PM: we must deepen economic ties, but continue to defend human rights

Nurturing relations with the country’s neighbors and allies is the pillar of Czech foreign policy, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said at a gathering of Czech diplomats on Monday. He said the country’s key partners are its neighbor countries, predominantly Germany, the US, Israel, France and the United Kingdom. In bilateral relations with Germany, the prime minister emphasized the need to develop a better transport infrastructure, as regards the United States, he called for a trade agreement between the EU and the U.S.  He said the Czech Republic also plans to strengthen its diplomatic mission in Jerusalem.

Mr. Babiš emphasized the importance of economic diplomacy, urging diplomats to look for areas where economic cooperation could be improved. At the same time, he said, the defense of human rights must remain one of the pillars of Czech foreign policy.

As regards relations with Russia, the prime minister said they were at “freezing point” and there appeared to be no interest on the side of Russia to improve them.

The prime minister also expressed serious concern about the situation in Afghanistan, which he said threatened to escalate into a massive refugee crisis.