The head of state considers it essential to continue supporting Ukraine in all areas. Russia’s eventual success would be our joint failure, he said.
“Existing conflicts are still deepening and new ones are increasing,” said Pavel. According to him, the growing self-confidence and assertiveness of revisionist powers and terrorist organizations, polarization within societies, rapid technological development, waves of disinformation, the fragility of the international, economic and legal model or concerns about the effects of the coming climate crisis lead to fears.
According to the president, Russia is far from defeated in Ukraine. According to him, it is necessary to continue supporting the attacked country in all areas. It is crucial for Europe and for peace and stability in the whole world, he believes. He considers it necessary to prevent Russian imperial policy from becoming a source of inspiration for possible followers.
“It is not only about Ukraine. The destabilization of the international order is evident almost everywhere. Frozen conflicts are reawakening, for example, in the Caucasus, and the wave of military coups in African countries, especially in the Sahel, is causing increasing concern. The explosive potential of the current crisis in the Middle East, which was provoked by the barbaric attack of Hamas on Israel, is then obvious above all else,” said the president.
According to Pavel, diplomacy must remain one of the tools for ensuring security. He said it must always precede a military solution. The President also considers it important to strengthen especially those ties that will reduce dependence on unreliable partners and help to return to technological excellence.
“The role of diplomacy is also irreplaceable in the case of an intensifying crisis in the Middle East. Let us condemn any manifestations of barbaric violence against civilians and aggression in principle, emphasize our clear starting points and firm values, pragmatically cultivate bilateral relations, contribute to preventing the conflict from spreading and help find solutions leading to peaceful coexistence,” said Pavel.
According to the head of state, Czech diplomacy must also be active in the countries of the global South, which are vulnerable in many ways. “I have repeatedly emphasized that we unnecessarily left a number of countries, especially in Africa, at the mercy of Russian and Chinese influence and did not offer them an attractive alternative. I welcome that the Czech Republic is trying to return to its lost positions and offer fair partnerships,” remarked Pavel.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) is currently on a week-long visit to sub-Saharan Africa. The trip, on which the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic is accompanied by representatives of Czech companies, aims to deepen or establish new trade relations and cooperation with African countries.
According to Lipavský, the appetite of Russian imperialism goes far beyond Ukraine
A resurgent Russian imperialism is trying to subjugate Ukraine, but its appetite goes far beyond the country’s western borders. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said this at the opening of Thursday’s conference. According to him, terrorism in its most heinous form threatens to plunge the Middle East into a vortex of conflict again, and the world is also watching the assertive rise of China.
The head of Czech diplomacy also stated that the advent of new technologies represents promise, but also risks. Climate change affects the whole world, especially poor African countries.
“The resistance of the international system to the influence of those who want to change or destroy it will also depend on whether we will be able to explain our positions to the countries of Africa and Asia,” says Lipavský. According to him, it is also necessary to prevent Russia and China from weakening Czech and European ties with the countries of the Western Balkans or the Eastern Partnership.
According to Lipavský, it is essential to explain positions, strengthen energy security and weaken dependence on one supplier in a number of critical minerals, on which the success of the green transition is based.
Security must be viewed from the widest possible perspective, the foreign minister said. “A prerequisite for ensuring the security of the state is not only military strength, but also the resilience and preparedness of the entire country and its citizens, because only then will we gain the respect of our adversaries and the trust of our allies,” he said.
The Diplomacy and Security Conference, held in the Černín Palace, focuses on the importance of foreign policy and the stability of the Czech Republic. The Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army, Karel Řehka, or the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, are scheduled to speak.
