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The Czech Republic will add the United States, Taiwan, Albania, Hong Kong, Lebanon and Northern Macedonia to its list of safe countries for coronavirus infection as of Monday. The move comes just ahead of the prime tourist season.

Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek told journalists that those countries will be designated “green” on the so-called travel risk map. But tourists will still have to produce a negative coronavirus test result or proof of vaccination at hotels and other establishments.

Other non-EU countries with the same status are Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

The Foreign Ministry launched a new travel website (dovolena2021.cz) on Thursday listing the conditions for travel to 14 selected holiday destinations. The website presents information on Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt.

People returning to the Czech Republic from the highest risk (dark red) countries will not have to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and had their second shot at least two weeks ago.

The Czech Republic’s membership in the European Union should not be part of the political debate, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), told a conference on transatlantic relations on Thursday. But he said that does not mean Prague should blindly agree to everything proposed by “Eurocrats” in Brussels or “progressive political elites in big countries”.

“We must constantly fight for our national interests in the EU and we should not be naive, because all the member states in the bloc are always fighting for their national interests,” Babiš said.

The EU common market, the free movement of people, goods, services and investments is important for the industrial and export-oriented Czech Republic, Babiš said, while calling for less regulation and bureaucracy.

The Czech prime minister further argued that migration policy should be fully in the hands of the EU member states, and asylum applications be assessed at checkpoints outside of the Schengen borders.

Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek (Social Democrats) said at the same conference in Prague that security remains the most important element of the transatlantic alliance, and called for a strengthening of cooperation between the EU and NATO. He identified free and fair trade without unnecessary trade barriers as another priority.

Clear skies are in the forecast for Friday, with average daytime highs of 29 to 33 degrees Celsius.

Negotiations between the Czech Republic and Poland over the latter country’s Turów lignite mine near the shared border began on Thursday.

The Czech government has petitioned the European Union’s Court of Justice to fine Poland EUR 5 million for each day it continues to mine coal from the mine, which it says is contaminating water supplies.

The court last month ordered Poland to suspend mining at Turów, but Poland has thus far ignored the ruling. Thursday’s discussion aims to agree conditions under which the Czech side would be willing to withdraw its lawsuit.

In that context, Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO) said the quality and decline of groundwater, increase in noise and dust, shocks and settlement of terrain, especially in the Liberec region, are all matters of concern.