Czech and Austrian Presidents play down tensions

The Czech and Austrian Presidents, Vaclav Havel and Thomas Klestil, have agreed that the differences between the two countries over the Temelin nuclear power plant should not be linked to the Czech Republic's accession talks with the European Union. Mr Klestil said that both he and the Austrian government were working actively for EU enlargement. At a meeting in Prague the two presidents agreed that they could understand the concerns of people protesting against the Temelin plant, but that the solution was not to blockade the Czech-Austrian border, as has occurred on several occasions recently. Czech-Austrian relations have been under strain since Temelin was put into trial operation in September despite Austrian protests.