Tomáš Petříček replaced Jan Hamáček who temporarily led the Foreign Ministry together with the Ministry of Interior. “If we want to be taken seriously, we cannot speak with many different voices,” said Miloš Zeman during the ceremony. He added that he is looking forward to a successful collaboration ahead and welcomes the fact that Czech diplomacy will be consistent.
The new minister announced that he is now putting together a team of advisers – academics, diplomats and former politicians – but didn’t rule out the possible engagement of Poche.
According to Petříček, the key topics for Czech diplomacy are conflicts in the Middle East and in Africa, and relations within the EU. His first foreign visit will be to Germany to meet his counterpart Heiko Maas.
