Prague, April 25 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman appointed Ales Opata new chief-of-staff at Prague Castle on Wednesday, and since the beginning of May, Opata will replace Josef Becvar, whom Zeman simultaneously dismissed from the post.
Opata, 53, has been a deputy chief-of-staff so far. He said he considers the development of the ground forces and the further recruitment of new soldiers his priorities.
Opata has served in the army for 31 years. He gradually held a number of posts, beginning with the commander of a tank platoon, of a battalion and of the 4th rapid reaction brigade and ending with the director of a General Staff section and a deputy chief-of-staff.
In 2014-2017, he was the Czech military representative at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
Zeman thanked Becvar for his work. “You served well, you served honestly and you served loyally,” he told Becvar.
Zeman said he has appointed Opata to the post also because he has experience from foreign missions and can thus be an inspiration for the military’a activities.
“This military is not supposed to do exercises or manoeuvres only, but also to fight, in Afghanistan, for example,” Zeman said.
He supported Defence Minister Karla Slechtova’s (for ANO) proposal that the Czech Republic reinforce its military missions abroad.
Becvar’s mandate as chief-of-staff started in May 2015 and was to end last year, but then foreign minister Martin Stropnicky (ANO) prolonged it until mid-2018. Becvar later applied for its further extension, but Slechtova did not comply with the request, and Becvar’s replacement with Opata was eventually approved by the cabinet and Zeman.
Talking to journalists on Wednesday, Opata said he will continue working on the tasks launched by his predecessors. He mentioned the necessity to re-equip the 7th mechanised brigade. The purchase of combat vehicles will cost about 50 billion crowns and will be the largest military acquisition so far, Opata said.
As far as the air force is concerned, he said the priority is the completion of mobile radars (MADR) and helicopters.
Opata said he wants to bring his own aides to the General Staff, but he definitely would not replace “a half of the staff” on his arrival on May 1.
Slechtova told journalists that the military needs a strong chief-of-staff who would complete the new system of command and direction of the army.
Becvar said he is leaving the army after 45 years and he will decide on what to do next during the months to follow. He wants to continue focusing on defence in the future, he said.
