Trip to Russia by president’s advisor under fire

MP Jan Lipavský, a deputy for the Pirate Party and deputy chairman of the lower house’s foreign affairs committee, has called on Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček to revoke the diplomatic passport of the president's adviser, Martin Nejedlý, over his planned trip to Russia.

According to the news sites Respekt and Aktuálně.cz the visit was arranged by a Russian deputy prime minister. Speaking at a press conference in the lower house on Thursday deputy Lipavský said that in view of the fact that official representatives of the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation have not met at ministerial level for over ten years, the visit is a mockery of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

He added that he would consider it a waste of taxpayers' money if the Office of the President rented a private plane for this purpose.