Havel praises government for stance on human rights :: Charter'97 :: News

Former Czech president Vaclav Havel praised the Czech government for its foreign policy and tough stance on totalitarian regimes in an open letter that his office provided to CTK. "I have fresh experiences on the respect that Czech diplomacy has earned because of its position on Cuba, Belarus, Burma and North Korea," Havel wrote in praise of Czech foreign policy.

Havel also thanked Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek (senior government CSSD) for his support on removing a pig farm in Lety, south Bohemia, located on the site of a World War Two concentration camp where Romanies were interned and later deported to death camps. Paroubek has supported the removal of the pig farm and making the site a memorial.

"The Czech Republic would finally and actually generously support the streams of Czech thought that will lead to cleansing self-reflection more thoroughly than today," Havel said of the Lety memorial.

"I have fresh experiences on the respect that Czech diplomacy has earned because of its position on Cuba, Belarus, Burma and North Korea," Havel wrote in praise of Czech foreign policy.

He mentioned Monday`s meeting of EU foreign ministers, where Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda opened a debate on Cuba that was reflected in the EU`s resolution. Havel said he respects Svoboda`s defence of the principle that one must clearly oppose repressive regimes.

"I believe that defending the persecuted anywhere in the world is not only a matter of principle which grows out of meaning of human existence, but also a presentation of a state`s international prestige," Havel wrote.

Martin Vidlak from Havel`s office told CTK that Havel writes to the PM, foreign minister and European leaders about foreign policy from time to time.

CTK news edited by the staff of the Prague Daily Monitor, a Monitor CE service.