Press Advisories

12. 3. 200916:23

Topolánek and Juncker: economic crisis cannot impair European unity

The preparation of the Spring EC; G20 Summit and current economic issues were the main subjects of the negotiations.

Czech Prime Minister and President of the European Council Mirek Topolánek met with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker, the Chairman of Eurogroup, i.e. the group of countries with the single currency.

The preparation of the Spring European Council to be held on 19 – 20 March in Brussels, the G20 Summit to be held on 2 April in London and current economic issues were the main subjects of the negotiations.

The Czech Prime Minister emphasised that global economic issues should not divert the European Union neither from its concept of increasing competitiveness nor from the ongoing liberalisation of the single market: ‘We cannot resign from the structural changes governed by the Lisbon Strategy’, stated Topolánek. ‘We keep in mind the time after the period of economic problems.’

The Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg stated that when trying to counteract the impact of the financial crisis the EUmust respect the different characters of the economies of the individual Member States; however, it must not create new borders between them. ‘We should not distinguish between older and newer Member States, between big and small nor between the East and the West,’ stated Jean-Claude Juncker after the meeting.

Topolánek and Juncker also agreed that sustaining the highest possible number of jobs while respecting the common rules of the single market is one of the most important tasks of the EU governments.