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Czech Republic Helps with Post-Katrina/Rita Reconstruction
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11Czech the News/Spring 2006
The government of theCzech Republic hasassigned special funds to
help citizens of areas of theUnited States devastated byHurricanes Katrina and Rita.
In the course of this project,a check for $100,000 for reconstruction of an elementaryschool in Deweyville was presented during the trip ofAmbassador Kolar to Texas. He also visited several Czech-American communities(College Station, Temple,Shiner, and Dubina) and waspresented to meetings of Czech-Texan organizationssuch as the Czech EducationalFoundation of Texas, SlovanskaPodporujici Jednota StatuTexas, and the Czech Heritageand Cultural Center.
The Czech Ambassador
also delivered aid personally to selectedrecipients in Alabamaand Mississippi.During his trip to thesetwo states, he presenteda check in the amountof $111,458.33 for thebenefit of the TapiaPublic Library inBayou La Batre, AL, inorder to purchase booksand other written materials. The amountof $100,000 also wasdonated for the revitalization ofthe charitable St. Vincent dePaul Community Pharmacy inBiloxi, MS, for the purchase ofmedicaments and medical supplies. This financial assis-tance is designed to renew thefunctions of this charitablefacility. During his trip to
Ambassador Kolar presents a check to helpwith the reconstruction effort.
Experts Call Czech Republic an Economic Tiger
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Alabama and Mississippi, theCzech Ambassador met withState Governors Bob Riley and Haley Barbour, respective-ly, to discuss issues of mutualinterest.
Another $120,000 wasgiven to the University of NewOrleans in late spring.
The Czech economy grewby 6.9 percent in the lastquarter of 2005 as exports
boomed, capping the fastestannual expansion in the country's history. Exports propelled the performanceshooting up by 12.6 percent
while imports rose at a moremoderate pace of 6.1 percent.
The figures took most economists in the country bysurprise. They say the CzechRepublic is now one of Europe'seconomic tigers with the economy growing about five
times that of the Euro-zone.They also value the structurebehind the economic growth,which is benefiting foreign tradesurpluses and foreign invest-ments. Experts are optimisticabout 2006 as well.
CZECH the NewsNNeewwsslleetttteerr ooff tthhee EEmmbbaassssyy ooff tthhee CCzzeecchh RReeppuubblliicc
Jewish TiesOn March 24, 2006,Ambassador Petr Kolar visited Temple Rodef Shalomin Falls Church, Virginia,where he spoke on the historyof the relationship betweenCzechs and Jews.Ambassador Kolar empha-sized the important role theJewish community has playedin the development of theCzech lands and in buildingthe Czechoslovak state and itsdemocratic values. He alsonoted that the Czech Republicis "happy to communicateintensively with the Jewish communities here in theUnited States. To all of them,we would like to send a clearmessage that our Jewishfriends are part of our history,our present, and our future.And we will work hard toensure that it stays so. Thisheritage we will pass onto ournext generations."
Continued on page 8...
On May 15 and 16, 2006,the Minister of ForeignAffairs of the Czech
Republic, Dr. Cyril Svoboda,visited Washington. MinisterSvoboda met with his U.S.counterpart, Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice. In Congress,the Minister met with SenatorRichard Lugar (R–Indiana),chairman of the Committee onForeign Relations.
During his visit, theMinister also met with represen-tatives of the Diplomatic Corps,members of the Jewish andCuban-American communities,
think tanks, and CzechAmericans living in the UnitedStates.
The Minister's visit toWashington confirmed that theCzech Republic shares the samevalues with the United States
and therefore has many identicalforeign policy priorities.Spreading democracy andrespect for human rights, as wellas the commitment to fightingagainst international terrorism,belong to these priorities. Henoted that this trend of coopera-tion will not change significant-ly after the June parliamentaryelections in the Czech Republic.Minister Svoboda repeated thatacceptance of the CzechRepublic into the Visa WaiverProgram is a key issue from theperspective of maintaining stra-tegic transatlantic relations.
Foreign Minister
Minister Svoboda meets withSecretary of State Rice
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Current Events
Czech the News/Spring 2006
Prague Airport Opens New Terminal
Prague’s Ruzyne Airport isbecoming one of the majorair hubs in Central and
Eastern Europe and a key playeron the European air traffic market. The number of passen-gers handled by Ruzyne Airporthas been growing at a fast pacein recent years. Last year alone,the airport handled around 10.8million passengers. This year,their number is expected toexceed 11 million. To helpaccommodate the growingdemand, various investmentprojects are under way.
By opening the newTerminal North 2, which startedits operation in January thisyear, Ruzyne Airport has made asignificant step toward thelongterm effort to modernize itsfacilities and increase handlingcapacity. The new terminal satisfies the conditions concern-ing the future membership of theCzech Republic in the border-free Schengen Area, as itallows separating flightsbetween the SchengenAgreement countries (regarded
as domestic) from other international flights.
The two-floor layout of theterminal offers shorter distancesbetween gates and safety benefits for departing and arriving passengers. In addition,it houses commercial areasincluding new restaurants, bars,shops, and other services thatwill significantly increase passenger comfort. Servicespace for air carriers will beextended and new conferencerooms and other specializedfacilities will open for VIP andbusiness clients, passengerstraveling with children, etc.
The new terminal willallow Ruzyne Airport to handleup to 4 million more passengersa year. Additional plannedinvestment linked to this termi-nal will help channel more visi-tors to Prague and double the number of passengersto roughly 20 million per yearover the next 12 years.
Construction cost of thenew terminal totals more than$340 million to date.
President Klaus of the Czech Republic cuts the ribbon in the opening ceremony of the new terminal in Prague.
Dear Friends,The first half of 2006 was a busy time inCzech-U.S. relations. President VaclavKlaus and Minister of Foreign AffairsCyril Svoboda both visited the UnitedStates twice. In addition to meeting withSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice herein Washington, Minister Svoboda offi-cially opened the new Consulate Generalin Chicago. President Klaus also had an
active schedule delivering speeches in Chicago, New York, andCalifornia where he met with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.Highlights from their trips can be found in this newsletter.
Between visits of the Minister and President, I did some traveling of my own, spending time in Florida, Texas, Alabama,Mississippi, and Louisiana. Along the way, I met many nice people and witnessed firsthand the rebuilding efforts in areas hitby Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I experienced a great deal of personal joy delivering funds from the Czech Government tolibraries, health centers, and educational institutions that weredevastated by the storms. Investment in a society's education andhealth infrastructures is an investment in its future. The CzechRepublic is pleased to help U.S. communities not only rebuild butachieve new heights.
It was a busy 6 months back home with the run up to the Juneparliamentary elections. I am optimistic that the election results donot change Czech priorities in regard to foreign relations. The Czech government will remain committed to itsstrong cooperation and partnership with the United States, includ-ing our involvement in the Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedomoperations, in the NATO-led International Security AssistanceForce (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan, and in coalition operationsin the Balkans. Our two countries share the same values and havenearly identical foreign policy priorities—spreading democracyand respect for human rights and curbing terrorism, among them.
Acceptance of the Czech Republic into the U.S. Visa WaiverProgram (VWP) remains a top priority of my ambassadorship.Subjecting Czech citizens to an expensive and arduous visa application process is an outdated vestige of Cold War isolationism that no longer belongs in our modern EU-U.S.alliance. VWP participation is pivotal not only to maintainingstrategic transatlantic relations, but to engendering closer people-to-people ties and enhancing Czech public perception ofthe United States as a true friend. With the active support of somany dedicated friends who are offering their help in this effort, Iam confident that we will remove this last barrier to accessbetween our nations and achieve VWP participation.Truly yours,
Petr Kolar
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President Klaus Visits the U.S.
President Vaclav Klaus visited the United Statesin April and May 2006,
with stops in California,Chicago, and New York.Kicking off his California leg,Klaus met with GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger inSacramento where the twopolitical leaders discussed theopportunity for business andcultural collaborations betweenthe Czech Republic and
the university's grounds.In May President Klaus
was in New York to receive theprestigious Adam Smith Awardfor excellence in free-marketeducation. Each year theFoundation for EconomicEducation bestows the awardfor outstanding leadership in business economics. Mr. Klaus's keynote acceptancespeech addressed "The Threatsto Liberty in the 21st Century."
California. In Los Angeles, Mr. Klaus
participated in the MilkenInstitute Global Conference as aforum panelist with leadingeconomists, including NobelPrize Winner Gary Becker, anddelivered a speech on globaliza-tion to the conference audience.At the Simon Wiesenthal CenterKlaus served as keynote speakerfor the Yom Hashoah orHolocaust Remembrance Day
memorial gathering. He also metwith Los Angeles MayorAntonio Villaraigosa, and spokebefore the World AffairsCouncil on the Czech Republic'srole in the new Europe.
At the University ofChicago, Mr. Klaus delivered aspeech on the post-communisttransformation of the CzechRepublic, and laid a wreath inremembrance of the first Czechpresident, Tomas Masaryk, on
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Daniel Novy is the newFirst Secretary for PressRelations at the Embassy
of the Czech Republic. Beforecoming to Washington, heserved at the Ministry of ForeignAffairs for 3 years where heworked in the International LawDepartment and as DeputyDirector of the European LawDepartment. Mr. Novy holds a law degree from TrinityCollege Dublin and is currentlyfinishing a law degree from West Bohemian University inPilsen.
News Brief
Two Czech WWIIHeroes Have Died
Czech World War TwoVeterans Rudolf Pernickyand Frantisek Perina diedearlier this year. RudolfPernicky died in January atthe age of 90 and FrantisekPerina in May at the age of 95.
General Pernicky played animportant role in the anti-Nazi resistance andwas later imprisoned by theCommunist regime. He wasrehabilitated after theVelvet Revolution and thisyear was awarded the highest Czech state honor,the Order of the White Lion.
General Perina was one ofthe most famous Czechpilots. After the commu-nists seized power inCzechoslovakia in 1948,Perina was dismissed fromthe military and he emigrat-ed to the United States. Hereturned home only afterthe collapse of the communist regime. Perinareceived a number ofawards for his achieve-ments, including theCzechoslovak Cross ofWar, the Order of the WhiteLion, and several foreignawards.
2006 Gratias Agit Award
On May 4, 2006, Dr. CyrilSvoboda, Minister ofForeign Affairs of theCzech Republic, bestowedthe Gratias Agit Award on agroup of supporters andinstitutions positively pro-moting the Czech Republicand Czech heritage aroundthe world. This year´s lau-reates included 17 personal-ities and 4 institutions from14 countries, includingMadame Madeleine K.Albright, the Prague-bornfirst female Secretary ofState of the United States,and American Sokol, anorganization that plays ahighly important role inpreserving Czech heritagein the United States.
33Czech the News/Spring 2006
Czech Antiterrorism Unit Deployed in Afghanistan
In support of OperationEduring Freedom, a 120-member Czech unit has been
sent to the Afghan mountainswhere it operates alongside U.S.troops. This mission is similarto that of 2004, when Czechs fulfilled special tasks within theantiterrorism campaign inAfghanistan. The CzechRepublic already has two military contingents in
Afghanistan, one small unit ofmeteorologists and bomb disposal experts in Kabul, and abigger mission with a Germanreconstruction team in theNortheastern region of thecountry.
At the same time, approxi-mately30 Czech soldiers, part ofa NATO-led contingent provid-ing humanitarian aid inPakistan, wrapped up their
Current Events
New PressSecretary
Daniel Novy
During his visit toWashington, MinisterSvoboda presented a
check in the amount of$1,168,000 as the Czech contri-bution toward the relocation ofRadio Free Europe/RadioLiberty (RFE/RL) in Prague.The Department of State UnderSecretary for Democracy andGlobal Affairs Paula J.Dobriansky, members of theBroadcasting Board ofGovernors, representatives ofRadio Free Europe/RadioLiberty, and many othersattended the ceremony.
RFE/RL is a private, nonprofit, international commu-nications services corporation,funded by the U.S. Congress
through the BroadcastingBoard of Governors. Its aimis to promote and spreaddemocratic values, bolsterdemocratic development,market economies, and fightagainst terrorism. The CzechRepublic shares these values, as they belong to itsforeign policy priorities.
RFE/RL has been broad-casting from the CzechRepublic since 1995: its broadcasting center is located inthe former CzechoslovakFederal Parliament building inthe Prague city center. Due tosecurity concerns (followingcommencement of broadcastingto Iraq and Iran and afterSeptember 11, 2001), the Czech
Minister Svoboda PresentsMillion Dollar Check to RFE/RL
Minister Svoboda presents the check to RFE/RL
Government decided to relocatethe RFE/RL to a less exposedsite in Prague.
The Government of theCzech Republic has allocatedCZK 27 million ($1,168,000) asits contribution toward the relocation costs. This amountrepresents approximately 7 per-cent of the total costs of buildinga new site and the associatedcosts of relocation.
Minister Svoboda Stays in “Cuban Prison Cell”
The Czech NGO Clovek v tisni organized a protest against imprisonment of democratic opposition leaders in Cuba. CzechMinister of Foreign Affairs Cyril Svoboda, together with otherleading political figures, joined the protest and spent some timein a makeshift prison cell at Prague's Wenceslas Square.
"With my participation I want to support a long-term position of Czech foreign policy toward the Cubanregime," said Minister Svoboda. Headded that the Czech Republic pushesCuba to respect human rights and thatit articulates this position within theEU and at international forums.The event was organized for a third
consecutive year this March and lasted3 days. Apart from the construction ofthe symbolic cell, the event included demonstrations and marches to voicediscontentment with Cuban democraticopposition treatment.Minister Cyril Svoboda
joins protest.
mission and returned to theCzech Republic. The Czechswere in Pakistan for almost a quarter of a year, arrivingroughly 2 weeks after the country was hit by a devastatingearthquake in October. In tandem with Dutch health workers, Czech military healthofficials treated about 6,000patients during their stay inPakistan.
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News Brief
Prague is theWealthiest City
Within the New EUMember States
The Czech capital, Prague,has been named the wealth-iest city among the 10countries that joined the European Union in May 2005. A EuropeanCommission survey knownas the Urban Audit alsomeasured the quality of lifein 258 cities in theEuropean Union. Praguedid especially well in termsof culture, ranking fifth inthe number of museumsper capita and seventh inthe number of theatres.
Most Czechs Satisfied with EUMembership - Poll
A total of 67 percent ofCzechs are satisfied withthe Czech Republic's membership in the EU,which is 13 percent morethan last autumn, accordingto polls conducted by thepolling agencies FactumInvenio, STEM, and IvanGabal's Society in January.The government orderedthe polls for four millioncrowns as part of its publicinformation campaign onthe EU.
Czech BBCBroadcasts Final
Program
The Czech-language serv-ice of the BBC broadcastedits final program. After the BBC World Serviceannounced it was axing itand several other languageservices, Czech BBC failedin a bid to continue as partof BBC Worldwide withcommercial backing.
The Czech Republichas attracted a recordnumber of invest-
ments in the last year.Investment and businessdevelopment agencyCzechInvest reported 154domestic and foreigninvestment projects entail-ing 3.2 billion U.S. dollarsand 21,663 new jobs. TheCzech National Bank registered the total inflowof foreign investment in the firstthree quarters amounting to 9.96billion U.S. dollars. The goodnews keeps coming in 2006. Inlate March, Hyundai announcedits decision to build a produc-tion plant in the industrial parkof Nosovice, Northern Moravia,an investment of well over a billion dollars and potentiallysome 13,000 new factory andsupply jobs.
Why is the CzechRepublic currently sopopular for foreign
investors? "It's all aboutthe right mix of location,economic and regulatoryenvironment, availabilityof skilled labor, qualityof infrastructure, cost
effectivity, and incentivesfor investment," says
David Pirner of Facility, a management
consultancy.
The country is well-knownfor its location in the heart ofEurope, making it an ideal placefor headquarters and distribution centers within theenlarged European Union. Italso offers good transportationand telecommunications infra-structures. The most valuedasset for investors, however, isthe high concentration of aneducated, professional, skilled,and cost effective workforce.
Several recent studiesprove that the Czech Republiccontinues to be a good place todo business. For A.T. Kearney,the country was the most attractive offshore location inEurope in 2004, and fourth inthe world, after India, China,and Malaysia. Also, theEconomist Intelligence Unit'sbusiness environment rankingsput the country at first place inthe region of Central andEastern Europe for the forecastperiod 2005–2009.
Apart from the location and
business environment, investorsalso are attracted by the activesupport of government invest-ment projects, which in recentdecades has developed a comprehensive strategy forattracting foreign investment tothe country. Investors areoffered free assistance from theCzechInvest agency, whichincludes information collection,tailor-made visits, businessproperties and supplier identifi-cation, consultancy on accessingEU structural funds, and manyother services. The governmentalso offers investment incentivesin the form of corporate taxrelief, job-creation grants, andtraining and retraining grants.
The right mix of conditionsaffects the changing nature ofinvestment projects. In the areaof investments with high addedvalue, which are the most fiercely sought after on the international scale, the CzechRepublic further increases analready high level of success.Several examples of largeinvestment projects in recentyears can be named in researchand development, shared services, and high technology. Aglobal business software supplier SAP has pooled itshuman resources, finance, andadministration under one roof inPrague in one of the largestshared service centers in theworld. DHL opened itsEuropean IT Service Center toprocess all its business transactions, and Mercedes Benzis relying on the technology center in Plzen for its development and design. Bang& Olufsen, the manufacturer of high-end audio-visual technology, has its only foreign production facility inKoprivnice inNorthern Moravia.
Major American companieshave long been present on theCzech market and are furtherexpanding their activities. IBM,on the market since 1991,
launched its GlobalServices Delivery Centerin Brno 5 years ago, and isgradually consolidating itsoperations in Europe tothis single location.Rockwell Automationestablished its onlyresearch center locatedoutside of the UnitedStates in Prague, whereMotorola also has its
design center. In July 2004,ExxonMobil opened itsBusiness Support Center andGE Money is ready to launch itscustomer service center with500 qualified staff members inOstrava.
In March, the Czech government approved anothermajor project—collaborationbetween Czech scientists at St.Anne hospital and the MayoClinic in Rochester, MN. TheInternational Clinical ResearchCenter in Brno will introducethe largest platform for medicaland biotech research in the EUin the largest Czech-Americanresearch project since the WorldWar Two.
"This demonstrates that thepessimistic scenarios, whichpredicted a loss of interest frominvestors and their tangiblebusiness to cheaper countries,were not realistic. On the contrary, last year we noted theopposite trend. Existinginvestors are not only furtherexpanding and enhancing pro-duction, but are establishingshared-services centers andtransferring their research anddevelopment activities to theCzech Republic," says VaclavPetricek, Deputy Minister ofIndustry and Trade.
Czech Republic Attracts Record Investments
Prague, Czech Republic
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Business
For more information, visit:CzechInvest
www.czechinvest.cz or contactagency representatives in the United States
Radomil Novak (USA-West)Suite 107-F
51 East Campbell AvenueCampbell, CA 95008 U.S.A.
Tel.: (408) 376-4555Fax: (408) 376-4557
E-mail: [email protected]
Bohuslav Frelich (USA-East)Suite 938
222 Merchandise Mart PlazaChicago, IL 60654 U.S.A.Tel.: (312) 245-0180Fax: (312) 245-0183
E-mail: [email protected]
News Brief
Havel Decorated inthe U.S. for AssertingReligious Freedom
Former Czech PresidentVaclav Havel received the2005 Annual First FreedomAward from the U.S. organization First FreedomCenter. The prize was conferred in Richmond,VA, on the occasion of theU.S. Religious FreedomDay. Czech Ambassador tothe United States Petr Kolaraccepted the award on Mr.Havel’s behalf. Havel madea video speech for ceremo-ny participants in which hesaid that one cannot calcu-late whether his effort to dogood will bring success.Mr. Havel warned againstgroup obsession and fanati-cism that threatenshumankind, especially inrelation to terrorism.Previous prize winnersinclude British PrimeMinister Tony Blair.
Seventh Anniversaryof the Czech Republic’sAccession to NATO
On March 9, 2006, theCzech Republic celebratedthe seventh anniversary ofaccession as a full NATOmember. The treaty wassigned, along with Polandand Hungary, inIndependence, MO, in 1999by Secretary of StateMadeleine K. Albright andgovernment representativesof these first three post-communist countries toenter NATO since the endof the Cold War. The CzechArmy today is a full andeffective member of themilitary structures ofNATO and participates inseveral NATO and UN missions in Kosovo, Bosniaand Herzegovina, andAfghanistan.
55Czech the News/Spring 2006
Skoda Auto Launches Roomster
Coming off a record year in2005, driven by strongsales of its Octavia and
Superb models, Skoda unveiledits first multipurpose vehicle atthe International Motor Show inGeneva at the end of February.Based on low price, comfort,and functionality, the Roomsteris presented as a car for theyoung generation with a freshdesign, generous storage space,and flexible seats.
Skoda Auto, the biggestCzech exporter, remains at theforefront of popularity inEurope and elsewhere. The newSkoda Octavia has been named"best import" in Germany'sannual Auto Trophy poll. Theprize is announced by themotoring magazine AutoZeitung. This year, more than
90,000 readers of the magazinevoted in the poll. Skoda Autohas been part of the VolkswagenGroup since 1991. The newOctavia model was named 2005car of the year in the CzechRepublic, where it is manufac-tured, as well as in Bulgaria,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Finland, Lithuania, Serbia andMontenegro, Ukraine, and Great
Britain.The carmaker plans to
increase annual production to800,000 cars within 5 years. One quarter of the cars would beproduced outside the CzechRepublic, in countries such asIndia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.New plants will be built in Chinaand Russia.
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Ajury of the CzechMinistry of ForeignAffairs, comprised of
leading experts on design andhigh-ranking foreign policyofficials, has selected a winningproposal for the new logo of theCzech Republic. The graphiclogo is the work of TomasMachek, Ludek Kubik, andKarel Haloun, a team fromPrague-based design studioSide2.
The new logo symbolizesopenness, diversity, and themany colors of the Czech
Czech Republic Reveals New Logo
pictures or words delivering anintended message.
The logo will represent theCzech Republic on officialmaterials, during cultural andsporting events, and for otheroccasions.
Republic. Its unique design,which its authors epitomized inthe concept of the "speakinglogo," allows for further creativework with the concept, so thatthe characteristic bubbles can beused separately and filled with
Ambassador Delivers Lecture at AU
Ambassador Petr Kolaraddressed a diverse audience of students,
compatriots, and other attendeesat an event jointly organized bythe School of InternationalService of American University(AU) and the Association forInternational Affairs, a Prague-based think tank. TheAmbassador commented onissues ranging from the favor-able economic situation in theCzech Republic to its role in theEuropean Union. He empha-sized the need for transatlanticpartnership between the UnitedStates and Europe to face thechallenges of the modern world.
Replying to the lecturetopic, Czech Republic in the EU.Good News for America?, theAmbassador stated, "It is excel-
he considers to be "the only wayto face new challenges andthreats that jeopardize our civilization, threaten our way oflife, and the democratic valuesthat we all share." As anothertraditional priority of Czech foreign policy, the Ambassadorcalled for support of democracy,freedom, and human rights incountries in transition and foractive engagement in the worldranging from development aid and disaster relief to peace-keeping missions. "We knowthat the best way to preserve andsecure our own liberty andfuture, is to build democracy in our country and help and sup-port democracy to emerge inother countries," stated theAmbassador.
lent news for the U.S.," and "it isgood news for the CzechRepublic and its citizens. Forsure, it is good news also for theEU." EU membership hashelped the Czech Republic“speed up positive developmentand create a prosperous, boom-ing, and healthy economy and aself-confident civic society."He added that membership alsohas allowed the country to"influence international affairsmore than ever before and havean impact on internal affairs ofthe EU...It is good for us, the EU, and the transatlantic partnership.”
Turning to Czech priorities,within the European Union,Ambassador Kolar stressed theimportance of fostering thetransatlantic cooperation, which
News Brief
President Klaus Commemorates T.G. Masaryk
President Vaclav Klaus, hiswife Livia, and 200 partici-pants paid tribute to thememory of Tomas GarrigueMasaryk, the first presi-dent of Czechoslovakia(1918–35), at Lany ceme-tery on the 156th anniver-sary of Masaryk’s birth.Masaryk's ideas of morali-ty, truth, justice and human-ity have become the basisof Czechoslovak statehood,and they have survived thelong years of Nazi and communist dictatorships.
Putin RecognizesMoral Responsibility
Russian President VladimirPutin recognized moralresponsibility for the 1968invasion of Czechoslo-vakia by Warsaw Pacttroops. After talks at Prague Castle withPresident Klaus he toldjournalists that Russia didnot bear any legal responsi-bility, but it felt moralresponsibility for the tragicevents. Klaus said he appre-ciated Putin's words as aclear and understandablestatement, perceived by theCzech Republic.
Lower HouseApproves Bulgariaand Romania’sAccession to EU
The lower house ofParliament has agreed tosupport the accession ofBulgaria and Romania tothe European Union. This isthe first time that the CzechParliament has voted on EUenlargement since theCzech Republic joined theUnion in May 2004. Theearliest possible date whenBulgaria and Romaniacould join the EuropeanUnion is January 1, 2007.None of the deputies present voted against thetwo countries' accession;one deputy abstained fromthe vote.
66 Czech the News/Spring 2006
Governors of the Czech and Slovak NationalBank Meet in Philadelphia
The GlobalInterdependenceCenter (GIC) is a
Phi ladelphia-basednonprofit organizationof world citizens thatrecognizes the increas-ing interdependence ofnations. Dedicated toglobal excellence, thecenter believes thepotential for produc-tive interdependence isenormous. Key areasthat are critical to productiveglobal interdependence are:political, economic, social/cultural, scientific and techno-logical, which include medicaland environmental. GIC wascreated to uphold the principlesof the Declaration ofInterdependence, which men-tions these key areas.
On February 10, 2006, GIChosted the Governor of theCzech National Bank, ZdenekTuma and the Governor of theSlovak National Bank, Ivan
Sramko. The two Governorsgave special presentationsdetailing the economic successstories of their respective coun-tries. The meeting was alsoattended by Viktor Danielis,Commercial and EconomicCounselor at the CzechEmbassy in Washington, MartinDvorak, his deputy, TomasBican, Commercial Counselor atSlovak Embassy in Washington,and Josef Dvoracek,Commercial Consul at theCzech Consulate General inNew York. This most informa-
tive meeting was alsoattended by Peter A.Rafaeli, HonoraryConsul General of theCzech Republic inPhiladelphia who led thetwo Governors as well asthe Czech and Slovakdiplomats on a tour ofhistoric Philadelphia as it relates toCzechoslovak history.
Stops included the LibertyBell, Independence Hall (whereT.G. Masaryk spoke in October1918), the PA historic markerhighlighting T.G. Masaryk, andMasaryk Place, which leads intothe Bellevue Hotel whereMasaryk stayed in 1918 with hisdelegation from the Mid-European Union which hechaired.
For questions, call: (215) 646-7777 or E-mail:
[email protected] questions on the GIC, visit: www.globalinterdependence.orgSpecial by Peter A. Rafaeli
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On February 28, 2006, theCzech Republic official-ly celebrated its gradua-
tion from the World Bank. Theformal celebration at theCongress Center of the CzechNational Bank in Prague waspresided over by World BankPresident Paul Wolfowitz, withMinister of Finance BohuslavSobotka and other high officials,businessmen, and journalists inattendance. The Czech Republicthus closed one part of its trans-formation since the VelvetRevolution in 1989.
Former Czechoslovakiawas one of the founding coun-tries of the World Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund,but, in 1954, the communistregime withdrew the country'smembership, which wasrenewed in 1990. The CzechRepublic received three loanstotaling $626 million from theWorld Bank.
Graduation means that thecountry officially changes itsstatus from beneficiary to donorof World Bank funds. Theprocess of graduation was initi-ated by the Czech government in2004 and officially finished byan exchange of letters affirmingthe country's graduation in April
2005 between Minister Sobotkaand the Vice President of theWorld Bank for Europe and theCentral Asia region, ShigeoKatsu. The process of gradua-tion confirmed the already exist-ing status quo. In the last years,the Czech Republic has not beenborrowing from the World Bankbut, on the contrary, has been adonating country.
World Bank representativefrom the Czech Republic, PavelFrelich, summarized what graduation will mean for thecountry. "With the graduation,the Czech Republic agrees toincrease its financial participa-tion on development coopera-tion and to strengthen its role asa partner in development assistance—multilateral andbilateral." Frelich also noted thatas a new member of theEuropean Union, the CzechRepublic committed itself togradually increase the OfficialDevelopment Assistance to 0.17percent of its GNP in 2010 and to0.33 percent in 2015.
While in Prague, Wolfowitzalso visited the InstitutionalFoundations for Sound FinanceForum organized by the WorldBank and the Czech government. During an inter-
view with Czech Television, Mr. Wolfowitz expressed hisappreciation for the progress theCzech Republic has made since1990. "The Czech Republic hasreally pioneered some veryimportant innovations that Ithink the whole world will benefit from," he said.
Frelich concludes that thewhole process of graduation is,"the recognition from an independent and prestigiousinstitution such as the WorldBank that we have reached a certain level of economic development which should leadto higher interest in the CzechRepublic among potential foreign investors and, at thesame time, to improvement ofconditions for using financialresources on the world financialmarkets.”
World Bank Graduates the Czech Republic
(left to right) Martin Dvorak, Victor Danielis, ZdenekTuma, Ivan Sramko, Josef Dvoracek, and Peter Rafaeli
Business
Vaclav Havel and Paul Wolfowitz
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Czech Republic WillHelp Belarussian
Students
The Czech Republic wasamong the strongest sup-porters of the imposition ofEuropean Union sanctionson the regime of PresidentLukasenko in Belarus dueto the suppression of opposition demonstrationswhich started after electionsheld on March 19, 2006.Czech Prime MinisterParoubek offered severalrelief programs for opponents and regularBelarussian citizensoppressed by Lukasenko'sregime. One of the pro-grams will offer collegestudents suspended fromschool because of their par-ticipation in demonstrationsan opportunity to finishtheir studies at Czech universitites. The demon-stration broke out after theopposition had accused thegovernment of electionfraud. Ministry of ForeignAffairs Press Secretary VitKolar said that the CzechGovernment is preparing upto 25 programs, from schol-arships to printing informa-tional materials.
Tourists in the Czech Republic Reach Record
6.4 Million in 2005
Tourists arriving in theCzech Republic rose by anestimated 6 percent year-on-year to a record 6.4 mil-lion in 2005. Foreign visi-tors' spending increased toCZK 108.7bn (approxi-mately USD 4.72 bn) lastyear from CZK 107.1bn in2004. Tourists most fre-quently visited Prague, theKarlovy Vary region inWest Bohemia, and SouthMoravia. Most visitorswere from Germany, GreatBritain, and Italy. In 2006,CzechTourism expects thenumber of foreign touristscoming to the CzechRepublic to grow to 6.6–6.7million.
77Czech the News/Spring 2006
An estimated 450 people from throughoutLouisiana and surround-
ing states came to the Czech festival in Libuse (close toAlexandria, LA) to celebrateCzech heritage on March 18,2006.
The program in the CzechCommunity Hall highlightedperformances of LouisianaCzech Heritage Dancers, accor-dion music, a talent show, Easteregg demonstrations, crafts exhibitions and sales, and muchmore. The audience also hadseveral opportunities to dancewith a group of professionals ledby Jitka Bonusova from Prague.During the festivities, partici-pants not only enjoyed the musicand dancing, but also tastedCzech delicacies such assausage with sauerkraut anddumplings, and traditional pastries including kolaches.After enjoying Czech flavors,visitors could delve into theCzech history of Rapides Parishthanks to displays of historicphotos and documents, andexpert guidance of local histori-ans, Frances Hazmark and Dr.Rosie Walker.
Libuse (as well as Kolin,the second Czech colony in
Rapides Parish) was founded in1914 by Czech immigrants whocame here in search of afford-able land and opportunities tomake use of their skills andhandicrafts. Several dozen families claiming Czech descentlive in this area. Tombstones atCzech cemeteries in Libuse andKolin are further evidence oftheir past and present.Additionally, Czech House(Cesky domov) and KoncinskyMemorial Museum presentexhibits of the Czech past in thispart of Louisiana, preservedwith exceptional care by Georgeand Helen Koncinsky, activemembers and officials of theLouisiana Czech HeritageAssociation.
Pam Funderburk, currentPresident of the LouisianaCzech Heritage Association,
colleagues Carolyn Tuma, Dr. David Holcombe, and WallySanson, to name only a few ofthe many officials and volun-teers, deserve credit andapplause for what they haveachieved. Their hard work, dedication and personal engage-ment were praised by all guestsof the festival, including KenZezulka, the Honorary Consulof the Czech Republic in NewOrleans.
The festival has its follow-ers and admirers among childrenand teenagers. The devotion ofyounger generations is crucial tocontinue cherishing and preserv-ing Czech heritage.
Please mark your calendarsfor next year's Czech Heritage Day
on March 17, 2007.Special by Ivo Broskevic
Community Celebrates 2222nndd AAnnnnuuaall LLoouuiissiiaannaa CCzzeecchh HHeerriittaaggee DDaayy
On March 16, 2006, inNew York City, the creators of the Emmy
Award winning documentaryNicholas Winton—The Power ofGood, led by Director MatejMinac, received the prestigious"Christopher Award."
Father James Keller, aMaryknoll priest who believedthat every individual has thepower and responsibility tochange the world for the better,founded The Christophers in1945. Rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service toGod and humanity, TheChristophers embrace people ofevery nation, religion, and agelevel.
First presented in 1949, theChristopher Awards acknowl-edge that the role of the media isunique and its influence far-reaching. The Awards wereestablished in accord with the
published in the CzechRepublic. Since then Peter A.Rafaeli translated the book intoEnglish, and Dr. Curtis Keim,Dean of Moravian College inBethlehem, PA, edited theEnglish translation.
American Friends of theCzech Republic volunteeredtheir services with publishingthe English version, which willsoon be possible with the gener-ous support of the CzechGovernment. The assistance ofthe Consul General of the CzechRepublic in New York City,Ales Pospisil, is hereby gratefully acknowledged.
For more information, visit:h t tp : / /www.chr i s tophers .org /
awardsmm.html or call (215) 646-7777
Special by Peter A. Rafaeli
Documentary Wins Christopher AwardNNiicchhoollaass WWiinnttoonn––TThhee PPoowweerr ooff GGoooodd
principles of their parent organi-zation to salute media that"affirm the highest values of thehuman spirit." The Awards arenoncompetitive and their goal isto encourage men, women, andchildren to pursue excellence increative arenas that have thepotential to influence a massaudience positively. ChristopherAward winners celebrate thehumanity of people in a positiveway.
Matej Minac does not reston his laurels. He created in theCzech Republic an InternationalEducational Project, whichreceived the auspices of Dr.Cyril Svoboda, the Minister ofForeign Affairs. He wrote asmall book about the creation ofhis two highly acclaimed films,All My Loved Ones and NicholasWinton–The Power of Good. His book titled NicholasWinton–The Lottery of Life was
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CZECHtthheeNews Newsletter of the Embassy of the Czech Republic NewsEmbassy of the Czech Republic3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NWWashington, DC 20008Tel.: 202/274-9100 Fax: 202/966-8540www.mzv.cz/washingtonDaniel Novy, Editor-in-ChiefJoAnn M. Cooper, Managing EditorMary Fetzko, Art DirectorPavel Prikryl, EditorAles Vytecka, Petra Weissova, Contributing Writers
Jewish TiesContinued from page 1...Also in March 2006, PressSecretary Daniel Novyattended a memorial servicefor Czechoslovak JewishVictims of Nazism, conduct-ed by the Society for theHistory of the CzechoslovakJews at the CongregationHabonim in New York City.Mr. Novy presented greetingsof the Czech Embassy toRabbi Norman Patz and hiscongregants and reiteratedthe Czech Republic's com-mitment to the ideals ofTomas Garrigue Masaryk'scivil society, and its determi-nation to combat anti-Semitism and all other formsof ethnic, racial, and religioushatred.
The Czech Republic willface the U.S. in its firstmatch at this year's World
Cup in Germany. The Czechsplay against the United Stateson June 12, 2006. The Embassyof the Czech Republic inWashington, DC, will screenthe match.
At a special ceremony atthe Slovak Embassy,hosted by H.E. Rastislav
Kacer, the president of theCzechoslovak Society of Artsand Sciences Dr. Miloslav
Jan Figel Receives AwardRechcigl presented the Humanand Tolerance Award to Jan Figel, Slovak EUCommissioner for Education.The award, designed to "honorthose whose life and work have
Culture
Skolil has been appointed asConsul General. Hours ofoperation are 9:30 am–12 noon,Monday through Friday.
Address: Suite 1680205 N. Michigan AvenueChicago, IL 60601Tel.: (312) 861-1037 Fax: (312) 861-1944
E-mail:[email protected] site: www.mzv.cz/chicago
New Consulate General Opens
The new Consulate Generalin Chicago opened to the public on February 15,
2006. The jurisdiction of theConsulate General covers theterritory of Illinois, Indiana,Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,North Dakota, South Dakota,and Wisconsin. The Con-sulate is located in the MichiganPlaza Building near theMillennium Park. Mr. Marek
been guided by tolerance andcompassion,” was presented forthe third time this year. Pastrecipients include Father AntonSrholec of Skalica and theReverend Tomas Halik.
World Cup DrawPuts Czechs inGroup with the U.S.
