Address delivered by the President of the Czech Republic to the Czech Ambassadors

English Pages, 1. 9. 2010

Dear Ambassadors, 

I would like to extend my greetings to you, as I do every year at the turn of August and September, and I would like to discuss our foreign policy and tasks that follow from it. When the government was appointed in July this year, I said among other things the following: “I would appreciate if this government was strong externally, if it was able to speak out abroad and protect the interests of our citizens. It is our voters who gave this government its mandate, not its future partners abroad.” I would like to expand and explain my words at least a bit, as they are not self-evident. Definitely not in our country. 

read more »

Reflections on Potential Global Power Shifts: Notes for Lago Maggiore

English Pages, 1. 7. 2010

Thank you for giving me a chance to address this distinguished audience. However, I have to start by stressing that I do not claim to possess any comparative advantage for discussing this afternoon’s topic – the global power shifts and their potential economic and financial implications. I suspect the éminence gris behind the program of this conference, Charles Dallara, knows this as well. He either wanted to motivate me or, more probably, to publicly disclose my lack of competence in this field.

read more »

Notes for the Independence Day Speech 2010

English Pages, 30. 6. 2010

Mr. Chargé d’affaires, dear American friends, ladies and gentlemen, 

Let me use this opportunity to congratulate you on the occasion of the 234th anniversary of the Independence Day of the United States of America. I can assure you that the Czechs who gathered here are glad to be with you today. 

It is well known that relations with the United States constitute number one foreign-policy priority for the Czech Republic and for most of us. My presence at this reception every year and my numerous visits to the United States do demonstrate this quite clearly.

read more »

The Euro as a Non-Optimum Currency Area

English Pages, 2. 6. 2010

After the fall of communism, the Czech Republic wanted to be as soon as possible a normal European country again, after being excluded from participating in the post-WW2 European integration process for 41 years. The only possibility to achieve this was to become a member country of the EU. We had no other choice but the communist experience was still too “fresh”. We wanted to be free and didn’t want to loose our freedom and the finally regained sovereignty.

read more »

Letter from the U.S. President Barack Obama to the President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus

English Pages, 25. 5. 2010

Dear Mr. President:

       I want to express my gratitude to you for graciously welcoming and hosting me for the historic signing of the New START agreement in Prague. The event will long be remembered as having taken place in your capital, reflecting the close ties between our two countries, and our shared aspirations for the future. 

      I valued our conversations, including at the elegant lunch that you offered to the visiting American and Russian delegations, at my dinner on April 8th for you and your Central and Eastern European counterparts, and at our bilateral meeting on April 9th. Your observations about the importance of the trans-Atlantic relationship particularly resonated with me.

read more »

President sent a letter of congratulations to David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

English Pages, 12. 5. 2010

Dear Mr Cameron 

       I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This is also an opportunity to congratulate the Conservative Party which – under your leadership – won the elections and will have governmental responsibility. You know that this is a result which has many fans in the Czech Republic, and I am among them. 

read more »

Criticism of the Current Form of the European Integration Process

English Pages, 30. 4. 2010

Dear President Markschies, dear Professor Pernice, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It is a great honor for me to speak here, at the Humboldt University, in this important series of speeches on Europe. I remember the first speech held here by the former foreign minister of Germany Joschka Fischer in the year 2000. I do remember it, in spite of the fact that his views – as is well known – differ substantially from mine. I do appreciate the possibility to present my views here and now, because the developments in Europe bother me a lot. 

read more »

Address delivered by the President of the Czech Republic at the official lunch for the Presidents of the USA and the Russian Federation

English Pages, 8. 4. 2010

Presidents, President Medvedev, President Obama, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to welcome you once again most sincerely here at the Prague Castle, at a place which has been a symbol of the Czech statehood for centuries and which has been a scene of many important historical events.

read more »

Speech on the Occasion of the Visit of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in the Czech Republic

English Pages, 20. 3. 2010

Your Royal Highnesses, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour and pleasure for me and for all of us to welcome you – today already for the second time – here, in Prague Castle, the historical seat of the Czech statehood. I especially very cordially welcome Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall who is visiting the Czech Republic for the first time.

read more »

Global Warming Alarmism is a Grave Threat to our Liberty

English Pages, 5. 3. 2010

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for giving me the chance to address this distinguished audience and for asking me to speak on one of the issues I consider absolutely crucial. I am convinced that the ideology of environmentalism, particularly its extreme variant, the global warming alarmism, and its widespread acceptance by politicians, journalists and all kinds of leftist intellectuals is the main threat to freedom and prosperity we are facing today.

read more »