Czechs promote EU presidency at UN in New York
It’s roast duck and dumplings on the menu at the United Nations’ dining room in New York this week as part of an ongoing showcase of the Czech Republic’s EU presidency. A series of cultural and gastronomic events have been organized by the Czech Mission to the UN to raise the profile of the country’s time at the top in Brussels. But with the EU being chaired right now by a technocratic, interim Czech government, is this really something the country’s diplomats would like to emphasise? I spoke to Bořek Lizec from the Czech mission to the UN and started by asking him about the idea behind these Czech EU presidency days:
“We are trying to highlight the fact that the Czech Republic has been holding the European Union presidency since January until the end of this month, and also the fact that the European Union here in New York really is one of the main groups at the United Nations and one of the main contributors to the United Nations’ activities.”
Can you tell me what is on the programme this week?
“We wanted to highlight Czech culture in a European and also American context. In this regard we organized a special concert, which actually already took place on Monday, that was a very good success which we are very pleased about. It was with Zuzana Stivínová accompanied by the Robert Balzar Trio, a jazz trio from the Czech republic. They did a special performance inspired by cabaret performances. And they played a European, American and Czech repertoire. And also we will have an exhibition about Jaroslav Ježek in this regard.
“Then we have a special exhibition at the United Nations, in the lobby of the building, of Antonín Kratochvíl’s photographs called ‘The Time in which I Live’. Antonín Kratochvíl, as your listeners probably know, is a Czech photographer of really international fame. He won the World Press Photo competition several times, and he is showing 20 years of his work here at the United Nations.”
I hear as well you are offering diners at the UN dining room a taste of Czech cuisine. What kind of Czech specialities are you offering them there?
What has the reaction been so far to the special Czech events and the special Czech dishes which have been put on this week?
“We are very pleased to see, as we have been told by those who operate the United Nations’ delegates’ dining room, as the restaurant is called, that we have reached a really high attendance. The number of reservations is so high that right now it is very difficult to get a table at the restaurant, and, as I say, we are very pleased about that.”
Has the programme for the Czech EU presidency days at the UN changed since the Czech presidency of the EU itself changed - from Mirek Topolánek’s government to that of Jan Fischer?
“This is something that definitely was not part of our ambition – to present the domestic Czech political situation – as I have said, we are really trying to highlight the fact that the Czech Republic is holding the presidency of the European Union and therefore, this is the main topic of our festival.”
