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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Introduction to the Presentation of the Book “Blue Planet in Green Shackles” in Cairo

English Pages, 8. 2. 2010

It’s a great pleasure to be in Cairo and Egypt again after less than two years and to have the opportunity to personally present the Arabic version of my book “Blue Planet in Green Shackles” here.

Let me thank all those who helped to make it possible, especially my good friend Shafik Gabr who initiated the whole process, the publisher El Moallem, the Czech Ambassador Miloslav Stašek, and last but not least Emira Klementova who translated the book into Arabic. I am unfortunately not able to check the quality of the translation myself but my chief of staff Jiří Weigl tells me it is good. So, thank you.

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Where Europe and Central Europe are Heading?

English Pages, 19. 1. 2010

Thank you for the invitation to come and speak here. You have been inviting me in the past but I always found some “presidential” excuse. It is good to be finally here.

I attended many conferences devoted to the economic issues of Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990’s. At that time Central and Eastern Europe had a special meaning, had a unique, truly historic task, and was inspiring – both intellectually for the economists and other social scientists and economically for potential investors and business people.

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