At a traditional press conference held before the beginning of tourist season on 12 June 2018, the Director of the Consular Department, Ms. Markéta Meissnerová, presented to the media an overview of up-to-date travel information and useful advice. She stressed that assisting Czech nationals in need abroad was one of the core duties of the Foreign Service.

Ms. Meissnerová said that the Foreign Ministry would again open consular agencies in the most popular tourist destinations:

 

Barcelona, Spain            1 July– 31 August 2018

Burgas, Bulgaria             22 June – 7 September 2018

Rijeka, Croatia                 1 July– 31 August 2018

Split, Croatia                    15 June – 15 September 2018

Valleta, Malta                   1 July– 31 August 2018

 

Based on good experience in the past, Ms. Meissnerová recommended travellers to register in the DROZD system (a database in which Czech nationals planning to travel abroad can register on a voluntary basis) to receive text messages warning them about any emergencies and risks that may occur in the country concerned.   

Travellers registered in DROZD

2014 - 598   travellers

2015 - 25,887    travellers (66% increase)  

2016 - 58,519    travellers (126% increase)

2017 - 100,606    travellers (72% increase)  

In the same period last year (1 January - 30 May 2017) we had 22,849 registered travellers; this year the number is 13% higher with 29,822 registered travellers in the same period. 

The Director of the Consular Department presented a short checklist of practical advice. The “ten useful tips” should be kept in mind by all travellers who want to stay safe and secure. They are easy, logical, but seldom obeyed:

 

1/   Follow the security situation!

2/   Check the expiry date of your passport!

3/   Find out whether you need a visa!

4/   Take out insurance and check the expiry date of your health insurance card!

5/   Find out whether you need any vaccinations!

6/   Register in the DROZD system!

7/   If you travel with children, find out about any extra documents you might need!

8/   In an emergency, contact the Czech embassy or consulate!

9/   Observe local laws, respect different rules and customs!

10/ Follow the Foreign Ministry website www.mzv.cz, Twitter account (@mzvcr) and Facebook page!

 

The 2018 Gratias Agit award

On 8 June 2018, the Czech Foreign Minister, Martin Stropnický, presented the Gratias Agit prize to 14 recipients in the Great Hall of Czernin Palace.

Gratias Agit has been awarded ever since 1997 and there is no financial reward connected with the prize. This year’s recipients include Bohemists, translators, physicians, businessmen, researchers. For the first time, the prize has been awarded to laureates from Jordan and Ethiopia.

“As we commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Prague Spring, I am glad that this year, the award goes to the “Magnificent Eight”, the group of Soviet dissidents who protested in Moscow’s Red Square against the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. Soon after that, they were sentenced to several years’ imprisonment, working camps or exile. I am pleased to see that the three members of the group are here to receive the award in person”, said Minister Martin Stropnický.

The following recipients and organisations were awarded a certificate and a crystal globe designed by the Czech painter Zdeněk Petr:

 

Watheq  AL-QSOUS, physician, Jordan

Hartmut BINDER, literature scientist, Germany

Jana BRATINKOVÁ, chairwoman of the Club of Czech Citizens, Slovakia

Jaroslav HAVELKA, chairman of the Beseda Slovan Association, Switzerland

Estanislao KOCOUREK, architect and builder, patron for compatriot activities, Argentina

Jaroslav MAŘÍK, physician, USA

Josef OPATRNÝ, prominent Czech iberoamericanist, Czechia

Jana REICHOVÁ, organiser of compatriot life in Australia and promoter of Czech culture, Australia

Jiří ŠÍMA, hydrogeologist, Ethiopia

Otakar ŠTORCH, poet and initiator of compatriot life, Sweden

Kateřina VLASÁKOVÁ, Czech language teacher, translator and promoter of Czech culture, Spain

LIDICE MEMORIAL, Czechia

SOKOL de PARIS, France

THE “MAGNIFICENT EIGHT” GROUP, Russia – the award was received by Viktor Fainberg, Pavel Litvinov and Tatiana Bayeva.

 

 

The Czech Republic awarded for immediate and effective aid in Ecuador

At the 1st International Business Forum of the Andean Community Countries held in Ecuador’s capital of Quito on 17-18 May 2018, the Assistant to the Czech Honorary Consul in Quito, Zuzana Blaško, received the award for the Czech Republic’s immediate and effective assistance in Ecuador after the 2016 earthquake.

Back then, the Czech Republic provided Ecuador with humanitarian aid amounting to CZK 3 million. In cooperation with the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Quito and the local Ministry of Industry and Productivity, a project to restore the small production cooperatives in the earthquake-affected province of Manabi was identified. The aid was implemented from December 2016 to August 2017.

 

From the life of the honorary consular community at home and abroad...

First official meeting of Czech honorary consuls to Canada

On 4 June 2018, the first meeting of the Czech honorary consuls to Canada took place at The National Club in Toronto. The lunch ceremony was attended by a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic led by the Deputy Minister of Legal and Consular Affairs, Martin Smolek, who thanked the honorary consuls on behalf of the Czech Republic for their work. Guests of honour attending the meeting included the honorary consul of Thailand and the prominent Czech countryman, Mr. George Heller.

The Czech Embassy in Ottawa has expanded the number of honorary consuls to Canada from two to seven over the past three years. The candidates for the honorary consulates in Halifax and Winnipeg have already begun their approval process. The aim of the Czech Embassy is to open honorary consulates in each province of Canada. Through its honorary consuls, the Czech Republic will be able to some extent assist the expatriate community, help deepen economic ties and strengthen relations between the Canadian provinces and the Czech Republic.

Left to right:  M. Svoboda (Director of the Economic Diplomacy Department), G. Heller, P. Hrnčíř (Czech Ambassador), J. Dvořáček, D. Müller, M. Smolek (Czech Deputy Foreign Minister), K. Vovková, J. Steinsky, L. Storzer, H. Žikovský, E. Jungmannová, G. Corcoran, J. Reed, V. Hlas, J. Borcel, K. Galland, J. Jelinek, I. Počuch (Consul General), P. Kaván (Head of the Americas Department), D. Nový

 

Newly opened honorary consulates of the Czech Republic

11 April 2018 – Opening of the Honorary Consulate Ponta Delgada, Portuguese Republic. The consulate covers the Autonomous Region of Azores. The honorary consul heading this post is Mr. Ricardo Jorge de Medeiros do Nascimento Cabral. The opening ceremony was attended by a delegation from the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic led by J. Kubera, representatives of the autonomous government, local authorities, consular corps and leaders from political and cultural areas.

 

7 May 2018 – Opening of the Honorary Consulate Luanda, Republic of Angola. The consulate covers the entire state; the honorary consul heading this post is Mr. Manuel Martins da Cruz. The opening ceremony was attended by a delegation from the Czech Agriculture Ministry, EU Delegation, Czech and Angolan entrepreneurs, Angolan students studying in the Czech Republic and Czech expatriates.

 

31 May 2018 – Opening of the Honorary Consulate Charlottetown, Canada. The consulate covers the districts of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The honorary consul heading this post is Mr. John Vaclav Steinsky. The opening ceremony was attended by a delegation from the Czech Foreign Ministry led by the Deputy Foreign Minister, M. Smolek, who met with H. W. MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island, and Ch. Palmer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

The inauguration ceremony of the new Honorary Consul, J. Steinsky (right), the exequatur has been presented by the Czech Deputy Foreign Minister, M. Smolek, joined by P. Hrnčíř (left).

 

A delegation led by the Czech Ambassador to Canada, P. Hrnčíř, met with H. W. MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island, and Ch. Palmer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Both sides have expressed their pleasure at opening the new honorary consulate which will help deepen business and political ties between the Czech Republic and Prince Edward Island/Canada.

7 June 2018 – Opening of the Honorary Consulate Porto, Portuguese Republic. The consulate covers the northern districts. The honorary consul heading this post is Mr. José Francisco Correia de Lemos Pavão. The ceremony was attended by the rector of the University in Porto, Deputy Mayor of Porto, municipality representatives from the north of Portugal, consular corps in Porto and leaders from scientific, business, political and cultural areas.

 

Re-opening of honorary consulate of the Czech Republic

29 May 2018 – Re-opening of the Honorary Consulate Jerusalem in the State of Israel. The honorary consul heading this post is Mr. Dan Propper. The ceremony event was attended by the Head of the Europe Division at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Rodica Radian-Gordon, and the Director of the Israeli Diplomatic Protocol, Meren Reuben.

6 June 2018 – Re-opening of the Honorary Consulate Hai Phong, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The consulate covers the district of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces. The honorary consul heading this post is Mr. Pham Truong. The ceremony was attended by the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, V. Filip, the Vietnamese side was represented by the Mayor of Hai Phong, Mr. Nguyen Van Tung. On this occasion, the exhibition by the Czech artist, Jiří Slíva, was launched.