“Secretary Blinken expressed his clear support for our position towards Russia and China. Democratic societies must stick together, we positively agreed on that,” said Minister Jan Lipavský following his meeting with Antony Blinken.

Both sides primarily focused on how to continue the support for Ukraine, humanitarian as well as military. Minister Lipavský stressed that Czechia has been using all available means to make clear its stance against the Russian invasion since the beginning, both on national and international levels. In this connection, he stated, “Together, we must look for new ways how to increase pressure on Russia through our sanctions, and how to increase our support for Ukraine, including military support. I am now striving to convince our European partners that the sixth sanctions package should include even tougher sanctions against Russia”.

Coordination between the European Union and the United States is crucial for the sanctions to have the most effective impact on Russia. In this connection, Minister Lipavský explained Czechia's plan to create its own sanction mechanism, the so-called Magnitsky Act. “The Magnitsky Act was my priority in my times as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, and it remains my priority now. We are actively working to have this legislation passed as soon as possible,” stated Minister Lipavský.

Aside from Ukraine, the discussion addressed other topics with important security aspects. Minister Lipavský stressed that Czechia is planning to enhance its cooperation with Taiwan and emphasized, “Inside and outside of the EU, Czechia has very good relations with Taiwan and we share common values and priorities”.

Furthermore, Minister Lipavský and Secretary Blinken discussed the development of bilateral relations between Czechia and the United States, including the opportunities for strengthening defence cooperation. They also touched upon the topic of energy security –the use of nuclear energy and reducing dependence on Russian raw materials. New technologies are an area with great potential for the development of our relationship. However, technological progress needs to be complemented with safeguards against their possible misuse, as both sides agreed. From this point of view, a promising area is our cooperation in the control of export and foreign direct investment.