President Miloš Zeman and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen (left) spoke at a press conference, March 2, 2023, Prague.
Prague – The Presidents of the Czech Republic and Austria, Miloš Zeman and Alexander Van der Bellen, praised their mutual relations after today's farewell meeting at Prague Castle. Zeman thanked his Austrian counterpart for the support of the Czech minority, they also talked about, for example, the construction of highways or nuclear energy, to which both countries have different approaches. Van der Bellen highlighted the Czech presidency of the European Union. They also touched on the war in Ukraine. Zeman noted that Austria's neutrality could, under certain circumstances, lead to the country becoming a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.
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According to the Czech president, today the two statesmen had the opportunity not only to say goodbye, but also to discuss matters of mutual interest. Zeman praised the development of economic, cultural and scientific-technical cooperation. He thanked his counterpart for the support of the Czech minority in Austria, including the Czech school. They also touched on the construction of highways between Linz and Prague or between Brno and Vienna. “Both sides stated that although we are assured that these buildings will be completed as soon as possible, the reality sometimes lags behind these assurances,” he noted.
He added that they agreed on issues surrounding Ukraine. Van der Bellen described the Czech Republic's support for Ukraine in all areas as respectable. He congratulated the Czech Republic on the organization of the presidency in the EU, which, according to him, took place at a very critical stage, when it was possible to demonstrate European solidarity even at the time of the threat of war. He noted that Austria is militarily neutral, but neutrality does not mean indifference. He called it important for the EU to stand together and not allow itself to be divided.
According to Zeman, the principle of neutrality can be advantageous in some cases. “I told Mr. President that the neutrality of Austria can in certain contexts allow this country to play a mediating role in the case of Ukraine and Russia,” said Zeman. In the past, Zeman also mentioned the possibility of mediation in the case of China or Serbia.
