Archive: Foreign policy | Diplomacy Diplomacy
Prague conference explores role of culture in diplomacy
This Thursday saw the hosting of a Culture Plus event at Prague’s
Černín Palace, co-organised by the Czech Foreign Ministry. On the table
was the topic Culture & Diplomacy – namely how culture, including the
arts, can be used to promote greater communication and understanding. More
Government vows no cuts in this year’s foreign aid budget
The Czech Foreign Ministry has vowed that in spite of severe austerity
measures, this year’s budget for the country’s foreign development aid
will not suffer any cuts. The Czech Development Agency is planning to spend
over 430 million crowns on development projects mainly in countries that
have been earmarked as priority recipients, including Mongolia, Ethiopia,
Moldova, Afghanistan, and others. More
Czechs held in Zambia return home
Three Czechs who were detained and charged with espionage in Zambia have
returned home. They showed up unexpectedly at their doorsteps at the end of
the year and have refused to disclose any information regarding the nature
of their escape. The Czech Foreign Ministry which made an all out effort to
secure their release through regular diplomatic channels has put an
information embargo on the case. More
Russian President Medvedev signs business contracts, opens exhibition at Prague Castle
More than a dozen important bilateral agreements and business deals were on
the agenda of a two-day state visit to Prague by the Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev and his entourage. Bilateral relations were at the
forefront of attention, but topics such as the eurozone’s debt crisis and
the recent parliamentary elections in Russia were also addressed. More
Russian President Medvedev in Prague
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev arrives in Prague on Wednesday at the
invitation of Czech President Václav Klaus. His short visit will entail
primarily meetings with President Klaus, who is often noted for his warm
attitude towards Russia, and later on Thursday with Prime Minister Petr
Nečas. There is plenty on the table for discussion among Czech and Russian
leaders, namely business deals and Russia’s bid for the tender to
complete the Temelín nuclear power plant in South Bohemia. Many of the
milestones in the last decade of Czech-Russian relations however have been
negative, with years of debate over the abandoned American missile defence
plan and a spy scandal two years ago. Christian Falvey spoke with Petr
Kratochvíl, one of the heads of Prague’s Institute of International
Relations and an expert on Russia, who he first asked where relations stand
now. More
Czech-US relations: like a 20-year-old marriage without sex, envoys say
In this edition of Czech history, we look at the development of
Czech-American relations over the past two decades. Ever since the fall of
the Iron Curtain, they have been the pivot of Czech foreign policy. But
after the euphoria of the Velvet Revolution and the era of Washington’s
fascination with Václav Havel, these relations today are like a 20-year
old marriage with no sex – at least according to some current and former
diplomats who appeared in Friday’s debate hosted by the Foreign Ministry. More
US Ambassador to Prague Norman Eisen discusses 9/11 & the War on Terror
Ahead of the upcoming tenth anniversary of 9/11 on Sunday, Czech Radio’s
Martina Mašková interviewed the US Ambassador to Prague Norman Eisen. In
the interview the ambassador is asked about Czech cooperation in the War on
Terror, CIA renditions at Czech airports, and al Qaeda. Mr Eisen begins
first though by discussing the attacks on that fateful September day,
including where he was when the first plane hit. More
Coalition at odds over state secretary for EU affairs
A proposal to establish a state secretary for EU affairs, approved by the
Czech cabinet on Wednesday, has divided the ruling coalition. While the
proposal was pushed through by the Civic Democratic Party and Public
Affairs the third party in government, TOP09, remains strongly opposed to
the move which it claims to be in violation of the coalition agreement. The
party, which holds the foreign ministry, fears the new post will detract
from its powers and has demanded coalition talks on the issue. Petr Drulák,
head of the Prague-based Institute of International Relations, says
enforcing the decision on TOP 09 would not be a good move. More
US ambassador Norman Eisen looks back at his first five months in Prague
Czech-American relations are going “from good to great”, according to
the US ambassador to Prague Norman L. Eisen who will soon complete his
first five months in the Czech Republic. Mr Eisen has been working to shift
the focus from missile defence, a top priority during the era of President
George W. Bush, towards cooperation in nuclear energy, commerce and the
fight against corruption. In an interview for Radio Prague, Ambassador
Eisen looks back at some of the developments of the past five months. More
Czech Republic closes embassy in Tripoli in face of continuing unrest
On Monday the last Czechs remaining in Libya departed for home in light of
the increased violence and unrest in the country. A day earlier the Czech
Embassy in Tripoli shut down temporarily, with all diplomatic staff,
including the Czech ambassador, flying back to Prague. Currently, no one
knows which direction the situation in the country will take, as
anti-government forces clash with those loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. More
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