President dismisses EU ambassador

President Vaclav Klaus has dismissed the Czech Republic's ambassador to the European Union Jan Kohout. A spokesman for Mr Klaus told the Czech Press Agency on Wednesday that the President had recalled Mr Kohout in accordance with the government's instructions and that he would be replaced by the former Agriculture Minister Milena Vicenova by the end of the year.

Mr Kohout's tenure as Czech ambassador to Brussels had been due to expire in May 2008. Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra had previously said that Mr Kohout was being dismissed early to give his successor time to prepare for the Czech Republic's presidency of the EU at the beginning of 2009. Some critics have claimed, however, that the move is politically motivated. Mr Kohout is a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party.