News

The Canadian Embassy in Prague has reported a slight rise in the number of Czechs who have applied for asylum since visa requirements were lifted last year. The embassy’s spokeswoman revealed on Friday that an average of 53 people per month applied between last November and March, rising to 60 from April to June of this year. A high number of applications could force Canada to reassess visa-free relations with the Czech Republic, although the embassy stressed no such move was planned yet. Canada dropped visa requirements for Czechs last October and has made it known that if the number of those seeking asylum exceeded 580 cases this year (roughly 2 percent of all applications received by Canada) the country would reintroduce visa requirements. So far 267 Czechs, mostly ethnic Roma, have put forward applications.

A new poll released by the CVVM agency has suggested that most Czechs are not interested in the Czech Republic's upcoming EU presidency. The Czech Republic will assume the six-month presidency, currently presided by France, on January 1, 2009 but three quarters of those queried showed little interest in the issue: just 22 percent seemingly regarded it as important. Most did agree they had scant information on the issue, with only 15 percent answering that current information levels were enough.

Russian hockey team Avangard Omsk has reported it signed a two-year deal with a one-year option with Czech star Jaromír Jágr, a day after the NHL’s New York Rangers announced they had given up on the player and signed Markus Naslund in his stead. The departure marks the end of an era for Jágr: he spent 17 seasons in the NHL, winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished atop the player’s standings five times, and also won the Hart Trophy. Jágr has played for Russia’s Omsk before: he led the team to victory in the European Super Six in 2004/2005 during the NHL lockout.

The Czech Republic and the United States are set to sign a treaty on scientific and industrial cooperation, along with an agreement on positioning a U.S. radar base on Czech territory, the Czech news agency ČTK reported on Thursday. The treaty, which is similar to U.S. agreements signed with countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, should open up new opportunities for Czech scientists and companies. Both agreements are expected to be signed in Prague next week by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.

In related news, Social Democrat shadow foreign minister Lubomír Zaorálek said on Wednesday that the planned Czech –U.S. agreement on positioning a tracking radar base in the Czech Republic as part of the American anti-missile defence shield contradicted the Lisbon Treaty. Mr Zaorálek said the planned agreement went against the idea of joint European security policy as defined by the stalled EU reform document. If the Lisbon Treaty were in force today, member states would have to consult their bilateral security treaties with other EU countries.