Prime Minister Topolanek considers Melk Agreement as closed

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has said the Czech government will approve a document on Wednesday under which the Melk Agreement between Prague and Vienna is considered closed. The agreement, signed in 2000, commits the Czechs to expert security at the Temelin nuclear power plant in South Bohemia. Speaking with Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Deputy Chancellor Wilhem Molterer in the Austrian capital on Monday, Mr Topolanek said the Czech Republic had met all terms. He added that border blockades and other such protests at the Temelin plant by Austrian anti-nuclear activists would be considered a violation of European directives and practices.

In Vienna, Mr Topolanek also objected to efforts at delaying the expansion of the Schengen zone. The Czech Republic is scheduled to enter the border-free zone at the start of next year but Austria has signalled that it would prefer to delay the enlargement process by several months or even a year.