Czech officials welcome Irish yes, call for early ratification in Czech Republic

Czech government and party leaders have welcomed the outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty and urged its speedy ratification by the Czech Republic. Foreign Minister Jan Kohout said the Irish “yes” should serve as an inspiration to the Czech Republic, while Minister for European Affairs Stefan Fulle described it as a big challenge, saying that if the Czech Republic were to be the country to bring the treaty to life he hoped it would happen sooner rather than later. Caretaker Prime Minister Jan Fischer, who is to meet with EU officials next week to discuss the way forward on Lisbon, has expressed the conviction that the treaty’s ratification will be concluded by the end of the year.