Prague/Luxembourg, June 22 (CTK) – Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek (Social Democrats, CSSD) told CTK yesterday he is ready to speak with Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) about the effectiveness of embassies, but added that this is not the right time to reduce their number.
Zaoralek was reacting to Babis’s call for the Foreign Ministry to make a revision of the embassies and commercial missions, which should show which of them are needed and which are not.
“I comprehend it so that it is possible to talk about the effectiveness,” Zaoralek said.
He said he agrees with Babis that the current network of Czech representative offices in the world is a valuable instrument for the country “particularly now that we need to strengthen the flow of investments with the help of economic diplomacy and promote Czech exports.”
“I do not think that it is time to debate a fundamental reduction of the network,” Zaoralek said.
Babis also called on the Foreign Ministry to prepare an audit of its properties. He mentioned the Stirin Chateau near Prague and said the ministry does not definitely need it.
“An audit of property is something that we are already doing,” Zaoralek said.
