Ambassador Gustav Slamečka was interviewed by Korea JoongAng Daily
13.10.2022 / 07:24 | Aktualizováno: 20.10.2022 / 04:07
The topic of the interview was Czech political plans and priorities.
On September 4, Ambassador Gustav Slamečka spoke with JoongAng Daily about the crisis and threats that Czechia is currently facing.
The Czech Republic is severely affected by the disruption of gas supplies, as 80% of its fuel came from Russia via Ukrainian pipelines, whose deal fell through with the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops.
The current President of the EU Council still develops political strategies, but no longer directly implements them (this is the responsibility of the European External Action Service), which makes solving the energy crisis more complex than ever. The EU Council is trying to find an alternative, long-term gas supplier so that supplies arriving at European ports also reach landlocked European countries.
Another major issue is the refugee crisis, with the numbers of Ukrainian individuals and families in neighbouring European countries rising into the millions. The Czech Presidency is trying to propose adjustments to ensure that refugees receive sufficient assistance to find sustainable work, healthcare and education for their children.
Another one of the Czechia's big decisions was to issue visas to Russian and Belarusian citizens who are at risk in their own country. Since the beginning of the invasion, both countries have stopped issuing visas. However, exceptions are made for people who, because of their political views against the regime, are threatened, persecuted or have their rights violated.
Other key areas addressed by the Czech Presidency include building the resilience of the European economy and democratic institutions, and climate and green diplomacy (e.g. fires, temperature records and deadly floods).
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