Prague, April 18 (CTK) – The Czech Chamber of Deputies defence and security committees called on the government to seek a peaceful solution in Syria at their joint meeting on Wednesday.
The government should offer the capacities of the Czech military for the investigation into the chemical attacks in Syria to the international community, the two committees chairperson, Jana Cernochova (Civic Democratic Party, ODS) and Lubomir Zaoralek (Social Democrats, CSSD), said.
Cernochova said the Czech Republic was one of the few Western countries with a functioning embassy in Damascus, also representing the interests of the EU and the USA.
“This is a unique opportunity giving the Czech Republic and its politicians an exclusive character thanks to which they can considerably speak into the conflict to the benefit of peace,” Cernochova said.
Zaoralek said the Czech Republic should seek the stabilisation of Syria, while the Saturday air strike by the USA, Britain and France on targets in Syria themselves would not resolve the situation.
“The Czech Republic should be involved as much as possible in the political solution to the conflict so that the hostilities and killing stop and a way towards the stabilisation of Syria should be looked for. The bombing by the Tomahawks is not enough,” Zaoralek said.
Zaoralek said the lawmakers had condemned the chemical attacks to which the air strike reacted.
“We condemn those who commit such crimes. Our resolution tried to make it clear that they should be punished,” he added.
Cernochova and Zaoralek also commented on the contradictory statements made by Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO).
On Saturday, Babis said the allied air strike was unavoidable. After meeting President Milos Zeman on Sunday, he said the air strike did not resolve anything. On Monday, Babis said the allied operation was to deter Syria from the use of chemical weapons.
Cernochova and Zaoralek said this was due to the Czech Republic still not having a full-fledged government, while ANO was negotiating with several partners on its creation.
“My interpretation of the cautiousness is that they (ANO representatives) do not want to anger anyone. They do not want to anger the Communists and the anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and they want to have the biggest possible manoeuvring space for the formation of the government,” Cernochova said.
