Vondra: Swedes trust Czechs as EU president

p>Stockholm, Nov 13 (CTK) - Sweden has not expressed the slightest doubts about the Czech Republic as the EU president next year, Czech Vice PM for EU Affairs Alexandr Vondra told CTK Thursday after his two-day talks with his Swedish counterpart Cecilia Malstroem and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

The Czechs will hand the presidency to the Swedes in July 2009.

Vondra said Sweden was looking forward to the Czech EU presidency.

The Swedish and the Czech stances on most key issues are similar, he said.

Both countries advocate a cautious attitude to excessive state regulation when dealing with the current financial crisis. They are also against the idea of the Eurozone playing a more important role.

"Not only the Eurozone, but all 27 EU member countries must take part in key decisions," Vondra said.

Nor the Czech Republic, neither Sweden have adopted the euro as their currency as yet.

Vondra said support for the Lisbon treaty is not clear in Sweden, similarly like in the Czech Republic.

The Swedish parliament, whose members Vondra met as well, is to vote on the treaty next week. The Czech parliament is waiting for a verdict of the Constitutional Court on whether the treaty is in line with Czech law.

Vondra and the Swedish representative also discussed the relation to Russia and other EU's eastern neighbours.

Sweden was among the countries that were the most critical of the Russian invasion of Georgia in August. However, both the Czech and the Swedish governments seek ways of how to continue with the talks between the EU and Russia.