Czech PM talks with US President-elect Barack Obama

The Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek had a telephone conversation with the US President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday night, according to a press release issued by the Czech government. The conversation between Mr Topolánek and Mr Obama was under the auspices of the Czech presidency of the EU, and was likely designed for Mr Obama to collect information and convey his interest in the six-month long chairing of the EU by the Czech Republic. According to media reports, Mr Obama sought to learn about Czech priorities during the EU presidency and also conveyed appreciation for Czech engagement during the Israel-Gaza conflict. President-elect Obama has repeatedly stated that there is “only one president at a time” and that he does not represent US foreign policy until he is sworn in on January 20, thus it is unlikely that any foreign policy issues such as the Israeli-Gaza conflict or Russian gas crisis were discussed in great detail.

Author: Dominik Jůn