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The chairman of the Czech lower house Miroslav Vlček has cancelled his second Middle East mission, though not, he says, because of the criticism he faced upon return from his first. Mr Vlček headed a European Union delegation to Israel and Palestine, among other Middle Eastern locations, last week. While Mr Vlček visited the Islamic University in Gaza last Tuesday, members of his delegation met representatives of Hamas. The Palestinian group is currently on an EU list of terrorist organizations. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Vlček said he had not known of his colleagues’ intentions to meet with Hamas and distanced himself from the encounter.

In related news, it was revealed on Tuesday that a third Czech Social Democrat deputy attended last week’s meeting with Hamas representatives in the Gaza strip. Helena Opolecká was with former Foreign Minister Jan Kavan and Vladimir Laštůvka at the controversial meeting alongside Italian reformed communist MP Luisa Morgantini.

Czech President Václav Klaus will chair the first ever EU-Pakistan summit in Brussels on Wednesday, it has been announced. The Czech president will hold the meeting alongside European Commission President Jose Barosso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Top of the agenda is expected to be the fight against terrorism in Pakistan. Recently, the EU’s anti-terrorist coordinator Gilles de Kerchove said that the security risk Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan posed Europe was ‘evident’.

Czech foreign minister Jan Kohout will finish chairing a two-day meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday. It is the last foreign ministers’ council with the Czechs in charge. With that in mind, just how far the Czechs have used the presidency to push their foreign policy objectives?

Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kohout on Monday praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his unprecedented backing for the creation of a Palestinian state. Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxemberg, Mr Kohout called the statement a “step in the right direction” but added that the details of his proposal would have to be further analysed. In a key policy speech Sunday evening, Mr Netanyahu said for the first time that he would support the creation of a Palestinian state provided such a state would recognise Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. The Israeli Prime Minister also said that any independent Palestinian state would have to be demilitarised, a condition that many have said would entail not a Palestinian state but an Israeli protectorate.

The Czech interim government has proposed 370 million for the purchase of swine flu medicine and vaccines for half of the population. The same measures have been agreed upon by the other EU member states. The proposal must be approved by the State Security Council before a tender can be announced for the selection of a manufacturer. The state currently has reserves of a swine flu medicament, Tamiflu, for 20 percent of the population. The World Health Organisation announced last week that the outbreak of swine flu has reached the level of a pandemic, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases in 74 countries.

One and a half years after the Czech Republic’s entry into the border-free Schengen zone and its citizens are still falling victim to discriminatory police checks on the German side of the border, or so the Czech Interior Ministry insists. Now, the ministry is planning a system of retaliatory, tit-for-tat measures in a bid to make German police change their tack.

Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer will pay a brief visit to Great Britain on Monday during which he will meet with his British counterpart Gordon Brown, the ctk news agency reported. The talks are expected to focus on the agenda of next weeks EU leaders summit, the last big event to be held under the EU presidency. The Czech prime minister held a similar meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday.

The Czech EU presidency on Friday called on EU countries to take measures to prevent unnecessary illnesses and fatalities caused by malnutrition in hospitals. According to a European survey, some 40 percent of patients in hospitals in the Czech Republic and other EU countries suffer from malnutrition. In the facilities with provided home care up to 60 percent of inmates are starving. Malnutrition may lead to serious health problems, it prolongs the time of treatment and increases its costs. Experts say the cost of treating illnesses provoked by malnutrition amounts to 170 billion euros annually, but its prevention would save up to 1000 euros per hospitalized patient.

The Czech EU presidency has convoked an informal summit of the EU and Jordan in Brussels on June 17, a diplomatic source told the ctk news agency on Friday. The meeting will be attended by the king of Jordan, Abdullah II, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU high representative for foreign and security policy Javier Solana, and Czech President Vaclav Klaus. According to diplomats, the EU-Jordan summit will focus on the Middle East peace process and the possibilities of solving persisting disputes between Israel and the Palestinians.

Former Christian Democratic leader and ex-finance minister Miroslav Kalousek has officially unveiled his new centre-right party, TOP 09. The official announcement had been highly anticipated as the party is expected to draw many members from other centre-right parties. TOP 09, which stands for tradition, responsibility and prosperity, will be based on a platform of social conservativism and fiscal responsibility with a strong emphasis on “Europe’s Judeo-Christian tradition”. Historically one of the leading members of Christian Democrats, Mr Kalousek resigned his party membership on account of what he sees as increasing leftward tendencies. Five other Christian Democrat MPs have also left the party, reducing its tally of MPs from 13 to seven.