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Address delivered by the President of the Czech Republic on Iceland

English Pages, 22. 8. 2005

Mr. President, Mrs. Moussaieff, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to thank you – here and today – for the invitation to visit your beautiful country. Despite the great geographic distance our two countries and despite the little opportunity we had in history for more intensive contacts, our relations have been in the last years visibly growing and I can assure you that we are motivated to continue in this trend.

This is not my first visit to Iceland. As a Minister of Finance I was a member of the Czechoslovak delegation to your country shortly after the fall of the communist regime in 1990. I also visited Iceland as the Czech Prime Minister is 1997. There was also a number of short stopovers on my trips to North America limited however only to the Keflavik airport so familiar to all of us. I am therefore very glad this presidential visit gives me an opportunity to get acquainted with your country so well known both for its natural beauties and for the achievements of the people who live here.

For the Czechs Iceland is a country of beautiful nature, a country of volcanoes, glaciers and geysers, a country surrounded by sea, which always attracts those coming from landlocked regions. However, we also see Iceland as a country of brave and industrious people, a home of the nation that proved that a rich record in the world history and culture is not only a privilege of populous nations living in the centre of world events. I have in mind the courageous Icelandic seafarers who discovered America 500 years earlier than Columbus. I have in mind the authors of famous Icelandic sagas considered a treasure of world literature. I would also like to mention the representatives of modern Icelandic literature – the Nobel Price laureate Halldor Laxness, Gudmundur Kamban and others whose works have become familiar also to the Czech readers.

I am pleased that your advanced and cultural country has become a destination and focus of interest for many Czech tourists and that our political as well economic partnership has been developing. Both our countries are NATO members and they both participate in the European Economic Area. The Czech Republic, an EU member since May last year, is interested in further intensification of this partnership. We hope to be a partner who has a lot to offer. Our economy is growing, our goods are successful on the most demanding world markets, our country is attractive for foreign investors. We hope that the European integration will follow the trend of further strengthening of cooperation among the countries within the European Union as well as with the partners outside the EU and that it will not be jeopardised by excessive ambitions of those who want to – artificially and behind the backs of their citizens – create a European super-state based on bureaucratic regulation. I do believe the current discussion in Europe will make this possible. It would be in the interest of both our countries.

Your Excellency, Mr. President, Mrs. Moussaieff allow me to thank you once again for the invitation and to propose a toast to the success of your country, happiness of your people and to you and your family.

Václav Klaus, Address delivered during the state visit to Iceland on August 22nd, 2005 in the Residence of the President