Due to Taiwan trip, Czech President will not invite Senate head to future foreign policy meetings

Prague, Sept 6 (CTK) – Czech President Miloš Zeman will not invite Senate chairman Miloš Vystrčil to the foreign policy meetings of the four Czech constitutional officials any longer because Vystrčil ignored the fact that the other three officials disapproved of his visit to Taiwan, Zeman said in an interview on Prima television today.

“Those who do not follow the rules of the game cannot play the game,” Zeman said.

He said Vystrčil offended the participants of the meetings, who try to coordinate Czech foreign policy.

Vystrčil (opposition Civic Democrats, ODS) and several other senators visited Taiwan together with Czech entrepreneurs this week. Their delegation returned to Prague on Saturday.

Zeman said he can understand that China expressed disagreement with the visit, but he rejected any threats.

“I have no understanding for the behavior of the Senate chairman,” he added.

Vystrčil rejected the view that he violated the One China policy. He said the Czech Republic had agreed with China that it had the right to its own interpretation of the One China policy.

Zeman also said the Senate, which is the upper house of Czech parliament, is the most useless institution of the Czech Republic.

Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček (Social Democrats, CSSD) said today that it is the government that informs Czech foreign policy, not the Senate.

On Saturday, the Chinese embassy in Prague stated that Vystrčil’s visit to Taiwan grossly violated the national sovereignty of China and seriously interfered in Chinese internal affairs.

In the interview with Prima TV, Zeman also said he respected the decision of Vera Kuberova, the widow of late Senate head Jaroslav Kubera (ODS), to refuse a state decoration on behalf of her late husband.

Zeman will decorate about 40 people during the annual ceremony on October 28, which is a state holiday. He said nobody other than Kubera’s wife refused to accept the state decoration. He said he agreed with Kubera on a number of issues and Kubera’s planned trip to Taiwan was the only issue in which they were divided.

Kubera originally planned to undertake the trip to Taiwan, but passed away in February. Several weeks before hid death, he received a letter from the Chinese embassy, also with comments from the Czech Presidential Office.

Zeman, who recently fell and broke his right arm, told Prima TV that he will wear a brace on his arm for the next five weeks.