Press Advisories

6. 3. 201413:32

Prime Minister Sobotka discussed matters with the Polish Prime Minister Tusk

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka visited the Republic of Poland in terms of his second official foreign trip. Together with Prime Minister Tusk, he discussed Czech-Polish cooperation in terms of the Visegrad Four and the whole of the EU, interconnection of the energy market and its security and development of the transport infrastructure. The prime ministers of both countries also dealt with the issue of the condition of the atmosphere in the Moravian-Silesian Region and in Silesia.

“The Czech Republic and Poland have very good neighbourly relations and the new government wants to continue in this cooperation. Together with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, we discussed key bilateral topics, such as interconnection of the energy market in both countries and its security, development of the transport infrastructure and a plan for improvement of the poor quality of air,” said Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka at a press conference.

The prime ministers also discussed the current situation in Ukraine and common course of action in terms of the Visegrad Group, the European Union and NATO.

“The Czech government advocates a coordinated course of action with regards to the situation in Ukraine, this being in terms of the Visegrad Group and also the whole of the European Union and NATO. The same as for Poland, breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty and international treaties is unacceptable for the Czech Republic and we demand a diplomatic solution of the situation whilst retaining the territorial integrity of the country,” said Prime Minister Sobotka.

At the start of his business trip, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka laid a wreath by the monument in honour of Ryszard Siwiec, the first self-immolator in the Eastern bloc, whose action in September 1968 was later repeated in Czechoslovakia by Jan Palach, Jan Zajíc and others who did so in protest against invasion by the armies of the Warsaw Pact.

The Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek, the Minister of Transport Antonín Prachař, the Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec and the Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic Tomáš Prouza also met with their Polish counterparts in Warsaw.

In terms of good relations, both countries will also be continuing in close mutual dialog. For this reason, Prime Minister Bohuslav invited the Polish government to joint talks in the Czech Republic, which should be taking place in the 2nd half of this year.