Prime Minister Fiala speaks in the American Congress — ČT24 — Czech Television

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16/04/2024 Updated 18 minutes ago|Source: ČTK, ČT24

WATCH: Prime Minister Fiala’s visit to the United States (source: ČT24)

Thanks to the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine, five hundred thousand pieces of artillery ammunition have already been procured, and there is no reason why it could not be another million within a year. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who is on a two-day visit to the USA, said this at the conservative American think tank Hudson Institute. After eight o’clock in the evening Central European Summer Time (CEST), he arrived at the meeting in the US Congress, where he will meet, among others, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson.

“I am glad that at this moment about twenty countries have already joined our initiative – from Canada, Germany and the Netherlands to Poland. Thanks to them, we can now provide 500,000 pieces of artillery ammunition,” said the Czech Prime Minister. “There’s no reason why we can’t deliver another million units in the next twelve months,” he added.

The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic described the ammunition initiative as an effort to ensure the purchase of ammunition from third countries until the countries in the West produce enough of it. “We have the know-how, contacts and experience,” noted Fiala. The prime minister described the Czech Republic as a capable and reliable ally with a developed defense industry and good business contacts around the world. He also recalled Czechoslovak arms deliveries to the young state of Israel in 1948.

“Defense must be a bigger priority”

At the Hudson Institute, Fiala spoke about transatlantic relations, the Russian war in Ukraine and the Czech-American alliance. The Hudson Institute is a think tank focused mainly on issues related to national security and foreign policy topics.

In the beginning of the speech, he recalled the communist past of Czechoslovakia, especially the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968 and its connotations in the present. He mentioned that the United States was a “symbol of hope and freedom” for Czech citizens.

Several times the prime minister highlighted the importance of NATO and said that “defense must be a greater priority in the future” as the West faces many threats. In this area too, he expressed gratitude for the cooperation with the US and appealed to the country to support Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russian aggression for over two years.

At the end of his speech, he praised the quality of transatlantic relations, especially in the field of security. “Without America, we cannot deal with the crises we face today and will face in the future. Europe is in danger without the US and America is weaker without Europe. Only cooperation makes sense,” said Fiala. “But it has to be an equal partnership,” he added.

Events: Petr Fiala’s visit to the USA (source: ČT24)

Proceedings in Congress

According to Fiala, he will try to convey the Czech position and the importance of the alliance between the USA and Europe in the Congress. He also considers it crucial for the United States to participate in solving security problems in the world, especially supporting Ukraine. “The fight is important not only for the Ukrainians themselves, but also for the security of Europe and ultimately for the world order based on rules, and that is in the interest of the United States,” the Prime Minister told CT before leaving for the meeting at the Capitol, where he should spend about three clock.

In Congress, Fiala is scheduled to meet with the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. In addition, he also has meetings with Republican Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul, Democratic ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Ben Cardin.

Among other things, he would like to talk about the release of sixty billion dollars (1.4 trillion crowns) in American aid to Ukraine, which has been hindered for several months mainly by American domestic political disputes and which the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has not yet voted on.

ČT reporter Řezníček on Prime Minister Fiala’s visit to the USA (source: ČT24)

Johnson announced Monday that the House will take up the financial aid packages for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan this week, but as separate bills and not together, as the Senate had approved. Lawmakers could vote on them by the end of the week. Democrats, led by Biden, continue to insist on approving the entire package.

“Now there will be very heated negotiations in Congress about when and how to vote on what. It is not at all certain whether it will pass, but it is a shift,” Martin Řezníček, head of the foreign editorial office of ČT24, pointed out from Washington.

“And here comes Petr Fiala, who will try to explain to those people that it is in America’s essential interest to help Ukraine, that the USA should stand by Europe. And that Europe will perhaps be willing to help the United States in other matters, if the USA helps in Europe – I mean in particular the common approach towards China,” the ČT reporter added.

On Monday Fiala spoke at the White House with President Biden, he also met with CIA Director William Burns.

During a meeting with compatriots in Washington, he awarded the Karel Kramář medal to Jana Kánská, the daughter of the politician Milada Horáková, who was murdered in 1950 in Czechoslovakia by the communist regime. Kánská received the medal for supporting democracy and Czech-American relations.

Czech Ambassador: The results of the negotiations were very good

The Czech ambassador to the US, Miloslav Stašek, said that Biden devoted more time to Monday’s meeting with Prime Minister Fiala and his delegation than originally planned. The diplomat evaluated the meeting as warm, the Czech side evaluates the results positively.

An hour was set aside for Fial’s meeting with the head of the White House, but according to Stašek, it eventually dragged on. “I think the results were very good. The negotiations took place in a very warm, friendly atmosphere,” he stated.

The representatives of the Czech Republic and the United States agreed at the meeting to develop cooperation in the field of energy. “With the fact that negotiations to negotiate an agreement between the US government and the Czech Republic will begin,” revealed Stašek. Cooperation in the field of cyber security will continue. “Both sides acknowledged the fact that our trade exchange and investments are growing,” added the diplomat. In this context, he mentioned the gala dinner that will close Fial’s program in the USA on Tuesday.

According to Stašek, the visit was possible thanks to the fact that the USA considers the Czech Republic to be its main ally in Central Europe – along with Poland. “I think it’s a combination of several factors. Our approach to helping Ukraine played an important role, but today we have a truly global relationship, we cooperate very closely in other regions as well,” he says. Last year’s conclusion of the agreement between the Czech Republic and the USA on defense cooperation and the modernization of the Czech army based on the purchase of fighter jets and helicopters from the USA also have an influence.