Palestinian president to visit Prague

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, is to visit Prague, the ČTK news agency reported on Thursday. The visit is scheduled for February 2nd and is in response to an invitation issued by the Czech president Václav Klaus. Mr Abbas will be greeted at Prague Castle at 10am with military honours, before engaging in a series of negotiations related to the current strife in Gaza and ongoing efforts towards the “two-state solution.” The visit comes against the backdrop of the Czech EU presidency, in which the Czech government, primarily Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg have played an active role in recent efforts to mediate Israeli-Palestinian tensions.