Zeman not to attend this year’s UN General Assembly

President Miloš Zeman will not attend this year’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, his spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said. Mr. Ovčáček said that the president had already said everything worth saying about the struggle against international terrorism at the UN in prevoius years.

Mr. Zeman asked the prime minister, Andrej Babiš, to replace him in New York at next month’s event. However, Mr. Babiš said he was busy so the Czech Republic will be represented by Jan Hamáček.

The latter said he would be travelling to the US as first deputy prime minister, not minister of foreign affairs, a role he currently holds in a caretaker capacity.

Author: Ian Willoughby