President says Czech Republic could join euro zone over next five years

Czech President Miloš Zeman told a German regional daily Passauer Neue Presse in an interview published on Saturday that he imagined the Czech Republic could adopt the European currency and join the euro zone within the next five years. The position is a departure from that of his predecessor Václav Klaus. In the interview, the president also said he was against Turkey’s joining the EU; by contrast, he suggested that Russia could join over the next 20 years. Discussing EU foreign policy priorities, Mr Zeman stressed the importance of combating terrorism (including Islamic terrorism), an area where he would like to see the Czech Republic play a greater part.

Author: Jan Velinger