President Pavel: Democratic nations must unite to protect world order
Speaking at a security conference in Prague, President Petr Pavel expressed deep concern regarding the disruption of the world order and the increasing assertiveness of revisionist powers and terrorist groups. He said the democratic world must unite in defence of its values and do everything possible to prevent existing conflicts from spreading.
Addressing a Diplomacy and Security Conference at Czernin Palace, President Pavel said global security was deteriorating and the world has become a less safe and less predictable place for all.
“Existing conflicts continue deepening and new ones are breaking out. Frozen conflicts are thawing in the Caucasus and the wave of military coups in African countries, especially in the Sahel, is causing increasing concern. The explosive potential of the current crisis in the Middle East, sparked by Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel, is evident above all else."
The president warned that Russia is “far from defeated” in Ukraine, and Russia's imperialist ambitions reach far beyond Ukraine’s borders. He said time was playing in Russia’s favour, and Moscow’s strategy is a drawn-out conflict, which would give it time to top up both equipment and human resources. Russia is benefitting from war fatigue and is waiting for the outcome of the US presidential election in the hope that America might halt military support for Kyiv, Pavel warned.
He said the democratic world must stand firm in the defence of its values and do everything possible to prevent existing conflicts from spreading. Diplomacy, he said, must be used to its full potential, and should always precede a military solution.
“We have to negotiate and win over new partners and allies. We cannot allow those who consider the present world order to be an instrument of the West in enforcing its interests and who are working to destroy it –to succeed in this. At the same time, we must be open to revising the world order in response to significant changes in the world.”
According to the head of state, Czech diplomacy must be more active in the countries of the global South, which are vulnerable in many respects. Their instability or inclination towards authoritarian leaders pose a real security threat, Pavel said.
"I have repeatedly stressed that we have left a number of countries, particularly in Africa, at the mercy of Russian and Chinese influence and have not offered them an attractive alternative.”
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský echoed these sentiments, saying that Czech diplomacy was making up for lost time in this respect and was actively working to counter the influence of countries seeking to divide.
"The resilience of the world order to the influence of those who want to change or destroy it will depend on whether we will be able to explain our position to the countries of Africa and Asia. We must also do our best to prevent Russia and China from weakening Czech and EU ties with the countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership –that means renewing old ties and forging new ones. And explaining our position.”
