Czech President Miloš Zeman will not go to China to take part in the 17+1 summit of the heads of China and Central and Eastern European countries in April.
One of the reasons for his decision is the lack of Chinese investment in the Czech Republic, the president said in an interview for Blesk.cz.
Zeman will ask Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček (ČSSD) to represent the country in China instead of him.
“Speaking of investments, I don’t think the Chinese side keeps its promises. Therefore, a major political figure will take part in the summit instead of the president, which is an important signal to China,” Zeman said. Another reason for not going to China was that Zeman had been in the country five times already, and now it’s someone else’s turn, he said.
On the other hand, Zeman confirmed his participation in the celebrations of the end of World War ll in May in Moscow.
In Russia, the Czech president wants to lodge a complaint about an employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry who criticized the Czech decision to introduce a Day of the Victims of the Invasion of 1968 as a significant national holiday. Zeman will demand the official be dismissed.
Regarding domestic political affairs, President Zeman welcomed the fact that the former Minister of Justice and current government commissioner for human rights, Helena Válková (ANO), had decided to remove herself from the nomination process for human rights ombudsman.
Válková, one of the favorites to become the next ombudsman, changed her mind on Friday after INFO.cz revealed disturbing information on articles from the late 1970s, in which Válková promoted laws aimed against the dissidents of the country’s communist regime.
The president added that if Válková had not withdrawn her nomination herself, Zeman would have recommended her to give it up anyway.
The president also wondered whether Válková should continue to hold the post of human rights commissioner. However, this is up to PM Andrej Babiš, Zeman said.
