Photo Source: KPR
According to him, the security of the Czech Republic has three prerequisites: relations with its neighbors, membership in the EU and NATO, and a prosperous Ukraine
On August 29, 2023 the President of the Republic Petr Pavel received the heads of the Czech Republic’s embassies abroad at Prague Castle. The meeting takes place every year on the occasion of the meeting of ambassadors, to which he invites them to Prague Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
In President Pavel in a speech he outlined his vision of how he would approach foreign policy. He appreciated that after a long time, the highest constitutional officials have agreed on the need to strive for a unified and predictable Czech foreign policy.
President Pavel sees three basic prerequisites for the security of the Czech Republic. “In the modern world, which is based on values, the will and right of the stronger must not prevail. No one can take away from the current crisis, the feeling that manipulation and violence to advance one’s own interests pays off,” he said. Therefore, support for Ukraine will continue to be a part of all his negotiations. He emphasized that Russia’s victory cannot be allowed. For the most reliable guarantee of long-term peace in Eastern Europe
The president considers a prosperous and democratic Ukraine that will be fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community.
He identified problem-free relations with neighbors as the second prerequisite for the security of the Czech Republic. He highlighted the above-standard ties with Slovakia. In terms of size and strength, it is considered it to be the most important European partner Germany. He also mentioned the importance of regional formats, for example, the so-called Visegrad Four.
After the withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union, he considered it necessary to diligently search for coalitions across the continent in the Baltics, in Scandinavia, and among other medium-sized countries.
According to President Pavel, the third clear prerequisite for a strong and secure Czech Republic is the membership of the Czech Republic in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. Among the closest allies is the United States of America.
The President also mentioned the relations with the countries of the Western Balkans and with the states of the so-called Associated Trio, i.e. Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, which need a helping hand in connection with their interests in integration into the Euro-Atlantic area. “The enlargement of the European Union is increasingly proving to be not only a geopolitical priority but an existential issue,” he said.
President Pavel wants to intensify relations with the community of geographically more distant democratic states. According to him, the Czech Republic has important allies not only in the Euro-Atlantic area but also in the Indo-Pacific.
He also wishes for a much more honest dialogue with the countries of the so-called Global South.
The president promised to work to support economic diplomacy. According to him, the Czech Republic should continue the tradition of support in the field of human rights.
The President emphasized that the fulfillment of his vision requires a unified and stable foreign policy and public trust in foreign policy.
Meetings of the heads of embassies of the Czech Republic abroad are convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic regularly, usually at the end of the summer. Representatives of the Černín Palace speak at the several-day meeting.