Czech Republic Roundup: Ukraine support, weapons for Ukraine, presidential spokespersons

Presidential spokespersons

Prague Castle, the official residence of the President has appointed two new spokesmen to serve as the president's spokesperson; Eva Hromádková, already working at the Castle, and Vojtěch Šeliga, joining from CNN Prima News. The announcement follows the exit of former spokesperson Markéta Řeháková last October. Vít Kolář, director of the communications department of the Office of the President, explained that the decision was made to address President Pavel's extensive domestic and foreign agenda and allow for better coverage of activities and events while ensuring that media attention remains focused on the president rather than the spokesmen themselves, reports local media Idnes.

Ukraine post war-war reconstruction efforts

Despite the ongoing conflict and continued Russian–Ukraine war, the largest Czech business mission embarked on its third business mission to Ukraine, including areas close to the conflict zone, to actively contribute to the post-war reconstruction efforts. The mission, the largest of its kind to date, included representatives from thirty Czech companies across sectors such as health, energy, and transport. The delegation was joined by government officials, including Tomáš Kopečný, the government representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine, reports local media e15.

Weapons for Ukraine

Czech company Ceská zbrojovka has signed an agreement with Ukrainian state company Ukroboronprom to supply all parts for CZ BREN 2 rifles to Ukraine. While the transaction amount remains undisclosed by mutual agreement, the delivery includes all components necessary for assembling the rifles. CZ BREN 2 rifles, known for meeting NATO standards, are currently used by the Czech Republic's Army. Jan Zajíc, CEO of Ceská zbrojovka, expressed his honour in being able to support Ukraine's effort to introduce weapons and increase its defence capabilities, reports local media Byznys.

Czech supports Ukraine

The Czech Republic is leading a European initiative to gather $1.5 billion for ammunition to support Ukraine. Czech President Petr Pavel shared this information during the Munich Security Conference, about the possibility of purchasing ammunition from third countries to aid Ukraine against Russian invasion. President Pavel had previously informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the joint efforts of the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Canada to seek financing options for procuring weapons and ammunition from countries outside the European Union, reports local media Lidovky.

Czech National Park

The Czech Switzerland National Park is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as a tourist destination following several challenging years due to the coronavirus pandemic and a giant fire. Last year saw a notable increase in overnight stays compared to pre-coronavirus times, with a rise of over 12 percent recorded, totalling 465,035 stays, local media Impuls reported. Despite past setbacks, recent data indicates a positive trend, with higher visitor numbers observed.