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The Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, on an official visit to Brazil, has met with the country's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Mr Paroubek and President Lula met on Friday, discussing economic issues as well as domestic and foreign policy - with Mr Paroubek revealing plans for the Brazilian president to visit Prague in the coming months. The Czech prime minister stressed support for Brazil's effort to gain permanent member status in the United Nations Security Council, saying he expected that Brazil would show similar support for the Czech Republic, aspiring to become a Security Council elected member.

The Communist Party has officially launched its campaign towards this year's national election to be held in June, criticising the country's largest opposition party, the right-of-centre Civic Democrats, currently leading in opinion polls. Party head Vojtech Filip indicated that the current government coalition leaders, the left-of-centre Social Democrats, have far more in common on policy issues, and there are indications the Communist Party would be willing to support a future minority Social Democrat government following elections in June.

All the same, this week saw former Communist Party leader Miroslav Grebenicek clash with his successor Mr Filip, whom he criticised for being too soft on the Social Democratic Party - in government now for two successive terms. The Communist Party officially announced its campaign on Saturday at Prague's Congress centre but its former chairman Miroslav Grebenicek was notably absent.

A dispute has arisen between Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and President Vaclav Klaus over the protocol of a visit to Prague by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Just before Mr Putin arrived this week, Mr Paroubek said cabinet ministers would not sign a treaty with Russia at the president's office at Prague Castle; he insisted that the ceremony take place at the Office of the Government a day later. In the end, however, the prime minister backed down and the signing took place at the Castle. The president's office has accused Mr Paroubek of attempting blackmail, while he said it had behaved incorrectly.

A Czech farmers group has called for a ban on the transport of poultry within the European Union. The South Moravian Agrarian Chamber also wants the state to make so-called "intervention purchases" of Czech poultry, and says the importing of cheap poultry into the Czech Republic could pose a health risk. A spokesperson for the ministry of agriculture said its priority was to support sales by reassuring customers that Czech poultry was safe. No cases of bird flu have been recorded in the Czech Republic, but it has been detected in some neighbouring states.