Vlček: The role of Czech diplomacy will also be important in the energy transition

The role of Czech diplomacy will also be important in energy, and in the energy transition, Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček (STAN) said at a meeting of Czech ambassadors at the Černín Palace in Prague. He also spoke about the need to open up new markets. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS), addressing the ambassadors, praised their active approach to supporting Czech companies abroad.

Vlček said that in recent years Czechia had managed to ensure it could not be subjected to energy blackmail by Russia, and had modernized or completed projects involving supplies of gas, oil and nuclear fuel. He believes Czech diplomacy will also play an important role in the energy transition. He sees this significant modernization process as a path to stable, secure and affordable energy supplies.

He said it was necessary to open up new markets at a time when the United States’ approach cannot be predicted. Speaking about trade, Vlček also mentioned the need to reduce internal regulations in the European Union that create barriers to trade growth. The minister also said that Czechia needs to attract new skilled workers from abroad.

Kupka sees opportunities in transport not only in the European Union but also, for example, in the Western Balkans, as well as in North America, Africa and Asia. According to Kupka, the current geopolitical situation shows that the more pillars for cooperation Czechia establishes, the more resilient it will be in the future. “It will really depend on you how successfully opportunities for the Czech economy are opened up,” he told the diplomats.

Kupka considers the Ministry of Transport very active in international cooperation. He cited business missions to Italy, Morocco and Senegal as examples, recalling the role diplomats played in securing the release of Ilja Mazánek, commercial director of Transcon Electronic Systems. He was held in custody in Senegal for seven months. Local authorities charged Transcon and Mazánek with illegal financial transfers abroad and the unlawful import of materials and equipment. They put the damage at 100 million euros (just under CZK 2.5 billion).

Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Marek Ženíšek (TOP 09) spoke about the need to attract investment to Czechia and allocate funding to three strategic technologies: semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum physics.

The meeting of heads of Czech missions abroad will continue throughout this week. On Tuesday, President Petr Pavel will welcome the ambassadors at Prague Castle, and they are also due to meet senators.