Press Advisories

9. 3. 2015 22:52

Government discusses information about the missing Czech citizen in Libya

Today the Czech Republic discussed as an important item on its agenda the situation of a Czech citizen who has been missing since an attack on Friday by armed terrorists at an oil field in al-Ghani, Libya. Bohuslav Sobotka's cabinet included the item on the agenda of the meeting to follow up from the Saturday and Sunday meeting by crisis staff of the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek today informed cabinet ministers about the current situation, the information available so far and an overview of steps taken so far by the Foreign Ministry to address the matter. Today's cabinet meeting was also attended by representatives of the Office for Foreign Relations and Information and military intelligence officials.

"The government has been focusing on the situation of the missing Czech citizens since the first minutes when we found out about the attack in Libya. We are doing everything in our power to find the missing Czech citizen. Minister Zaorálek familiarised the government today with the information currently available and with the further approach that we will take regarding this matter. The government's steps include sending two diplomats to the region, who will work intensively to help find our missing citizen. Czech authorities are in contact with the family of the missing Czech citizen. I would also like to ask all of our citizens to behave responsibly, to respect the Foreign Ministry's recommendations and not to travel to countries where their stay puts their lives at risk," Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said.

The Czech citizen has been missing since Friday, 6 March 2015, when an armed attack took place at the al-Ghani oil field in Libya, where the missing Czech citizen is believed to have been. Together with him, an Austrian citizen and several citizens of other countries are also missing. "The situation in Libya is very non-transparent and dangerous. The country has two governments, several urban militias and a million refugees," Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek pointed out.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 March 2015, in the presence of the prime minister, the foreign minister and members of intelligence services, held a meeting of the crisis staff, at which they directly evaluated the situation and the available information. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cooperating intensively with Austrian authorities and sharing available information. This morning, the crisis staff met again at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the information about the government's approach is being continuously assessed. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long been warning Czech citizens not to travel to conflict and risky areas.

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