News of Radio Prague

Defence committee recommends passing of government-sponsored bill on Czech air defence

The Chamber of Deputies defence committee has recommended that the lower house pass a government-sponsored bill allowing the U.S. Air Force to help guard Czech airspace during the NATO summit in Prague this November 21-22. Of all the parties only the Communists did not support the bill at the committee level. The Lower House is now set to debate the bill either this Thursday or Friday. In related news Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik told the defence committee Wednesday that the USA would deploy up to fifteen fighter jets as part of the operation to protect Czech airspace, with F- 15 and F-16s taking off from bases in the Czech Republic, Britain, Germany and Italy. A total of 250 U.S. soldiers will serve in the operation and who will legally not be accountable for damages in the event of an accident or attack. Any strike would first have to be approved by the Czech defence minister or a chosen deputy.

Czech Foreign Minister admits Lukashenko may be refused visa

The Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has indicated that the Czech government may refuse Belarussian President Alexandr Lukashenko entry to the Czech Republic; the leader of the former-Soviet country applied for a visa in order to be able to attend November's NATO summit in Prague. In an interview with Czech Radio on Wednesday Foreign Minister Svoboda admitted that the government was hesitant over issuing an entry visa to Mr Lukashenko, on the grounds that his regime suppressed human rights; he added that cabinet ministers were also trying to gather information on the case of Belarussian opposition leader Anatoly Lebedko, before reaching a decision - the opposition leader was detained in Minsk on Tuesday on possible charges of treason.

Czech forces stage mock riot to help prepare for NATO summit

Black-clad demonstrators battled Czech police with rocks and bottles on Wednesday as part of a staged riot held near the town of Milovice, some fifty kilometers from Prague. The mock riot was staged to help Czech forces gear up for the NATO summit to be held in Prague later this month, the Czech Republic's largest security operation ever. An estimated 12,000 police and soldiers are preparing for the arrival of more than 40 leaders for the key meeting in the third week of November. Recalling the violent clashes that erupted in the czech capital two years ago at the meeting of the International Monetary Fund, Czech police chief Jiri Kolar said on Wednesday that police would be more pro-active this time around if anti-globalisation protesters tried to force their way into Prague's Congress Centre, the key locoation for summit talks.

Russian Foreign Ministry accuses Czech TV of supporting Chechen terrorists

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the Czech Republic's public national television station, Czech TV, of supporting Chechen terrorists, a charge that the station's spokesman Richard Klatovsky has categorically denied. On its internet pages the Russian Foreign Ministry points to a two-year-old documentary film on Chechnya, re-shown on Czech TV shortly just after the recent hostage crisis in Moscow, as evidence of pro-Chechen support. Chechen terrorists threatened to kill hundreds of innocent people in that crisis, before they themselves were killed by Russian special forces. Czech TV's spokesman said that Czech TV in no way supported terrorism and denied that the programme supported any such aims.

Government proposes date for referendum on EU entry

The Czech government has proposed June 15th and 16th , 2003, as the dates for a referendum that will decide the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union; the final decision on the day of voting now lies with President Vaclav Havel. The Czechs are one of ten candidate nations in final talks to join the EU in the first half of 2004. Entering the 15-nation bloc has been a top priority for many post-Communist countries like the Czech Republic; however, difficult negotiations concerning the conditions of entry, especially limitations of labour movement and farm subsidies, have lowered EU support among many citizens. The region's politicians have agreed to hold referenda in succession beginning with Hungary, where support is highest, in the hope that a positive results will influence anti-EU voters in other candidate countries, to reconsider their choice.

Defence committee approves General Pavel Stefka as next army chief-of-staff

The Chamber of Deputies defence committee has approved General Pavel Stefka to replace outgoing General Sedivy as the next army chief-of-staff. General Stefka must now wait appointment by President Vaclav Havel, before taking office on December 1. On Wednesday Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik confirmed that he had proposed several candidates from the military command, but stressed that Mr Stefka would enjoy his absolute support, adding that he and the general shared similar opinions on the state of armed forces, as well as on military reform. Under Czech law the defence committee cannot prevent the appointment of a chief-of-staff but the committee is obliged to debate all candidate nominations.

Weather

Friday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of scattered showers and sleet. Day-time temperatures will reach highs between just 2 and 6 degrees Celsius.