mr. Šedivý gets the EDA post it would be one of the highest posts in an international organisation ever held by a Czech, the Office of the President’s foreign affairs specialist, Rudolf Jindrák, told Lidové noviny.

The EDA promotes and facilitates integration between European Union members within the bloc’s Common Security and Defence Policy.

Author: Ian Willoughby