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Czech - German ties
The Czech Foreign Ministry officially conceded for the first time
on Thursday, that relations with Germany had deteriorated with the
arrival of the new Social Democrat government. This comes after
Premier Milos Zeman refused to apologise for his recent controversial
statements on Sudeten Germans, in which he likened them to Czech
extremists. He insists that his remarks about the Sudeten German "Landsmannschaft", the largest group representing
ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War Two, have
been distorted. Pauline Newman has more.
Deputy Premier Egon Lansky said it was in the interests of Czech
diplomacy to improve this dent in Czech - German relations.
Mr Zeman has also cast another blow to the already fragile dialogue
between the two countries, by expressing reservations about the
Sudeten Germans nominated by Bonn to take part in a Czech - German
reconciliation commission.
This Forum follows the signing of the
bilateral accord meant to heal wartime wounds. He said those invited
to take part should be interested in Czech - reconciliation and that
just as Prague had not nominated any right wing extremists or
communists, Bonn should not send along any members of the Sudeten
German Landsmannschaft.
David Vaughan of Radio Prague spoke to deputy Premier Egon Lansky and
asked him to comment on the Czech government's attitude to the
composition of the discussion forum...
 Streaming RA / RA Download
Czechs in Bosnia
When minister of defence, Vladimir Vetchy visited Sarajevo this week, he got an unusual surprise. Catherine Miller has the story.
The minister had not been having a good trip. Firstly he had to deal with complaints about delayed supplies to the Czech troops stationed in Bosnia. Then a misunderstanding had led to a cooling down in relations between czech soldiers and local residents in Prijedor. So all in all it was a welcome relief when he found a friendly face amongst the crowd of journalists who accompanied him on his visit. The face belonged to fluent czech-speaking french soldier, Patrick Coulon.
Mr. Coulon had learnt czech during the cold war when he worked in Germany listening to Czechoslovak army radio and so impressed the minister with his mastery of the language that after half an hour the he awarded the frenchman with the memorial medal of the minister of defence. Mr Coulon now lives in Strasbourg with his Czech wife but they hope to return to the Czech republic once he has finished his service in the military.
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