News

Czech foreign minister: Russia should be involved in US missile defence project

The Czech foreign minister, Karel Schwarzenberg, says he would welcome Russian involvement in a planned US missile defence system that would be part based in the Czech Republic. Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, he also said he did not think America would drop the plan because of the global financial crisis. On Tuesday German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Russia should be involved in the missile defence shield. Moscow has frequently voiced opposition to the project, which the new American president, Barrack Obama, has said will only be realised if it is proven to work and is cost-effective.

Prague has signed treaties with Washington on the building of a radar base in central Bohemia. They have been approved by the Czech Senate but are yet to go before the Chamber of Deputies. Opinion polls suggest around two thirds of Czechs are against the plan.

Pope to visit Czech Republic in September

Pope Benedict XVI is due to visit the Czech Republic in the second half of September. The pope informed representatives of the Czech Roman Catholic church of his plans to visit the country, a spokesperson for the Czech Bishops’ Conference said on Wednesday, adding that the pontiff’s stay was likely to last two or three days. The Vatican has not yet announced the exact dates; its policy is to do so only six months before a planned papal trip. Pope Benedict XVI’s predecessor John Paul II visited the Czech Republic three times.

Press: Czech MEP Železný sets up branch of Libertas

The Czech MEP Vladimír Železný has founded a new political party called Libertas.cz, the newspaper Lidové noviny reported. The party is linked to Libertas.eu, a Europe-wide group originally founded by euro-sceptic businessman Declan Ganley to campaign against the EU’s Lisbon treaty in Ireland. Mr Železný has not confirmed reports that he registered Libertas.cz with the Czech Interior Ministry last week; however, a representative of Libertas.eu said he had done so, with its knowledge. Mr Železný, who heads the small Independent Democrats in the Czech Republic, was formerly the boss of TV Nova.

Klaus congratulates Obama and invites him to Prague Castle

The Czech president, Václav Klaus, has congratulated Barrack Obama on being appointed president of the USA. In a letter published on his own website, Mr Klaus said for many Czechs the US was a symbol of freedom and optimism, democracy and economic success, patriotism and international solidarity. He also drew attention to the role played by America in the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. President Klaus invited President Obama to visit him at Prague Castle, and said he hoped relations between their states would develop dynamically during the latter’s term of office.

Foreign Affairs Committee postpones discussions on Lisbon

The Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs Committee has postponed discussions on the European Union’s Lisbon treaty until February 15, when it will also go before the lower house’s Constitutional-Legal Committee. Deputies are expected to vote on ratifying the document during a session which begins at the start of next month, after a debate on the matter was postponed in December. Even if it is ratified, Czech President Václav Klaus has indicated that he will not sign Lisbon unless it is approved by Ireland; Irish voters rejected the reform document in a referendum last June and are due to vote on it again this year.

Gas supplies from Russia reach Czech Republic again

Natural gas supplies from Russia began arriving in the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening, said a spokesperson for the biggest Czech distributor RWE Transgas. Russia began pumping gas again after agreeing a new deal on the price of gas and transit with Ukraine, bringing to an end a two-week crisis that left hundreds of thousands of people without heat. The Czech Republic is normally around 75 percent dependent on Russian gas; however, it managed to increase supplies from northern Europe and did not experience a shortfall.

Havel’s health improves slightly

The health of former Czech president Vaclav Havel has improved slightly, though he will remain in intensive care, a spokesperson for Motol hospital said on Wednesday. The playwright, who is 72, was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties a week and a half ago and underwent minor surgery to remove an abscess from his throat. There were complications following the operation due to congestion of the right lung. Much of Mr Havel’s right lung was removed when he was diagnosed with cancer in the mid-1990s.

Iranians protest to Czech diplomat over EU “indifference” to Gaza

The charge d’affaires of the Czech Republic, whose country holds the presidency of the European Union, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday to hear a protest against what Tehran described as the EU’s indifference towards human rights violations by Israel in the Gaza Strip. Iranian TV said officials had also told diplomat Jan Kouřil that the EU’s silence encouraged Israel to commit further crimes of that kind.

Zetor cuts production and lays off staff due to financial crisis

The Czech tractor-maker Zetor is to cut production to four days a week in February and March, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. As well as producing fewer tractors, the Brno-based company is planning to lay off around 130 of its 1,100 employees as demand falls due to the financial crisis. Other large firms in the Czech Republic, including Škoda Auto and Hyundai, have also reduced production recently.

Police continue recruitment campaign to fill 4,500 vacant posts

The Czech police are to spend CZK 20 million on a recruitment campaign this year, just short of what they spent on a similar drive in 2008, the newspaper E15 reported. Despite the biggest intake in some years last year, 4,500 police positions are currently unfilled.

Czech office of Telefonica lands huge DHL contract

The Czech office of the Spanish company Telefonica has won a contract worth over USD 450 million to provide services for the logistics group DHL, it said on Wednesday. The deal involves Telefonica O2 managing DHL’s communications services across Europe from Prague for the next five years.

Berdych and Šafářová into third round of Australian Open

The Czech tennis player Tomáš Berdych has reached the third round of the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. He beat Brian Dabul of Argentina 6-1 6-1 6-3 to set up a meeting with Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka. Berdych’s girlfriend Lucie Šafářová is also into round three in Melbourne, after beating Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-1 3-6 9-7; she now faces France’s Marion Bartoli.

Weather

We can expect grey skies and rain or snow over the next few days, with temperatures of up to 5 degrees Celsius.