Czech Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra received a special "ambassador"
on Thursday - a barrel of beer. The barrel, delivered by a horse-drawn
carriage from the country's brewing capital, Pilsen, was given the red
carpet treatment at the foreign ministry. Signed by Czech President,
Vaclav Klaus, sporting personalities and citizens from the West Czech
city, the "ambassador at large" will be dispatched on a special mission
to Brussels next Tuesday to help the Czech Republic fight an EU
proposal to increase excise taxes on beer.
EU finance ministers are due to debate the issue with the Finnish EU
Presidency trying to win backing for a compromise proposal that can be
swallowed by Europe's traditional beer drinking giants, such as the
Czech Republic and Germany.