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The United States has criticized the Czech military for buying an artillery radar and a mobile anti-aircraft missile complex without a tender. According to the daily Hospodarske Noviny the US embassy in Prague sent the Czech Defence Ministry a letter expressing concern about the purchases. A Defence Ministry spokesperson said the purchases had been made without a tender since the law on public orders did not require one. The choice was reportedly made on the recommendation of a team of experts.

The former Czech president Vaclav Havel has again spoken out strongly against recent moves taken by the European Union to normalise diplomatic relations with Cuba. In an open letter published on Monday in a leading Czech daily, Mr Havel said that the EU had entered into a "shameful deal" that "spit on all the principles" of democracy and human rights espoused in the draft EU constitution. The EU froze diplomatic relations with Cuba in June 2003 after some 75 dissidents were arrested and sentenced to up to 28 years in prison. But in recent months, Cuba has re-established contacts with EU member states, after they agreed to stop inviting Cuban dissidents to official embassy events. The communist island nation first re-established contact with its closest ally, Spain, and finally with those most hostile to the Cuban regime: the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, as well as the EU as a whole. Vaclav Havel, himself a former dissident who was imprisoned many times by communist officials, is the founder of the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba, an organisation that supports the families of Cuban dissidents.

Former Czech president Vaclav Havel has sharply criticised the European Union for deciding to no longer invite Cuban dissidents to receptions at EU states' embassies in Havana. The EU has reportedly adopted this position so as to facilitate increased dialogue with the Cuban authorities. However, in an article in France's Le Figaro newspaper Mr Havel described the EU's stance as "diplomatic apartheid". He said the Union could not have found a better way of tarnishing the ideals of freedom and respect for human rights.

CNB board takes surprise action to cut interest rates; State to pay nearly 2bn crowns to Akro over 'tunnelled' CS fondy; Microsoft: Czech version of Windows to have validation process this year; Czechs seeking jobs abroad mostly interested in Britain and Ireland; Cabinet approves strategy to increase exports to China

The Czech Republic intends to close down some of its embassies and consulates abroad due to planned cuts in public spending. The decision was also made in view of the fact that after the country's entry to the European Union in May of last year, Czech interests are protected as part of the EU common policy. According to an unnamed source from the foreign ministry this cost-cutting measure should affect eight embassies in Africa and South America. The Czech consulate in neighbouring Slovakia will also be closed down.

The Czech Republic will probably take its first turn at the helm of the rotating European Union presidency in June 2008, but will share that responsibility with France and Sweden, the Czech Foreign Minister, Cyril Svoboda, announced on Monday after meeting with his French counterpart. Individual member states have traditionally held the EU presidency for a half year, but following the historic enlargement of the union from 15 to 25 member states last May, the system was considered impractical.

Of all European Union member states, Britain and Ireland have been most attractive for Czechs seeking employment abroad. Since the Czech Republic joined the EU in May, some 139,000 Czech pages on work and life abroad were visited on the EURES website, designed to support the free movement of labour across the Union. The large number of visited pages on Germany and Austria suggest these two countries are also attractive to Czechs. Some 29,000 pages on possibilities of finding a job in the Czech Republic have also been visited.

The Czech government is increasingly taking a more pro-active role in the external affairs of the European Union. One of the focal points of Czech interest seems to be the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, especially in relation to consolidating peace in the Balkans. The Special Coordinator of the EU Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, Erhard Busek, visited Prague this week in order to discuss future engagement of the Czech Republic in the Balkans.

The European Commission has approved the Czech Republic's plans to financially compensate those who will be hit the hardest by the restructuring of the national railway operator Ceske Drahy. The Czech government expects to spend a total of 1.86 billion Czech crowns (77.5 million US dollars) to compensate Ceske Drahy employees who will have to be laid off.

The right-of-centre opposition Civic Democrats officially forwarded their proposed European constitution referendum bill to the Senate on Thursday. The bill counts on a referendum on the European Union's first ever constitution being held by the end of this year.

The bill is opposed by the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats who would like to see the referendum held at the same time as the parliamentary elections in 2006. They argue that a separate referendum would cost the state a further 380 million Czech crowns (just under 16 million US dollars).