News: Tuesday, July 16th, 2024

Joint meeting of Czech and Ukrainian governments in Prague begins

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and 10 members of his cabinet arrived in Prague on Tuesday for a joint meeting of the Czech and Ukrainian governments.

The two governments intend to sign five memoranda on departmental cooperation in the areas of energy, industry, trade, healthcare and sport, as well as two defence agreements and an updated police cooperation contract between the countries' interior ministers. In bilateral meetings between ministers from the relevant departments, the government delegates plan to discuss a variety of topics including defence, transport, and Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.

In his opening speech before the start of the intergovernmental meeting, the Ukrainian PM said that Czechia was a key partner for Ukraine, and that the solidarity of both the Czech people and the government had been apparent since the first days of the Russian invasion. He added that the joint consultations should consolidate and deepen mutual relations between the two countries. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that Czechia would continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia and in its efforts to join the EU and NATO.

EC boycotting ministerial meetings over Orban’s behaviour

The European Commission has announced that, in light of developments since the start of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, it plans to boycott informal ministerial meetings and send only senior officials to them instead of commissioners. The traditional visit by EU commissioners to the presidency country has reportedly also been cancelled. The daily Politico says member states are giving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán the cold shoulder for his self-styled peace visits to Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, which he didn’t coordinate with other national leaders.

According to Politico, the boycott already started last week, with only seven ministers out of 27 attending Tuesday's meeting of ministers responsible for the internal market and industry in the Hungarian capital. The EU Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton was notably absent. Czechia was represented by David Müller, senior director of the foreign trade section of the ministry of industry.

Members of Kaputin activist group charged with property damage for painting Ukrainian flag

Seven people from the pro-democracy direct action group Kaputin have been charged with damage to another person's property for painting the Ukrainian flag on the ground in front of some Russian-owned apartment buildings in Prague back in February. The crime carries an up-to-three-year prison sentence in the most extreme cases. The Kaputin group is planning to hold a press conference about the matter on Thursday.

The painting of the flag was intended to be a protest against Russia's war in Ukraine, on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

Czechia to send firefighting helicopters and personell to help Bulgaria tackle forest fires

Czechia is sending two helicopters to Bulgaria to help fight the forest fires that broke out in the country following a week-long heatwave, the Czech Fire Rescue Service wrote on social media site X on Tuesday. The decision comes in response to Bulgaria's request for assistance with the fires via the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism. The two aerial firefighting helicopters and their crew, accompanied by a ground support team, will leave early on Wednesday.

Historian Timothy Snyder awarded Medal of Merit for Diplomacy in Prague

American historian Timothy Snyder, who specializes in the modern history of Central and Eastern Europe, was awarded a Medal of Merit for Diplomacy by Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský in Prague on Monday evening. Lipavský had high praise for the Yale University professor's work, saying that his books, articles and lectures show people the importance of defending freedom and democracy and how easily ideologies can lead to the rise of totalitarian power.

Snyder was in Prague for a conference titled The Borders of (Un)Freedom, organised by Czech Radio and the Václav Havel Library.  His presentation "Havel, Unpredictability and Freedom" was attended, among others, by President Petr Pavel.

Bob Dylan to kick off European tour in Prague

The legendary American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan will perform three concerts in Prague's O2 universum arena from October 4 -6, according to the singer’s website. The shows will be part of Dylan’s Rough & Rowdy Ways tour to promote his latest studio album from 2020. The singer will kick off his European tour in Prague before heading to Germany, France, Luxembourg and the UK.

Weather forecast

Wednesday is expected to be mostly overcast with a chance of showers. However, temperatures should remain relatively warm, with a predicted daytime high of 26 degrees Celsius.