The new President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, officially took office after his inauguration in Prague Castle. The following Monday, he went on his first trip abroad. First of all, according to tradition, he went to his neighbors in Slovakia. Until 1992, Czechs and Slovaks lived for more than 70 years in a common state – the former Czechoslovakia.
The new president is full of energy and therefore he managed to make other official visits abroad. With his wife Eva, he also went to Poland and Germany. The presidential couple’s visit to Slovakia took place on September 13. 14. March. The head of the Czech state and his wife were received by the President of Slovakia Zuzana Chaputova. As well as other high-ranking representatives of the Slovak state and politics. Officials of both countries discussed, among other things, the possibilities of resolving the crisis in Ukraine. As well as deepening cooperation between the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Peter Paul also visited Bratislava and some other interesting places in the area. “Slovakia is the number one foreign partner and friend for the Czech Republic, and I believe that it will remain so,” President Pavel said. The tradition in which the newly elected President of the Czech Republic goes on his first foreign visit to Slovakia was established in the 90s. Vaclav Havel was the first head of state of the independent Czech Republic after the separation of the two republics.
In March, Peter Paul went to Poland. He met with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The statesmen also discussed issues of assistance to the captured Ukraine. As well as the possibility of ending the military conflict in this country. In addition to Warsaw, Pavel also visited the airport in Rzeszow, a city near the border with Ukraine. A large logistics center, together managed by Poland and the United States, distributes military and humanitarian aid from Western countries to Ukraine. “Czech-Polish relations are now the best, at least in the last thousand years of history,” the Polish Prime Minister said during a visit to Petropavlovsk, according to the website irozhlas.cz .
In March, Peter Paul also went to Berlin, where he was received by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Here, the politicians also agreed on the need to continue supporting Ukraine, which is still defending itself from unprovoked military aggression by its neighbor, Russia. Russia began its invasion in February 2022 and is now occupying part of Ukraine. Thousands of civilians have been killed as a result of Russian military attacks.The Czech Republic, Poland and Germany are among the countries that immediately after the conflict offered asylum and security for residents of Ukraine. In the Czech Republic alone, about half a million people have found a safe haven from the war, including women and children.
See also: The number of refugees in Europe has reached 8 million since the beginning of the war
