Only Czech Senators express concern about Chechnya during Russian Premier‘s visit to Prague(Prague Watchdog) - Only representatives of the Czech Senate expressed concern about the ongoing war in Chechnya during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov to Prague on October
9-10.
In Prague Kasyanov met with the Czech cabinet led by Prime Minister Milos Zeman, with President Vaclav Havel, with Chairman of the Senate Petr Pithart, with Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Vaclav Klaus, and also with representatives of Czech businesses.
Kasyanov arrived in Prague principally to complete talks with the Czech government on the settlement of part of the Russian debt to the Czech Republic, which now totals some 3.6 billion USD. The Czech government urgently needs money for the state budget for next year and if the Russian debt is actually unblocked, it will make it a bit easier for the ruling Social Democrats to push its draft state budget through the Parliament. So far a crushing majority of Czech political parties called the draft state budget absolutely unfeasible and said it cannot be passed.
At a news conference Chairman of the Senate Petr Pithart praised Kasyanov’s economic reforms, especially tax collection. He also told journalists that the Russian and Czech sides failed to reach agreement on Chechnya. While the Russian side insisted on viewing the so called anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya as a part of the global fight with terrorism, Czech Senators, especially Deputy Chairman of the Senate Jan Ruml, protested against the linking of all Chechen fighters to terrorists and calling Russian actions in Chechnya and the US fight againts the al Qaeda identical.
President Vaclav Havel welcomed the improvement in the relations between the two countries and praised Russia for its current role in the fight with terrorism. Presidential spokesman Ladislav Spacek told Prague Watchdog that Chechnya was not on the agenda of the talks that the two parties agreed beforehand. Havel again invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Prague, however, Putin's visit is not likely to take place before NATO's summit in Prague in late 2002, Spacek responded to Prague Watchdog's question.
Economic issues dominated Kasyanov’s talks with Zeman and Klaus and Russian Deputy Finance Minister and Czech Finance Minister on Oct 9 actually signed an intergovernmental agreement that should solve some two thirds of the debt. |
