Prime Minister Spidla's US visit focuses on the business of Iraq

Earlier this week Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla and a delegation including the foreign minister and the minister of industry and trade, began a week-long official visit to the US. On Tuesday Mr Spidla met with US President George W Bush at a highly-touted meeting at the White House to discuss international relations. Jan Velinger spoke to Czech Radio correspondent Vit Pohanka, - currently in Washington. He began by asking him what had been the dominant issue on the table...

Prime Minister Spidla's US visit focuses on the business of Iraq

Vladimir Spidla and George W Bush, photo: CTK

"It seems that the most important topic was Czech participation in the reconstruction of Iraq. That is why Prime Minister Spidla and Trade and Industry Minister Urban met with people from Bechtel, the people who actually got the managing contract. Mr Spidla and Mr Urban want Czech companies to participate in reconstruction. The Czech argument is that the Czechs built a lot of pipelines, a lot of refineries, in the 1970s and 80s. But, Iraq these days is a completely different country. I would just wonder how far this suggestion that the Czechs have got some experience with Iraq will sail."

Let me ask you this - the prime minister and his delegation - which includes the foreign minister, the trade and industry minister - have several days remaining in the US. What are some of the stops on their visit that could be important either in terms of business or at least in terms of raising the profile of the Czech Republic?

"Well, first of all Prime Minister Spidla is going to Houston and he wants to visit the headquarters of NASA's operation centre. Probably this is going to be just a "see" sort of visit. But, then he's going to see the Hewitt-Packard headquarters as well. Now, this is just speculation, but that looks that there might be major investment in the Czech Republic. Then, the prime minister is going to Miami and this is something that the Czech ambassador to the US promotes: Czech involvement in future democratic processes in Cuba. That is why he's going to Miami, he's going to meet some people who were formerly imprisoned as political prisoners, and he's going to attend a special concert."

Vladimir Spidla

If one were to sum up this first visit by Mr Spidla then it would be kind of a mix of everything: a bit of public relations, a bit of business, and finally the strengthening of some democratic principles as you say...

"Definitely, that's what it is."

On the whole, do you think Mr Spidla in the short-term has something to gain politically on the home front from this visit, or will it be business as usual upon his return?

"I think definitely. Because, as some will know by comparison President Klaus was in the United States, in Colorado, quite recently and he definitely wasn't given the same welcome, the same official recognition that Mr Spidla has received. I do wonder what it means if you've got a head of state who comes to the country and meets only Vice President Dick Cheney - unofficially, and just stays on a ranch somewhere. That seems to be telling."