Russia wants to improve relations with the Czech Republic. “But Prague is on the move,” says Putin’s spokesman
“There is no discussion on this topic. We will not resolve mutual relations through press releases, “Lenka Do, a spokeswoman for Czech diplomacy, told ČTK.
“We agree that relations need to get out of the impasse, that is 100%, and we are basically ready for it. However As for the preparation of a positive agenda, we will see how the statement of the new head of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be a foreign Czech party. Prague is on the move,“She said, according to the agency Zakharov.
Russian Deputy: The Czechia knows what to do
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said at a press conference after the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on Wednesday that The Czechia knows what needs to be done to improve relations with Russia and to be removed from the list for Russia without friendly countries. “In the Czech Republic, they know what needs to be done,” Gruško said in response to a question from the TASS agency, without saying his words.
TASS in this context statement Lipavskýthat he is determined to find a way to thaw relations with Russia. According to the Russian agency, the minister also described the Czech Republic’s entry on the Russian black list as a bad situation in the long run.
During a visit to Bratislava last year, Lipavský increased that relations between the Czech Republic and Russia were at a very low level. “I will deal with how we can restart, promote. It is a very uncomfortable situation where the executives do not talk to each other“Lipavský said.”
According to Kulhánka relations are de facto frozen
Diplomatic rift between the Czech Republic and Russia, which resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of staff at both embassies, triggered information last spring on the suspicion of the Czech security forces regarding the involvement of members of the Russian military secret services GRU in the explosions of ammunition depots in Vrbětice in 2014.
Lipav’s predecessor Jakub Kulhánek formerly ČTK that political relations with Russia are now de facto frozen. If the new cabinet decides to settle them, a broader platform should be set up to address the issue. The way would also be to have a proxy with a strong enough mandate to do so, at least in the first phase, when negotiations at the ministerial level are rather not to be expected.
“Capturing Russian-Czech relations in the light of Vrbětice, which we cannot think about, will be a long way and will require very precise and well-thought-out diplomacy if the goals are somehow set so that it is again beneficial for the Czech Republic,” said the former head of Czech diplomacy .