President Peter Pavel met with representatives of the Luxembourg parliament and government (source: ČT24)
The Czech Republic and Luxembourg share most positions in institutions such as the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, President Peter Pavel said in his Thursday speech at Luxembourg City Hall. According to him, both countries understand what it means to be a responsible member of these camps, they share the same values and strategic interests. The Czech president told government officials there that he expects Luxembourg to join the Czech effort to ensure that countries outside the European Union supply ammunition to Ukraine.
Pavel presented the Czech plan to supply the munitions at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February. He said the Czech Republic has 500,000 artillery pieces in standard NATO capacity and another 300,000 pieces in Soviet capacity in non-EU countries. Pavel also said in Munich that if Prague receives money from the Allies to buy these bullets, they can be delivered to Ukraine in a few weeks.
“We see these three countries, the Benelux, as one entity. So there is an automatic expectation that Luxembourg will join or trump its two partners,” Pavel noted. Belgium has already announced its support of the initiative with two hundred million euros (over five billion crowns), with the Netherlands pledging half.
“We talked about it. They all expressed their interest in the initiative and wanted to know more about it to discuss specific options for their contribution. But I assume that Luxembourg will also be involved,” the president added.
In Luxembourg on Thursday, Pavel held talks with Grand Duke Henri, Prime Minister Luc Frieden, Chamber Speaker Claude Wiesler and former prime minister and now deputy prime minister Xavier Bettel. Humanitarian Affairs.
Powell says the form of Palestinian statehood must be resolved
On the topic of the conflict in the Middle East, both the Czech Republic and Luxembourg see the same way in which some form of Palestinian state will be satisfactorily resolved, Pavel said. According to the Czech president, Luxembourg has a relatively balanced position. “On the one hand, he fully understands the need for Israel to defend itself against what happened on October 7. But on the other hand, they're very passionate about public safety, which I think is completely understandable,” Powell said.
According to the President, the positions of the Czech Republic and Luxembourg are not different, although Prague is slightly closer to Jerusalem. “However, this does not mean that we have a different view of the solution. Both sides see the solution as a satisfactory solution to some form of Palestinian state,” Powell said.
In Luxembourg, the Czech president discussed cooperation in technologically advanced sectors, for example cyber security, space research and healthcare.
Mutual relations between the Czech Republic and Luxembourg
Pavel also met with Mayor Lydia Bolferova, and during the meeting they appreciated mutual relations. Both highlighted historical ties in their speeches, however, for them, the country connects many things in the present. “Today we face the biggest challenge since World War II, Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Both of our countries are Ukraine's leading supporters,” Pavel noted.
According to him, it is a matter of principles. He praised the search for other methods to support the attacked country, which, according to the head of the Czech Republic, should provide everything necessary to protect its security and the security of the whole of Europe.
According to Pavel, there is room to improve relations between countries in the economy, culture, education and innovation. Bolferova also spoke about cooperation in political, economic and cultural matters. According to him, many Luxembourg industrial companies operate in the Czech Republic.
Paul visited John's grave of Luxembourg
Mayor Bolferová recalls welcoming then-Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel to the town hall in 1991. According to him, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg have undergone tremendous growth since then, facing various challenges and crises, but also finding new forces and allies.
After being accepted at the town hall, Pavel went to Jan Balach Square, where this year marks 55 years since he set himself on fire. In 1969, Balách protested in this radical way against the political and social situation in Czechoslovakia after the military occupation of the Soviet Union and other communist countries.
Petr Obrovský, CT's correspondent in Brussels, said memories of the Czech Republic and Luxembourg's 700-year joint history were frequently heard on Thursday. So Paul visited the tomb of John of Luxembourg.
Both countries stressed that they are members of the European Union and NATO and contribute to the unity of the two organizations in defense against Russian aggression, the reporter said. Both countries have pledged to meet the target of spending two percent of GDP on defense this year. Pavel also said that the Czech Republic could learn a lot from Luxembourg. “Luxembourg is an example of a country that, despite its population and size, plays a bigger role than it should according to these factors. It is proof that a country that leads an active policy of innovation can play a very significant role. I think it will be an inspiration for us.
