Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, in visit, also aims to improve ties
Published:
18 September 2003 y., Thursday
Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla paced, young soldiers in dress uniform smirked and photographers scrambled for position as German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder arrived Sept. 5 for his first state visit to the Czech Republic in almost four years.
It was a symbolic visit from a neighbor and world leader who had canceled his last trip to Prague in disgust. The national anthems were played and the red carpet was rolled out, but behind the pomp and ceremony there was also an agenda.
Schroder's visit was part of a wider whistle-stop tour to lobby small nations such as the Czech Republic for their support of the European Union Constitution. Because the constitution must be ratified by all member states, a no vote in the Czech Republic would effectively kill it, something Schroder is working hard to avoid.
Also on the agenda for Schroder was improving relations between the two countries, a step he said meant getting past the past. Noticeably absent -- perhaps in keeping with the spirit of camaraderie -- was any mention of the war in Iraq, to which the two governments have responded very differently.
Šaltinis:
praguepost.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Ministry of foreign affairs of Lithuania invites foreign citizens to take the quiz “Millennium of Lithuania. Culture and history”.
more »
President Adamkus underlines that today Lithuanian and Azerbaijani nations are linked by very special strategic ties that are strengthened even further by Azerbaijan‘s continuing efforts to develop relations with the European Union.
more »
Many experts believe that the offshore pipeline project poses a serious threat to the Baltic Sea environment because hazardous chemical weapons from World War II are still dumped at the bottom of the sea.
more »
President Valdas Adamkus extended, on behalf of himself and the people of Lithuania, congratulations to President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia on the occasion of Independence Day.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus sent congratulations on behalf of himself and the people of Lithuania to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Horst Köhler, on his victory in the presidential election.
more »
President Valdas Adamkus congratulated President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina on the occasion of national holiday - Revolution Day - and extended best wishes for the well-being and prosperity of the Argentine people.
more »
On 22 May, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas met with the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is paying an official visit.
more »
President Valdas Adamkus received letters of credence from the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi.
more »
On 18-19 May, Lithuania’s Undersecretary of Foreign Ministry took part in the meeting of European Union’s Ministers for Development Cooperation. The meeting was a on the agenda of the General Affairs and External Relations Council.
more »
On 15 May at Klaipėda University, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas opened an international conference “Baltic Marine Innovation Forum”, and welcomed the united forces of the Government, business and science representatives as well as diplomats, who care for the future of the Baltic Sea region.
more »