Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

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Missions of the Czech Republic Abroad

 

A list and a brief description of the functions of the Czech Republic missions and offices abroad.

List of all Missions of the Czech Republic abroad by Countries

Czech Missions Abroad are divided into:

A Brief Description of the Functions of Czech Missons Abroad

Embassies represent the Czech Republic in the receiving state. An embassy draws its activities upon the concept of the ČR’s foreign policy. Embassies carry out the following tasks:

  • establish and develop contacts with state bodies, organizations, institutions, representatives of public life and citizens, as well as with international organizations and institutions in the receiving state;
  • ensure consular activity in a given consular area;
  • suggest and, on the advise of the headquarters, prepare and secure visits of official representatives of the ČR and those of the receiving state, and participate in their negotiations;
  • acquire, process and judge the information concerning the situation in internal and foreign politics and culture of the receiving state with special regard to its relations with the ČR, and send this information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
  • inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the activities of main information means in the receiving state with focus on the publicity concerning the ČR; Look for suitable forms and means for disseminating the information and publicity concerning the ČR;
  • follow the fulfilment of international treaties, by which is the ČR and the receiving state bound, and submit proposals for contractual or other adjustment of contacts with the receiving state;
  • maintain contacts with societies of friends of the ČR and with Czechs abroad organizations;
  • cooperate with Czech centres;
  • help to establish and develop contacts of Czech entities with partners in the receiving state;
  • manage the property, that has been entrusted to them, of the Czech Republic abroad.

Consulates General

Consulates General represent the Czech Republic in certain territory of the receiving state.A consular office exercises the functions resulting from the Viennese Agreement on Consular Contacts and from consular and other treaties signed between the ČR and the receiving state.

The consular authority is run by the MFA Consular Department. In political, economic, cultural, educational and other matters, that do not fall under the competence of the consular department, the consular office proceeds according to the instructions of the relevant department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant diplomatic mission.

Permanent Missions and Permanent Delegations

represent the Czech Republic in an international governmental organization or and integration group of states. A mission exercises the function resulting from international agreements, on the basis of which the ČR is a member of an international governmental organization or and integration group, or is associated to it. The mission is run by the relevant MFA department. A state mission represents the ČR in an organization, and maintains necessary connection between the ČR and the organization. It helps Czech delegations in their negotiations, informs the MFA and other bodies of the ČR on the activities of the organization, distributes professional documentation and literature concerning its activities, and maintains relations with Czech citizens employed in secretariats of international organizations. It exercises the same functions as a permanent mission. The only permanent delegation of the ČR is the Permanent Delegation of the ČR to the NATO and WEU in Brussels. An example of a permanent mission is the Permanent Mission of the ČR to the European Communities in Brussels.

Czech Centres

Czech Centres represent the Czech Republic abroad especially in the area of culture, trade and tourism. They do not have a diplomatic status. They are run by the Administration of Czech Centres (i.e. a budgetary organization of the MFA).

Honorary Consulates

Honorary consulates have similar functions as consulates general. They are, however, run by honorary consular officers who do not have a diplomatic status and are not employed by the MFA.

The establishment of consular authorities run by honorary consular officers is stipulated by a special official regulation. A honorary consular officer carries out his activities especially according to the Statute of a Honorary Consular Officer and Instructions for the Execution of Consular Functions of a Honorary Consular Officer. The management of a consular authority, run by a honorary consular officer, abides by the same rules as the management of consulates general.

Other Authorities

The only Economic and Cultural Office of the ČR is the Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan. Its foundation was motivated by the non-existence of diplomatic relations between the ČR and Taiwan, and consequent impossibility to establish an embassy in Taiwan. Unlike embassies, the Czech Economic and Cultural Office focuses especially on cultural and economic matters. There are also consular offices (e.g. Marseille), that can also be established in case of need – for example, the Consular Office in Salt Lake City during the Winter Olympic Games 2002. There is also the so-called Contact Office of the ČR in Ramallah. In some cases, branches of embassies are created, which is motivated by the need to have separate offices in a certain territory (for example, the branch of embassy in Bonn and in Thessaloniki).

The name Taiwan is perceived as a geographical identification. The island of Taiwan is governed by an administration acting under the name of the Republic of China (ROC), which considers itself to be a representative of a sovereign state. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) considers Taiwan to be an inseparable part of its territory on the level of a province. The former Czechoslovakia established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China in December 1930. Following the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China (1 October 1949), the Czechoslovak Government recognized the People’s Republic of China on 4 October 1949 and at the same time abolished diplomatic relations with the Government of the National Kuomingtang Party representing the Republic of China. The Government of the Czech Republic maintains diplomatic relations with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

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