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All of today's papers offer a variety of top stories ranging from French President Jacques Chirac's scorning words to EU candidate countries over their stand on Iraq to Senator Richard Falbr's possible candidacy for president.

Less than six weeks after Czechoslovakia split up on the 1st of January, 1993, two new currencies emerged, replacing the Czechoslovak crown which had existed since 1919. The two countries divided their monetary assets, liabilities and reserves according to a ratio of two to one in favour of the Czech Republic. After monetary separation was publicly announced, all payments between the two new countries stopped and border controls were stepped up to prevent transfers of cash. The new currencies became valid on February 8, ten years ago.

The Czech regional development minister, Pavel Nemec, assured European Commissioner Michel Barnier that the Czech Republic would try to spend money allocated for the country in EU's ISPA funds for regional development and environmental protection. There are 50 million euros remaining in the ISPA fund that the Czech Republic is required to spend by the end of this year or forfeit completely. The Czech Republic has had problems presenting feasible environmental projects, especially given the fact that financial support from EU funds is conditional on part of the budget being covered by the recipient country.

The German federal government said it would maintain controls on its eastern borders even after the Czech Republic and Poland join the EU in May next year. Germany believes it may be necessary to keep passport controls on the border for up to ten years after the enlargement. Their abolition is conditional on the ability of the new member states to meet the criteria stipulated by the Schengen Treaty on the security of the European Union's external borders.

The Czech Republic is one of ten front-runner candidates for EU membership hoping to take part in the elections to the European Parliament as a fully-fledged member in 2004. However, one of the areas where the candidate countries, including the Czech Republic, need to catch up on most is the environment. This involves including some three hundred EU environmental laws into national legislation as well as implementing and enforcing these laws, putting them into practice and making sure that they are respected.

As relations between Washington and France & Germany deteriorate over Iraq, we examine U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's assertion that Europe's centre of gravity is "shifting to the east". Poland is worried about jeopardizing its traditional ties with the Arab world, while in Slovenia, the Iraq crisis is beginning to affect public support for NATO membership. Also this week, retiring Czech President Vaclav Havel makes his last ever foreign trip - to Slovakia.

Outgoing Czech President Vaclav Havel on Thursday played host to his last official visitor, the Irish taoiseach, or prime minister, Bertie Aherne. Mr Aherne's visit came three months after Ireland voted Yes (at the second attempt) to the Nice Treaty, clearing the way for the Czech Republic and nine other countries to join the European Union. The Czechs are now facing a referendum of their own - the first vote of its kind in the country's history - on whether to accept the invitation to join the EU in May next year. Czech Radio's Vit Pohanka spoke

Some 63 percent of Czechs are planning to take part in a referendum on accession to the European Union, according to a poll carried out by the STEM agency in January. The poll also suggests 47 percent of Czechs are planning to vote Yes to joining the EU, with 19 percent intending to vote against. The government is spending some 200 million crowns on an information campaign ahead of what will be the country's first ever referendum. It takes place on June 15 and 16.

The papers continue to report on the upcoming second attempt to elect a new Czech president. Most dailies write about what they call the behind-the-scene wheelings and dealings of the presidential candidates who are trying to rally votes across the political spectrum.

Czechs will be asked in June whether they want to see their country become part of the European Union. In the meantime all the chapters in accession talks have been closed and the Czech Republic has appointed its first envoy to Brussels. He is Pavel Telicka - the former chief negotiator - who told us what he thought about the accession talks. Katya Zapletnyuk reports.