News

Czech premier visits Afghanistan

Prime Minister Petr Nečas paid an unexpected visit to Czech troops in Afghanistan over the weekend. According to the information released to the media on Sunday, the prime minister met with Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Saturday and visited the Czech army bases in the Logar and Vardak provinces the following day. According to Mr Nečas, the two leaders spoke about Afghanistan’s interest in the Czech-made L-159 light combat aircraft, as well as cooperation in industrial development, transportation and education.

The Czech prime minister assured his host that Czech troops are willing to continue training Afghan soldiers even after 2014, when the International Security Assistance Force mission will end. The Czech side is hoping to secure business contracts in Afghanistan, for example in the area of transportation infrastructure. The Afghan president welcomed these plans and expressed his hope to begin working on specific projects in the near future, according to the Czech News Agency.

Schwarzenberg to meet Zeman over ambassador row

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told the Czech News Agency on Sunday that the dispute over new Czech ambassadors is actually at the core of who will control Czech foreign policy. The minister is set to meet President Miloš Zeman on Tuesday to discuss their disagreement over the naming of new ambassadors to Slovakia and Russia. A few weeks ago, President Zeman nominated his predecessor’s wife Livia Klausová to the post in Bratislava, and the MEP for the Communist Party Vladimír Remek to the one in Moscow. Mr Schwarzenberg disagreed with both choices and emphasized that it is in the competencies of the foreign minister to nominated ambassadors, while the president traditionally only signs the subsequent approval of the government.

Picek will ask for two more planes

Defense Minister Vlastimil Picek said that he will recommend for governmental approval a plan to purchase two more transportation aircrafts for the army. During the Sunday talk show Partie on the Prima Family channel Mr Picek said he will present the government with a detailed document concerning the transportation and helicopter air force in the second half of the year. The minister wants to acquire more airplanes, saying that the four CASA planes that were purchased in a highly disputed deal in 2009 do not fulfill all the needs of the Czech army.

Nečas wants S-Card expenses made public

Prime Minister Petr Nečas released a public statement calling on the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry to make public information about all the production and related expenses of the embattled social welfare S-Card. The Premier has distanced himself from the S-Card project in the past week and has asked the Labor Minister Ludmila Müllerová to discontinue the new system. Ms Müllerová and the coalition partner TOP 09 are defending the project.

Prague 1 to begin revitalisation of Kampa park

The Prague 1 town hall has announced that it is ready to start the re-vitalisation of the Kampa island park, which will begin with the renovation of the so-called gas house from the 17th century. The renovation should last approximately three months, after which the town hall plans to make the house available for public use. Afterwards it plans to work on the baroque wall surrounding the building of the Sova mills, which now houses a museum of modern art.

Some ski centers remain open despite warm weather

This weekend marked the last days of the skiing seasons for many, but not all, Czech ski centers. Many ski resorts in the south Bohemian Šumava, northern Bohemian Krkonoše mountains and in the Vysočina region finished off an unusually long season. Some mountain resortss like Klinovec in northwestern Bohemia or the Bílá ski center in the eastern Beskydy mountains will remain open next week.

Women's handball team from Most advance to finals

The women’s handball team from Most will be the first Czech team to take part in the final of the European Handball Championship after they claimed a 31:21 victory over Üsküdarem Istanbul on their home turf on Saturday. The Most team will take on the Croatian team Fantasyland Samobor in the two finals matches in May.

Weather

It will be mostly sunny with cloudy patches in the upcoming days. Daytime highs should be between 14 and 21 degrees Celsius.