Klaus awarded during Bratislava visit

Bratislava, Feb 27 (CTK) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus was awarded for his contribution to the development of the business sector by the Slovak Entrepreneurs' Association (ZPS) at the close of his two-day visit to Bratislava yesterday, and he once again criticised the EU on this occasion.

The ZPS said the award goes to Klaus for his effort in then Czechoslovakia's post-1989 switch from the central-directed economy to the free market economy.

"Without Klaus, the economic transformation would be less direct. He is a symbol of the transformation from which Slovakia benefited as well," ZPS head Jan Oravec said.

Klaus was behind the then economic reforms as Czechoslovak finance minister (1989-1992) and Czech prime minister (1992-1997).

Oravec also appreciated Klaus for challenging the efforts at centralising the EU and criticising states' intervention in their economies.

Klaus said it seems to him that those holding this view are a minority in society.

He said the EU is no longer a symbol of prosperity and the present time is the era of "post-democracy."

Klaus dismissed the apprehensions of possible negative impacts in case a member country left the euro zone.

It were the Czech Republic and Slovakia that proved, after the split of their joint state, Czechoslovakia, in late 1992, that a currency separation is feasible.

"We showed that this is feasible, on condition that it is a controlled step," Klaus said.

Klaus also met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico yesterday. He said they mainly discussed European issues.

Klaus also reacted to the signature of 28 Czech senators under a proposal to file a high treason complaint against him mainly in connection with the amnesty that he granted in January, dismissing it as political games.

His Slovak counterpart Ivan Gasparovic is facing a similar opposition proposal.

"I think these are political games that have nothing in common with the essence of the problem or the constitutional system both in Slovakia and the Czech Republic," Klaus said.

"It is sad that some people from our political opposition use threatening with the Constitutional Court to solve their disagreement of a political type," Klaus said.

The amnesty aroused a big outcry for its extent and also because it halts some closely-watched corruption and fraud cases.

The Slovak opposition says Gasparovic intentionally breached the constitution when he did not appoint a candidate for the post of prosecutor general whom parliament elected.

The opposition, however, does not have any chance of succeeding.

Klaus arrived for a two-day visit to Slovakia on Tuesday, a few days before his second and last possible presidential mandate expires on March 7.

He will be replaced in the post by Milos Zeman, a former socialist prime minister, who previously said his first foreign trip as president will go to Slovakia.