Prague, May 3 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will focus on human rights, the rule of law and support for democracy and education as the priorities of its presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CE) that the government approved on Wednesday, its spokesman Martin Ayrer has tweeted.
The Czech Republic will hold the presidency from May 19 to November 15.
CE Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland recently talked about the upcoming Czech presidency of the CE’ Committee of Ministers, its decision-making body, in Prague.
Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek (Social Democrats, CSSD) called the presidency an honour after his debate with Jagland.
The Czech Republic filled this post for the first time 22 years ago.
“We will deal with territorial problems that are often around us and are serious in the countries as Ukraine, Turkey and others,” Zaoralek said, mentioning the topics of the Czech presidency’s agenda.
The Czech Republic will also deal with the situation of children among migrants and of internally displaced persons, he added.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) said after a meeting with Jagland that other priorities of the Czech presidency would be human rights protection, gender equality, democracy and the rule of law.
The CE repeatedly criticised the Czech Republic for discriminating against the Romany minority in the past. It most often cited the expulsion of Romany children from the education mainstream and their placing in practical, previously special, schools for the slightly mentally disabled.
