Prague, Jan 17 (CTK) – The U.S. ambassador to Prague, Andrew Schapiro, will leave the post on Friday, he told journalists on Tuesday, adding that he will be returning to the Czech Republic because his children will complete their school attendance in the current school year in the country.
The school year ends at the end of June.
Schapiro would not comment on who will replace him as the U.S. ambassador and when.
Schapiro will leave his office on the day of the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Republican Donald Trump. After his departure, the embassy will be temporarily led by his deputy, Kelly Adams-Smith.
This is usual for ambassadors like Schapiro who are not career, but political ambassadors appointed thanks to their personal relations with the president.
Schapiro, 53, was sent to Prague by the outgoing Democrat President Barack Obama. They have known each other since their studies of law at Harvard University.
Schapiro previously supported Obama in the presidential campaign.
Talking to journalists on Tuesday, Schapiro admitted that he could have remained ambassador until the summer if the Democrat candidate, Hillary Clinton, had won the presidential election.
“Our plan and our expectation was to leave at some point in the summer after the school year was done. Even if Hillary Clinton have won and invited us to stay longer,” he said.
On Sunday, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said he expects the Czechs to wait for a new ambassador long because all political ambassadors, about one third of the U.S. diplomatic corps, are ending with Trump’s arrival in the presidential post.
According to Schapiro, the replacement process may take a few months but even exceed one year.
There was no U.S. ambassador to Prague for two years before the arrival of the previous ambassador, Norman Eisen, Schapiro said.
“So many factors affect that, that it is so hard to predict. I hope that it won’t be too long,” he said.
He recommended that his successor should not fear to openly speak of controversial issues and defend the rights of those oppressed as well as freedom and tolerance.
“Any time you do anything like that, the social media goes crazy. Don’t be afraid, don’t worry about them, just do what is right,” Schapiro continued.
“You should never have to apologise for speaking out about freedom, speaking out about tolerance or trying to defend people, who need to be defended,” he said.
One of possible candidates for the ambassadorial post is Trump’s former wife Ivana, who is of Czech origin.
Czech President Milos Zeman, who has repeatedly criticised Schapiro, recently said he could imagine Ivana Trump becoming the new U.S. ambassador to Prague.
Schapiro told journalists that he has not yet definitively decided what he would do after he returns to the USA.
He will probably resume his work as a lawyer in Chicago, he said, adding that he wants to be regularly returning to the Czech Republic where he met new friends.
Schapiro became ambassador in late September 2014. The Prague mission has been his first experience as a diplomat. Before, he worked as a lawyer.
Schapiro’s mother Raya Czerner Schapiro comes from Prague. Her family, including small Raya, left Prague to flee the Nazis in 1939.
