Czech GDP growth slower 4.4 percent in first quarter of 2005

The Czech economy grew by 4.4 percent in the first quarter of 2005, the growth slowing down from 4.6 percent in the last quarter of 2004, the Czech Statistical Office announced on Thursday, adding that it had revised last year's GDP growth from 4 to 4.4 percent and the growth for 2003 from 3.7 to 3.2 percent. The GDP growth in the first three months of 2005 was pulled by foreign trade which showed a record surplus of 22.8 billion crowns, the Czech Statistical Office said.