Press Conferences

4. 7. 2007 13:42

Press briefing of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic after the session of the State Security Council on Tuesday, 3rd July, 2007

Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press briefing after the session of the State Security Council; I welcome the Prime Minister, Mr. Mirek Topolánek and the government communication coordinator of the anti-missile defence programme, Mr. Tomáš Klvaňa. The Prime Minister has the floor. Thank you.
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic:
Thank you for the floor. We debated today number of issues. Regular information was that of the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Interior, directors of intelligence services and in this case also information of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture on the existing security situation in the framework of NATO and the EU. I think that extra information was the information on the bird flue, on localization, on solving that problem and it was proved that the systems are operating correctly. The second point was the information of the Minister of Agriculture on assessment of the crisis situation caused by the devastative hurricane Kyrill in January 2007. Regarding this point we stated that declaration of the state of emergency helped to solve the situation and nowadays 75% of windfallen trees are removed and the entire matter proved to be solved correctly. Points number three and four were perhaps crucial ones and they concerned the report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on measures relating to the energy security of the Czech Republic, on risks and various threats connected with oil and gas deliveries. And the point number four concerned further measures in the sphere of energy security. We noted this material and stated that there was different standpoint of the Ministry of Environment regarding electric energy and in the framework of this sphere a common study would be worked out by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which would include three possible variants. The first one will concern existing consumption of electric energy in the following years, the second one an increased consumption of electric energy following the economic growth and the third one the state of emergency in case of cuts of deliveries from abroad. These studies will be worked out in the coming period of time. We debated the national control regime in the sphere of dangerous materials handling, we debated problems related to crisis infrastructure and the defence plan of the Czech Republic. We discussed the minimum fund of knowledge for the training of security specialists and we adopted a resolution to inform the relevant universities, which are involved in this sphere, and the accreditation commission of the material that defined the minimum requirements in the sphere of security policy. We debated of course the plan of activities of the State Security Council. Now, I give the floor to Tomáš Klvaňa, who will inform you on the public part of the session, on possible placement of the radar base.
Tomáš Klvaňa, government communication coordinator of the anti-missile defence programme: Thank you, Prime Minister. I will read a short declaration and then there will be time for your questions, if any. "The State Security Council noted today information of the Ministry of Defence, which had chosen suitable locality for further expert measurement relating to the possible placement of a radar base of the anti-missile defence system in the territory of the Czech Republic. This locality is the spot height no. 718 at a distance of about 2 kilometres of the village of Míšov in the military training area Brdy. Further technical measurements and assessments will be done in this locality. The Parliament of the Czech Republic will decide definitely on the placement." Do you have any questions?
Robert Břešťan, Hospodářské noviny: Two localities have been discussed for a long time. Is it clear now that just the only one will be assessed?
Tomáš Klvaňa, government communication coordinator of the anti-missile defence programme: We took into consideration more localities; they were four of them. It was shown that this locality is the most suitable from the military, security, technical an environmental point of view. I would only like to say that it is one of localities, which had been assessed by the previous government of Jiří Paroubek and the State Security Council is of the opinion that it was the right decision. It was the right tip and therefore final technical measurements will follow in this locality. But I remind you that it will be the Parliament of the Czech Republic, which will decide on that anti-missile defence system, following the ratification in both chambers.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Further question, please.
Journalist Petrášek, ČTK: Good morning. I would like to ask whether this locality is the definite place, or if could be changed after those measurements.
Tomáš Klvaňa, government communication coordinator of the anti-missile defence programme: We suppose this locality to be the most suitable one, but we cannot anticipate results of those measurements, of course, because they will only be done. You must take into consideration the fact that the measurements are very expensive and the American side wanted the locality to be chosen especially in relation to those parameters, which I had mentioned here. We are of the opinion, and it was evidently the opinion of the previous government, that it is one of the most suitable localities. The State Security Council, following the proposal of the Ministry of Defence, came to the conclusion that the final measurements would be done in this locality; and as I have already said, these measurements are very expensive and therefore it is very probable that it would be this locality. But we cannot anticipate results of these measurements; therefore I used the word "but" in the sentence.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Further question, please.
Lenka Jansová, Radiořurnál: Did the State Security Council debate information, which was released by the American TV ABC, on possible terrorist attack against the Czech Republic?
Tomáš Klvaňa, government communication coordinator of the anti-missile defence programme: It is the question to the Prime Minister.
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: We debated this issue and unlike the situation in the autumn in the last year, when similar information was confirmed by several independent sources, this time information was not confirmed. Our intelligent services stated that there were no risks here.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Further question, TV Prima.
Tomáš Drahoňovský, TV Prima: Good morning. I would like to revert to the radar base. President Bush refused yesterday in fact the proposal of Russian president Putin for building a base in Azerbaijan. I would like to know if you could respond to it and say whether you are delighted or disappointed or if you are afraid of Russian response.
Tomáš Klvaňa, government communication coordinator of the anti-missile defence programme: I will answer this question, as I have just returned from the USA and this issue was among those, which I debated there and which I acquired information of. I will just correct your formulation. President Bush did nor refuse that proposal definitely. President Bush sent a letter to president Putin few days ago to propose establishment of an expert group, which would study the anti-missile defence problem, including the Russian proposal concerning the involvement of the Gabala system in Azerbaijan. The Russian side has not respond so far to this letter, to the proposal for establishment of an expert group, which would be responsible to ministers of defence of Russia and the USA. Its response was just courteous and included proposal for further talks and negotiations on this issue. This is the reason of the Kennebunkport summit results. The agenda was not specified in detail there, especially on the expert's level. Therefore I would not like to anticipate. I do not think that the decision is made. But if you have in mind the statement of president Putin in Heiligendamm, when he proposed to build a radar base either in Central Europe, but not in Gabal, ot in Azerbaijan but not in Central Europe - such a proposal is unacceptable for us because of technological and military point of view. We appreciate that Russia returned and began to negotiate that it de facto admitted necessity of that anti-missile defence and we expect that negotiations will continue. It is not true that it is out of question.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Further question, please.
David Mařík, ČTK: I have a question concerning the electric energy sphere. Can you explain concretely the disagreement with the Ministry of Environment?
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: The disagreement concerned rather the future consumption increase, which is understandable conception disagreement and that is why the decision was made to work out the material containing three variants. The first one, I would call it the variant of the Ministry of Environment, expects lower increase of electric energy consumption. The second one respects the economic growth and composition of subjects, which form the GNP; the share of industrial production in the GNP is 33%. And the third one will concern emergency situation in case of possible stoppage of oil and gas supplies. It means it is a pragmatic disagreement, not an ideological one and therefore three variants must be worked out, the optimistic variant, the optimal variant and the emergency variant. It is not unusual matter in this sense.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Česká televize, please.
Jana Čermáková, ČT: Good morning. Prime Minister, do you have any reservations regarding the chosen locality?
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: I have visited number of localities. We respected in the end that correct decision of the previous government, which was a right decision from the point of view of the individual aspects. There were three possible military training areas here, which were considered. One of them was that in Brdy, it was the locality 718. After assessment of the individual localities, in the framework of which environmental damage, military, security and other aspect were considered; we finally reverted to this variant.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Further question, please.
Petra Vodstrčilová, Reuters: Regarding the electric energy sphere I would like to know whether the State Security Council considered, even if marginally, construction of a new pipeline to Primorsk or supplies of oil to the Czech Republic.
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: All the aspects of construction of new gas and oil pipelines from the region of former Soviet Union, I mean from the Russia Federation, were considered in the framework of that strategic concept.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Anybody else?
Robert Břešťan, Hospodářské noviny: Will it be the Pačes´s Commission, which will assess it from the point of vie of energy security?
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: The Pačes´s Commission has rather different character of work and different objective. This commission is to assess various aspects of production, it means that it is aimed especially at resources and at meeting demand, while the State Security Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal especially with foreign aspects in the framework of discussion on ensuring energy security. And they must also respect possible consumption increase, but it is not the key parameter. These studies are of different character and they have different objectives.
Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Any other question, please? Thank you for your attention and good-bye.
Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: I also thank you, have a nice day.

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