Candidate status for Ukraine to be among priorities for Czech Republic’s presidency of EU

Countering Russia's invasion of Ukraine and overcoming the consequences of the war will be key tasks for the Czech Republic's future presidency of the European Union.

That’s according to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who spoke in Parliament to introduce the government’s priorities, Ukrinform reported citing AP.

“Europe and the whole world have been undergoing a crucial change,” Fiala said, adding that the Russian invasion "has shaken many our certainties.”

“We have two concrete goals,” PM said, addressing the Czech Parliament. “The first one is to grant Ukraine a candidacy status as soon as possible … and the second one is our support for the toughest possible sanctions against Russia.”

According to the Prime Minister, in the future the Czech Republic wants to hold a summit of European leaders on post-war reconstruction of Ukraine with the participation of Volodymyr Zelensky. His country also wants the EU to “drastically reduce its dependence on hostile or unstable regimes.”

Fiala said the Czech Republic plans to build more nuclear power plants to “ensure the EU’s energy security and meet the EU’s climate goals.” The Czechs intend to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities in cooperation with NATO, in particular in the field of cybersecurity and the fight against disinformation.

Reducing inflation and increasing the resilience of the European economy are also among the Czech Republic's priorities. Inflation in the eurozone jumped to 8.1% in May, and in the Czech Republic, which does not use the euro – to 16%. Fiala stressed that such inflation "is a direct consequence of Putin's war against the Western world."

Photo: CTK