German president attends Czech celebrations of EU membership in Prague

German President Frank Walter Steinmeier also attended celebrations marking 20 years of Czech membership in the EU. Addressing a conference on the EU in Prague, President Steinmeier said that the anniversary of the “Big Bang” expansion in which ten countries from Central and Eastern Europe joined the alliance is an opportunity to reflect on what the Union has achieved, what is at risk and what needs to be done for a common secure future. He said Russia's aggression had drawn the EU member states closer and they must pull together to avert the security threat presented by the Putin regime.

President Steinmeier held talks in Prague with President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala. They discussed the upcoming European elections, support for Ukraine, global security and energy issues, business and trade and cross-border cooperation. The German president noted that “Czech-German relations have never been better”.