Prague, Aug 2 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman Zeman will leave for Brazil on Wednesday to attend the opening of the Czech and Slovak Olympic House and the gala opening of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, his spokesman Jiri Ovcacek told reporters yesterday.
Zeman’s meeting with French President Francois Hollande has been preliminarily agreed there, he added.
Both the International and Czech Olympic committees invited Zeman to Rio, Ovcacek said.
Zeman will visit the Czech and Slovak Olympic House along with his Slovak counterpart Andrej Kiska.
“The programme also includes the participation in the gala opening,” Ovcacek added.
Zeman’s meeting with Hollande is to compensate his planned visit to Prague.
It was scheduled for last Wednesday, but Hollande cancelled it in reaction to a terrorist attack in Normandy where two Islamic assaulters killed a priest and injured three hostages. Zeman and Hollande talked by phone only last Wednesday.
A week before, Hollande also cancelled his visit to the Czech Republic over the terrorist attack in Nice.
Zeman is to return to the Czech Republic on Sunday.
Apart from Zeman, Education, Youth and Sport Minister Katerina Valachova (Social Democrats, CSSD) should support Czech athletes in Rio.
A delegation of the Chamber of Deputies also plans a short visit to the Rio Olympics within their two-week tour of South America. The delegation should comprise lower house chairman Jan Hamacek (CSSD) and members of all deputy groups.
