News

President Klaus attends WWII ceremony in Moscow

On Monday, the Czech President Vaclav Klaus joined his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and over 50 other world leaders for a ceremony in Moscow marking the victory over Nazi Germany. Some critics, including former President Vaclav Havel, have questioned the attendance of Central and Eastern European leaders, pointing out that the liberation from Nazi Germany by the Red Army resulted in several decades of authoritarian Soviet communist rule. President Klaus said that the liberation of Czechoslovakia and the later political development in Central Europe could not be confused.

Klaus criticises awarding of Jaruzelski at Moscow celebrations

During his visit to Moscow, President Vaclav Klaus expressed criticism at the fact that the former Polish President Wojciech Jaruzelski was among those who received medals from the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Before leaving Moscow, President Klaus told President Putin that despite Mr Jaruzelski's role in the defeat of Nazism, for Czech citizens he remained a symbol of the 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops. Wojciech Jaruzelski was Poland's Defence Minister when Polish units, along with Soviet, Hungarian, Bulgarian and East German troops invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968, putting an end to the reforms of the Prague Spring.

Klaus: Putin to visit CR, Bush thanked for Czech involvement in military operations

Following his Moscow visit President Klaus told reporters that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was planning a visit to the Czech Republic. Mr Putin has never paid an official visit to the Czech Republic and President Klaus did not rule out it might take place this year. Mr Klaus also told reporters that the US President George W. Bush, who also took part in the celebrations, thanked him for the Czech involvement in the US-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Wallstrom presents ten arguments in favour of EU Constitution in Prague

The Vice-President of the European Commission, Margot Wallstrom, who's on a visit to the Czech Republic, has presented her ten arguments in favour of the adoption of the EU Constitution. The CTK news agency wrote that although she never mentioned the Czech President Vaclav Klaus, Ms Wallstrom's ten arguments came across as a response to Mr Klaus's ten objections to the EU Constitution that he recently published. While Mr Klaus warns that European countries will lose their right to create their own laws and the Czech Republic's decision-making power will be reduced, Ms Wallstrom argues that the constitutional treaty will bring fairer and more efficient decision-making in the EU and will simplify its legal system.

Basta's agenda to be determined after his return from Moscow

The Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda will distribute tasks among his deputies only after the replacement in the post of his first deputy has taken place, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday. The current first deputy Jan Winkler is to be replaced by the Czech Ambassador to Moscow, Jaroslav Basta of the Social Democrats. The nomination of Mr Basta was approved by the Social Democrat leadership on Friday. The filling of the post by the Social Democrats is considered of key importance by some of the party's members who believe that this will ensure greater influence of the party on the country's foreign policy. Some Social Democrat MPs have made their support for the government of Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek in a confidence vote conditional on this move.

Weather

We can expect partly cloudy skies over the next couple of days, with daytime temperatures hovering around 13 degrees Celsius.