News

Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová and her Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto met for one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the Globsec international conference in Prague to discuss security issues and bilateral cooperation in defense. The Czech defense minister stressed the need for NATO to adopt a new strategy towards Russia, which is waging a war against the West through cyberattacks and sponsoring terrorist and arson attacks on NATO territory. The meeting also focused on the purchase of US F-35 fifth-generation aircraft for the Czech military. The purchase of 24 F-35 fighter jets for approximately 150 billion crowns was approved by the Czech government last September. The final assembly of the first 12 aircraft for the Czech Republic is to take place at the Cameri plant in Italy.

“If we want true peace, we must fundamentally rethink the foundation of Europe's security architecture,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a keynote speech at the Globsec security conference in Prague. The EU chief said that while she could not overemphasize the importance of the US' support for Ukraine since the start of the war, she said protecting Europe is first and foremost Europe's duty.

“While NATO must remain the centre of our collective defence, we need a much stronger European pillar,” von der Leyen said, stressing that innovation and competitiveness are not only an essential part of Europe’s future prosperity, but they are also an essential and crucial part of its long-term security. The EC president spoke of the need for a systemic overhaul of Europe's defence, and announced that she would appoint a fully-fledged Defence Commissioner in the next Commission.

Ursula von der Leyen also stressed the importance of continued support for Ukraine, saying that those who argue to stop support for the country do not argue for peace, but for appeasement and the subjugation of Ukraine.

Another keynote speaker at the conference, Czech President Petr Pavel, echoed those sentiments, saying that there is still room for greater effectiveness in helping Ukraine, strengthening anti-Russian sanctions and weakening the ability of Russian industry to support the war.

"We live in an increasingly conflict-ridden world. Yet I still firmly believe that an international order based on rules and cooperation is beneficial not only for the West but for all members of the international community," the Czech president said.

He also stressed the need for Europe to increase its competitiveness, saying that although the Old Continent remains a leader in many areas, it is falling behind the United States, some Asian countries and India in a number of technology sectors. "It is time to recognize that our technological competence and development strongly shapes our geopolitical relevance and the security of our citizens," Mr. Pavel said, praising the creation of the new GeoTech Center, a platform aimed at fostering greater cooperation between governments and businesses in Europe, the US and democratic countries the world over.

The three-day Globsec international conference is hosting around ten prime ministers and presidents, along with twenty defense and foreign ministers from across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. This year's main theme, "How to Calm the Storm," focuses on security and international relations.

Temperature records for August 29 were broken at 22 out of 169 monitoring stations around the country. The highest temperature was measured in Doksany in Litoměřice, where it reached  36.3 degrees Celsius in the afternoon hours. Meteorologists expect similarly high temperatures on Friday. A heat warning for southern Moravia remains in place through Saturday until further notice.  People are being advised to stay out of the sun as much as possible, increase their intake of liquids and not leave children or animals in direct sunlight, especially in parked cars.

A number of well-known personalities and representatives of minorities have signed a petition calling on democratic-minded parties to publicly distance themselves from political marketing that stirs up hatred in society. The call came in response to a campaign by the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party which put up billboards of Romani boys smoking cigarettes which the signatories described as “openly racist” and “an unacceptable abuse of children in campaigning". The petition was signed by theatre director Břetislav Rychlík, the director of the Museum of Romani Culture, Jana Horváthová, musician Iva Bittová, auxiliary bishop of Prague and Charter 77 signatory Václav Malý, priest Tomáš Halík, former politician Petr Pithart and director of the Romea organization Zdeněk Ryšavý.