News

Retail sales in Czechia have been declining year-on-year for 17 consecutive months, according to data published by the Czech Statistics Office on Tuesday.

In September, the decline accelerated to 4.0 percent from a 2.8 percent decrease in August. On a month-on-month basis, retail sales fell by 0.4 per cent in September.

Czech consumers spent less especially on non-essential consumer goods and food. On the contrary, sales of fuels in September continued to grow.

Russia’s imperialist ambitions are a threat to Czechia’s independence and sovereignty, which is obvious even in the light of historical experience, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a speech at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna on Wednesday, in which he presented the key message of the country’s new national security strategy adopted by the government earlier this year.

The document, which was updated for the first time since 2015, states, among other things, that Russia is deliberately working against political, economic and social stability in the Czech Republic and is a threat to security. According to the material, China presents a challenge to the international order with negative consequences for Euro-Atlantic security.

Germany will maintain border controls with Czechia and its other neighbor states, which it reinstated in mid-October, the DPA news agency reported. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the prime ministers of the federal states agreed on their extension on Monday night. During the meeting, which lasted for more than six hours, the top officials also agreed on a new distribution of costs for asylum seekers or speeding up asylum procedures, DPA said. The checks are conducted on a random basis. German police patrols will also check vehicles on the motorway between Prague and Dresden.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Monday met for talks with his newly-appointed Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanár from the ruling SMER party. The talks focused on bilateral relations, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and migration problems that have led several EU member states to renew border controls.

Mr. Lipavský said at a press briefing following the talks, that despite differences of opinion on certain issues, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have exceptionally close ties and would continue to cooperate closely in areas where they have common interests, such as pushing for a viable European migration pact.

In the past, Czechia and Slovakia were both staunch supporters of Ukraine, but after the appointment of the new Slovak coalition government at the end of October, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made it clear that his country would stop all military aid to Ukraine. Slovak foreign minister Juraj Blanár said that despite divisions among the Visegrad Group member states on this issue, he hoped that the alliance encompassing Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary would remain active and functional.

He said that in line with tradition, the new Slovak prime minister’s first foreign visit would be to the Czech Republic. It is expected to take place on November 24.