Petr Kolář: cut in local employees will present problems for Czech House in Moscow

The cut in the number of local employees at the Czech Embassy in Moscow will present certain problems and will almost certainly paralyze the operation of the Czech House, former ambassador to Russia Petr Kolář, told Novinky. However he added that Czech diplomats and businessman can do without it. The Czech House serves as a hotel for visitors from the Czech Republic and a home base for some Czech companies operating in Russia. It houses a restaurant, bar, and fitness centre.

Moscow nodded to the Czech demand for a parity representation at the two countries’ embassies on Thursday, following a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats triggered by a diplomatic row over the Czech claim that Russian intelligence agents were behind a series of deadly blasts at a munitions depot in Moravia in 2014.

Under the agreement, Moscow and Prague will reduce the number of embassy staff at their respective representations to 7 diplomats, 25 administrative and technical workers and 19 local support staff by May 31.