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The US President Barack Obama in Prague
The US President Barack Obama in Prague
The long-awaited visit of US President Barack Obama
to the Czech Republic is over now. He came, he saw
and he conquered (Prague). Have a look at some of
the glimpses of the 23-hour visit of one of the most
popular president on earth to Prague.
Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus congratulated
new U.S. President Barack Obama on his inauguration
and invited him to Prague in a letter, released on
the Presidential Office's website.
Klaus stressed in the letter that the United States
is for many Czech citizens a symbol of freedom and
optimism, democracy and economic success, patriotism
and international solidarity.
On this occasion Klaus also recalled the U.S. contribution
to the establishment of the first independent Czechoslovak
Republic in 1918.
This is why it is natural that both countries started to
cooperate intensively after the collapse of the communist
regime in 1989, and became allies in NATO ten years ago,
Klaus wrote in his letter.
Obama was inaugurated as the 44th U.S. president on Tuesday,
replacing George W. Bush after eight years.
Czech diplomats indicated they would like to welcome Obama
in Prague in early April ahead of the NATO summit.
The Czech Republic as EU president in the fist half of 2009
would like to organise the first summit of the EU 27 and Obama in Prague.
Klaus in his letter also expressed hopes that he would have
a chance to welcome Obama at Prague Castle, the presidential seat,
and that Czech-U.S. bilateral relations would keep developing
dynamically during Obama's presidency.
Prague - A letter former Czech president Vaclav Havel
sent to U.S. President Barack Obama has also contributed to
Obama's forthcoming visit to Prague, according to the
information CTK has obtained.
Havel confirmed to CTK that he wrote to Obama about two
months ago and asked him to come to the Czech Republic.
During his stay in Prague on April 4-5 Obama will probably
meet Havel. The meeting might take place on Sunday and its
concrete details have not yet been agreed on.
"It is true that I wrote to him in the past when it was not
yet decided whether he will come here," Havel said.
"I sent a letter to him asking him to come here and explained
that it would be important for various reasons," Havel said.
Havel said he doubted that it was his letter that influenced
the decision to hold a EU-U.S. summit in Prague.
"I hear it for the first time that my letter influenced his
decision and I am not sure of it," Havel told CTK.
However, he confirmed that he was to meet Obama during his visit.
Obama will arrive in Prague on Saturday, April 4, in the afternoon.
The following day he will take part in the summit with the EU statesmen.
The summit in Prague's Congress Centre will be held under the chairmanship
of outgoing Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek as the prime minister
of a country presiding over the EU.
Obama will probably hold bilateral meetings with European politicians.
It cannot be ruled out that he will meet European Commission President
Jose Barroso.