Lipavský says Czech ambassador to Moscow Pivoňka to remain in post

The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Jan Lipavský, says that Vítězslav Pivoňka will remain the country’s ambassador to Russia. Speaking on Czech Television on Sunday, Mr. Lipavský said that Jiří Čistecký would serve as deputy ambassador at the Moscow embassy.

News site Seznam Zprávy reported last month that Mr. Pivoňka was to be replaced by Mr. Čistecký, though the latter would have the job title of chargé d'affaires, not ambassador.

Mr. Lipavský said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague was for now not planning to replace the position of ambassador with that of chargé d’affaires.