News

Prague Castle is hosting an international conference on 20 years of Czech membership in the EU. Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that in the past two decades the EU had significantly contributed to Czechia’s security and prosperity and the country had shown itself to be a reliable member, ready to take on its share of responsibility and defend European values. Mr. Fiala also spoke of the need to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and expressed support for EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine, which he said would become an essential security guarantee in the years to come.

Addressing the gathering, President Petr Pavel said Czechia should adopt the euro in order to become a first-league player in Europe. Pavel indirectly criticized the government’s unwillingness to set a date for euro adoption, saying that only those countries that have not yet adopted the currency are dissatisfied with the euro.

In a video message to participants, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Czechia for actively helping Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression and expressed the hope that his country would one day be able to join the alliance. Europe can only be strong if no one is left out in the cold, he said.

The 20th anniversary of the country’s accession to the EU will also be marked by a gala concert at the Rudolfinum performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The Chamber of Commerce of the Czech Republic is also planning an event on 4 April to mark the anniversary and to evaluate EU membership from a business perspective.

A fire warning for the entire country in the coming days, issued in connection with the warm, dry and windy weather, has led to a ban in Prague on lighting fires in high-risk places such as parks, gardens and woodland areas until midnight Thursday. The ban is intended to limit the traditional bonfires on Walpurgis or witch burning night, on Tuesday, April 30. Large events taking place under the supervision of firefighters can go ahead.

Czechia will continue to seek compensation from Russia through diplomatic channels for the ammunition depot explosions in Vrbětice in 2014, Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said at a press briefing on Monday. The explosions killed two people and caused close to a billion crowns in damages. Martin Smolek, of the Foreign Ministry's legal and consular section, said that while there was no hope of getting Russia to take responsibility for the attack at present, the situation could change in the future.

Minister Rakušan said the police have proof  that the Vrbětice explosions were carried out by members of the Russian military intelligence agency GRU, whose motive was to prevent the delivery of weapons to the places where the Russians were conducting operations.

Tuesday should be clear and dry around the country with day temperatures between 22 and 27 degrees Celsius.