Czech Republic opens embassy in Kabul

The Czech Republic has opened an embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul. Speaking at the opening on Monday, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said it was important for the country to show support for Afghanistan. A Czech charge d'affaires is to run the embassy temporarily; a new ambassador has been selected but has not been officially presented yet. Czechoslovakia closed its embassy in the country in 1992.

While in Kabul, Mr Schwarzenberg and Czech Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova met the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, and visited a Czech field hospital in the city.