• Police-force losing officers due to new civil service law
    02/22/2007

    Over 1,000 officers have left the police force since the beginning of this year after a new civil service law slashed their pay. Deputy Interior Minister Jaroslav Salivar said that the vast majority of them had served in the force for the greater part of their lives. Police officers criticize the new civil service law for having stripped them of bonuses for work on holidays, at the weekends and for night shifts. The police force has said it would try to find some other form of financial compensation.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech Republic wants extradition deal with the Seychelles
    02/22/2007

    A Czech government delegation is in the Seychelles to negotiate a bilateral agreement on the extradition of criminals. According to foreign ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Kuncova no details of the talks will be disclosed for the time being. The Czech Republic has intensified its efforts to speed up the signing of an extradition deal in connection with the case of the Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir who is being prosecuted for extensive fraud and conspiracy to murder in the Czech Republic. Seychelles authorities are cooperating with the Czech police but have refused to extradite Krejcir on the grounds that he is a Seychelles citizen.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Opposition criticises government over EU Constitution
    02/22/2007

    The opposition Social Democratic Party has criticized the Czech government for its negative stand with regard to the EU constitution. Shadow foreign minister Lubomir Zaoralek said on Thursday that the Czech government had taken a biased stand and was showing a lack of willingness in the search for consensus, which could harm the Czech Republic's position in the EU. Like Britain and Poland, the Czech Republic is seen as one of the strongest opponent of the EU treaty.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President Klaus to visit US in March
    02/22/2007

    President Klaus is to visit the United States in March to discuss the possible deployment of a US radar base on Czech territory. According to Thursday's edition of Mlada Fronta Dnes the Czech president will meet with US Vice-President Dick Cheney to discuss the conditions of such a deal. Unlike Poland, the Czech Republic has not yet raised any conditions in connection with the radar base and talks are expected to last until the end of the year. Critics of the US plan emphasize the fact that the American missile defence system in central Europe would not adequately address Europe's defence needs.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czechs polled on NATO membership
    02/22/2007

    Fifty-five percent of Czechs approve of their country's membership in NATO, according to the results of a survey conducted by the CVVM agency. Twenty nine percent of respondents criticized the country's presence in NATO and over 15 percent said they did not concern themselves with the issue. Those who approve of NATO membership argued that in the present day a country the size of the Czech Republic needed to be part of a collective defence system. 41 percent of respondents in the poll said NATO membership protected the Czech Republic's independence, while 54 percent said it made the country dependent on foreign powers.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Grygera signs five-year contract with Juventus
    02/22/2007

    Ajax Amsterdam's Czech international Zdenek Grygera has signed a five-year contract with Juventus, starting on July 1, the club said in a statement. Terms were not disclosed for the deal which takes effect a day after the 26-year-old defender's contract with Ajax runs out.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Former Defence Minister denies knowledge of corruption in Gripen case
    02/21/2007

    Former Social Democrat defence minister Jaroslav Tvrdik says he was never approached by lobbyists concerning the purchase of Gripen fighter jets for the Czech air force. Mr Tvrdik stressed he never encountered any signs of corrupt practices while in office. According to reports by the Swedish press, unexplained bank transfers and large-scale bribery accompanied negotiations about the purchase and eventual leasing of a fleet of Gripen fighters to the Czech Republic by the British-Swedish consortium BAE Systems-Saab.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Rice deplores Russian comment on missile shield
    02/21/2007

    US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected criticism of the US plans to build a missile shield in Central Europe and described hostile Russian comment as "extremely unfortunate". Dr Rice was reacting to remarks by General Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia's strategic forces, who said on Monday that if Poland and the Czech Republic accepted parts of the US system on their territories Russian missile forces would be "capable of having these installations as their targets". Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, Dr Rice said that the planned missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic was designed to counter a threat from Iran.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Czech Republic to donate weapons, helicopters to Afghanistan
    02/21/2007

    The cabinet has approved a weapons donation from the Czech Republic to Afghan armed forces. The country will donate 20,000 submachine guns and 650 machine guns worth more than 30 million Czech crowns (or 1.4 million US dollars) to Afghanistan. The Defence Ministry says the weapons were surplus to their requirements, adding that the donation was part of international efforts to improve the security situation and boost democracy in Afghanistan. In March, the government is going to discuss a delivery of 12 transport and combat helicopters. The weapons should be delivered to Afghanistan by the end of the year.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Amendment provides EU citizens easier access to Czech farmland
    02/21/2007

    The government has approved legislation which will make it easier for foreigners from EU countries to purchase farmland in the Czech Republic. The amendment has yet to be passed by parliament and signed by the president. The changes had earlier been criticised by Czech farmers' associations. Previously, EU citizens were required to prove they had lived in the country for three years, were able to speak Czech and were experts in the field of farming. The government says the previous legislation was not in line with EU law.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

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