French, Czech foreign ministers to hold regular talks

The French and Czech foreign ministers have agreed to hold regular talks to ensure there are no political misunderstandings in the wake of a row over protectionism. Following a meeting in Brussels on Monday, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner denied tensions between Prague and Paris, saying that minor disputes were sometimes blown out of proportion by the media. The ministers said that in actual fact they had close views on many issues and would meet or at least talk over the phone twice a week to prevent future misunderstandings. The two countries have recently exchanged strong words over protectionism and French officials have criticized Prague for allegedly being “too passive” at the EU helm.