News

A list of people cooperating with the civil intelligence services has been leaked by sources within the Economic Department of the Czech counter-intelligence agency BIS, the Aktualne.cz news website reported. The department focuses on the state's economic interest and deals with such issues as data security during privatisations, checking of applicants for state orders and monitoring the activities of financial groups. The data have already leaked into business circles. The person responsible for the leak is not yet known but it is clear that it must have been an employee of the Czech counter-intelligence service, the website reported.

The Czech state and the church should annually rotate the management of St Vitus cathedral at Prague Castle, former Czech president Vaclav Havel has proposed in an attempt to bring a solution to the ongoing dispute over the cathedral's ownership. Under Havel's plan, the cathedral and the nearby premises should be turned into a company managed by a ten-member board, consisting of five politicians and five church dignitaries. The head of the state and the Czech archbishop would annually rotate chairing the board. The two are however reserved to the proposal. The dispute over the most visited Czech church has been going on for more than 14 years. According to the last court ruling two weeks ago the cathedral will remain in the ownership of the state. However, the church has appealed the verdict.

The Czech Republic will launch an official website during its presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2009. The website will present the country and provide information in the ongoing agenda of the EU Council, joint declarations, speeches, upcoming events and other events. The internet pages in Czech, English and French versions will be officially launched on 1st January 2009, when the country takes over the EU presidency. The Czech Republic will also present itself by promotional items such as ties, pens or culinary products that will be distributed to EU officials and journalists. The Czech government has earmarked over 30 million crowns for the gifts.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg announced on Sunday that he was working on a plan to pull Czech forces out of Iraq. In an interview with Vaclav Moravec on Czech Television, Mr. Schwarzenberg said that the proposal would affect soldiers based in the Southern Iraqi town of Basra, but not those stationed in Baghdad. Mr. Schwarzenberg's announcement follows similar statements from the British and American governments - in recent months both have declared that they are planning to withdraw a number of their troops from Iraq. According to Mr. Schwarzenberg, no date has been fixed for the Czech troops' withdrawal just yet, as this still needs to be negotiated with allied forces. Around 100 Czech servicemen are currently posted in Iraq. Three of them are set to stay on and train Iraqi soldiers as part of the NATO mission in Baghdad.