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09/14/2007
Most of Central Europe's Social Democrat leaders have signed a joint statement calling for a moratorium on more ballistic missiles being located in the region. The statement was issued following a meeting in Prague attended by representatives from social democratic parties in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Germany. The statement also said that all EU and NATO countries should be involved in negotiations on the placement of a new US missile base and radar station in Poland and the Czech Republic as part of a missile defence shield against so-called rogue states such as Iran. The statement also calls for greater consultation on the issue with Russia, which has been a fierce critic of the proposed military installations. Only the representative from the Hungarian social democrats did not sign the statement.
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09/14/2007
American Secretary of Defence Robert Gates is to visit the Czech Republic to meet with Czech politicians and discuss the possible establishment of a US radar base in the country, according to the Czech Press Agency (CTK). Citing what it calls "a reliable source", CTK says Mr Gates meetings should take place on 20 and 21 October. The US embassy in Prague has so far declined to comment on the report. A number of senior American political figures have already visited the Czech Republic to promote the proposed radar. Nevertheless, opinion polls suggest that a large majority of Czechs are against having the military facility in their country.
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09/14/2007
US Democrat Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher said on Friday that a proposed US missile defence system involving radar and missile bases in the Czech Republic and Poland must be fully incorporated into NATO and it must protect both Europe and the United States.
Ms Tauscher made her comments in Prague after heading a three-member Congressional delegation, which had talks with Czech politicians on the US plan to station a radar base in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland. Congressmen Jim Cooper (Democrats) and Michael Turner (Republicans) were the other two members of the delegation. Apart from Prague, the American politicians also visited Warsaw and Brussels.
Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar said he welcomed the fact that the US Congress preferred the missile defence shield to be connected with NATO. The American delegation said that the Democrats and the Republicans clearly agreed on the need for the anti-missile system.
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09/14/2007
Meanwhile, the mayors of municipalities in the west-Bohemian Brdy region, which is the proposed site of the aforementioned US radar base, have expressed their dissatisfaction with information presented to them after a meeting on Friday with Ministry of Defence officials on the issue.
Most of the municipal representatives said in the wake of the meeting that they had not received any new information concerning the establishment of a US radar facility in the area. They cited the potential health hazards posed by the radar, the status of US military personnel on Czech territory, and the radar base's impact on tourism and real estate prices in the region as major areas of concern.
The Minister of Defence Vlasta Parkanova has promised more detailed studies of the proposed radar base's effect on the region.
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09/14/2007
President Vaclav Klaus has praised the legacy of the first President of Czechoslovakia Tomas Garrigue Masaryk on the seventieth anniversary of his death. Speaking at a special commemorative event in Prague Castle on Thursday night, Mr Klaus said that President Masaryk's legacy in establishing the first Czechoslovak Republic was a "constant source of inspiration for Czech democracy." Besides President Klaus, the event was also attended by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and former president Vaclav Havel among other dignitaries. Tomas Garrigue Masaryk died on 14 September 1937 at eighty-seven years of age.
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09/14/2007
Two people have died after the ultra-light airplane they were flying in crashed into a field near the west Bohemian town of Varnsdorf. The plane's two passengers - a man and a woman aged between 60 and 70 years of age - were found dead at the scene. Police are currently investigating the causes of the crash.
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09/14/2007
The Czech Finance Ministry has confirmed that Czech government debt rose by 53.6 billion CZK (2.7 billion US dollars) in the first six months of 2007 to 856.1 billion CZK (43.2 billion US dollars). According to the ministry, the accumulation of state budget deficits were primarily responsible for the debt. Government debt is currently financed by treasury bills, government bonds, direct loans or loans from the European Investment Bank.
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09/14/2007
The country's national air carrier, Czech Airlines (CSA), has announced that it is going to change its logo. The new logo will comprise the letters CSA written in white in a red triangle. A spokesman for the company said the airline's old logo was considered to be too dull and eastern European, which could lead to negative perceptions of the standard of services provided. The new logo will also include the words ""Czech Airlines" to make it more understandable for foreign clients who now make up 80 percent of CSA's passengers.
The change of logo is part of an overall re-branding process within CSA, which includes new designs for its staff uniforms and sales outlets.
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09/13/2007
Former Agriculture Minister Milena Vicenova has been appointed the new Czech ambassador to the European Union. Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra made the announcement on Wednesday evening. Mrs. Vicenova will replace current ambassador Jan Kohout, who has been recalled before the end of his term in Brussels. The government said that it wanted to bring in a new ambassador now to prepare for the important period leading up to the country's presidency of the EU in the first half of 2009. According to Mr. Vondra, Mrs. Vicenova is only the second woman to join the diplomatic corps in Brussels. At present, only Luxembourg has a female ambassador to the EU, he said.
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09/13/2007
The Mandate and Immunity Committee of the lower house recommended on Thursday that Communist MP Josef Vodruska should be stripped of his political immunity. Mr. Vondruska stands accused of torturing political prisoners when he worked as a prison guard in Minkovice jail in the 1980s. Police want to question Mr. Vondruska in connection with charges filed by former inmates. Mr. Vondruska denies all allegations. The lower house is expected to make a final decision on the matter in late September.
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