EU External Relations Commissioner meets with Schwarzenberg

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner met with Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on Friday to discuss the upcoming EU presidency, saying the Czech Republic faced numerous tasks in international relations over its six-month tenure. The commissioner outlined the country’s importance in partnership with countries including Ukraine, Georgia, Moldavia and others. She also said it would be up to the Czech presidency to establish contact with the new US President Barack Obama after he took office. Czech officials had indicated earlier they would aim for a meeting between Mr Obama and EU leaders in the Czech capital next spring, but no official word has been given yet.