• Czech president to UN: Kyiv alone has the right to set the terms for peace
    09/20/2023

    Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law, and Russia's leaders must be held accountable for the crime of aggression against its neighbor, President Petr Pavel said in his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday evening.

    He said Russia must unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The terms for peace must be set by Ukraine and they must not leave Russia with the hope of one day fulfilling its imperialist ambitions. They cannot be an unfair compromise dictated by Russia, as the aggressor, Pavel said.

    The Czech president said his country had experienced Russian military aggression during the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia and is ready to support Ukraine in its legitimate defence for as long as is necessary.

    The president also condemned China's military activities in the Taiwan Strait and the intercontinental ballistic missile tests conducted by Iran and North Korea as a threat to global security.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czechia to send more weapons to Ukraine with financial help from Denmark and The Netherlands
    09/19/2023

    Czechia has reached agreement with Denmark and The Netherlands to supply Czech weapons to Ukraine with their financial support. The relevant documents were signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of a meeting of the so-called Contact Group for Ukraine at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany. According to the Czech Ministry of Defence the agreement presents great opportunities for Czech companies. The first delivery to Ukraine will be 15 modernised T-72 EA tanks.

  • Weather forecast
    09/19/2023

    Wednesday should be bright and sunny with day temperatures between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius.

  • Nine charged after police raid on Czech Army General Staff

    09/19/2023

    Police officers from the National Center Against Organized Crime (NCOZ) raided offices at the Czech Army General Staff and other private locations early on Tuesday. According to the ctk news agency, the action, supervised by the Prague High State Prosecutor's Office, concerns army contracts. The news agency reported that the police has filed charges against nine people in connection with the case. According to Denik N the case is linked to a 2022 corruption case at Prague City Hall and the Prague Transport Company.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Majority of Czechs satisfied with Czechia’s membership in NATO
    09/19/2023

    Two-thirds of Czechs are satisfied with Czechia’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to the results of a survey published by the Centre for Public Opinion Research of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Compared to last spring this represents a slight decrease, but the proportion of those satisfied remains higher than in previous years. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they were not happy with the country's membership in NATO, on the argument that membership in the alliance restricted the country's sovereignty. Over 70 percent of Czechs are convinced NATO is essential to global security and half of the respondents said it is a guarantee of the country’s independence.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czechia ranked 17th in Economic Freedom of the World Index
    09/19/2023

    Czechia has improved its ranking in the Economic Freedom of the World Index published by the Canadian Fraser Institute. The country is now in 17th place, compared to last year’s 22nd ranking. Czechia improved in four of the five index indicators, with only high inflation pulling it down. Finland and Sweden are also ranked 17th. Germany is ranked 23rd, Austria 28th, Slovakia 41st, Hungary 49th and Poland 59th. According to the Prague-based Liberal Institute, Czechia now has the freest economy in Central Europe. Singapore topped the rankings.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Some Czech regions claim system of redistributing tax revenues is unfair
    09/19/2023

    Some Czech regions complain that the system according to which tax revenues are distributed from state coffers is unfair and are calling for it to be revised. The Central Bohemia Region authorities want to submit an amendment to the law to the lower house in which the present criteria would be replaced by a system that takes into account demographic changes, the structure of the region or the length of roads that it needs to maintain. Under the present legislation, which has been in place since the year 2,000, tax revenues are allocated as a set percentage of the overall revenue raised. The Central Bohemian region says that if the system is not amended it will file a complaint about it to the Constitutional Court. The Pardubice Region and the Zlín Region support the call.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • ČEZ puts back Dukovany bids deadline
    09/19/2023

    Czech power giant ČEZ has put back the deadline for final bids to construct a new nuclear unit at Dukovany by almost a month until October 31, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The move is being made at the request of one of the three firms in the running for the key contract. The new block should be completed by 2036 and the extension of the deadline will not affect the project’s timeline.

    The bidders are EDF from France, South Korea’s KHNP and Westinghouse from North America.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Pirates vote to call on leaders to demand removal of Blažek as minister
    09/19/2023

    In an internal vote, members of the Pirate Party have called on its representatives in the governing coalition to demand the immediate removal of Pavel Blažek of the Civic Democrats as justice minister. The vote was convened after reports of a meeting between the minister and Martin Nejedlý, a close associate of ex-president Miloš Zeman with ties to Russia.

    The Pirates also voted to call on leader Ivan Bartoš to discuss the matter with the Mayors party, with which the Pirates stood in the last elections.

    The prime minister, Petr Fiala of the Civic Democrats, says ministers are chosen by whichever party controls a particular ministry.

    The head of the Mayors and Independents Party, Vít Rakušan, responded by saying the decision was in the hands of the Civic Democrats.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Pavel at UN: Russian war on Ukraine impacting Sustainable Development Goals
    09/18/2023

    The road to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set eight years ago under the 2030 Agenda is in great difficulty, with the Russian aggression in Ukraine having a direct impact, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, said on Monday at a United Nations summit in New York.

    Mr. Pavel said that Czechia was aware of its global responsibility and will therefore send USD 4 milion (about CZK 92 million) to the UN Green Climate Fund between 2024 and 2027 to support developing countries. The Czech government has already decided to do so.

    The Czech head of state is also due to make an address in the general debate of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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