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The diplomatic row over President Klaus’ visit to Ireland has divided Czech politicians, some have come out in his defense, others say his behaviour was inappropriate. Mr. Klaus, who in Dublin publicly labelled himself an EU dissident, chose to meet with the leader of the eurosceptic group Libertas Declan Ganley on Tuesday evening and made a number of outspoken comments about the EU which the Irish foreign ministry described as inappropriate intervention into the country’s internal affairs and an unprecedented breach of diplomatic courtesy. Mr. Klaus and the Irish foreign minister, Michael Martin, exchanged angry words via the press with Mr. Martin describing the Czech president’s comments as "misguided, misinformed and insulting" and Mr. Klaus calling him a hypocryte. In Prague, Prime Minister Topolánek said the president was free to voice his opinions and meet with whomever he pleased, but ministers for the Christian Democrats and the Green Party called his behaviour highly inappropriate, saying Mr. Klaus was rocking the boat ahead of the country’s EU presidency.

Croatia looks set to complete EU accession talks before the end of next year, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said after a meeting with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandrokovic in Prague on Thursday. Mr. Schwarzenberg reiterated the Czech view that further EU enlargement should not be linked to progress on the Lisbon treaty. Croatia is the hottest candidate for EU entry and the Croatian foreign minister said he hoped that the Czech Republic’s EU presidency would lend the accession talks new dynamics.

Giving Romany children equal access to mainstream education may take years, Education Minister Ondřej Liška said in response to a critical report by the European Roma Rights Centre on Thursday. The report said that many Romany children were still being placed in special schools for children with learning problems and handicaps which dramatically lowered their chances of later integrating in society. A number of government programmes in aid of Romany children were introduced within the 2005 education reform but minister Liška said it was too soon to see results. He said he expected a marked improvement by 2011.

The National Reference Laboratory for AIDS says the number of HIV cases registered in the Czech Republic in the first ten months of this year has already surpassed last years overall figure. The 128 cases registered up until the end of October indicate the steepest growth in the spread of HIV since testing started in the mid-1980s. In all, the laboratory has registered 1,170 HIV cases of both Czechs and foreigners living in the Czech Republic. Of those 261 have developed full-blown AIDS. 142 people have died of AIDS in this country.