Prague, April 23 (CTK) – The Czech Republic plans to open a new embassy in Sahel and the government will decide in the foreseeable future when and where in this north African region south of the Sahara an embassy will be established, the Foreign Ministry told CTK on Monday.
Last week, the cabinet discussed the ministry’s report on the strategy for Sahel for 2018-2021.
The Czech Republic wants to prepare its own development and humanitarian projects and increase the number of people taking part in international missions in the region, the report says.
At present, the only Czech diplomatic offices in Sahel, which comprises Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, are honorary consular offices. The Czech activities in the region are very limited due to this, focusing mainly on security affairs, the ministry said, adding that the five above countries face increasing activities of armed groups and international organised crime groups.
This year, the number of Czech soldiers deployed in the European Union and United Nations missions in Mali, the EUTM and MINUSMA, is to rise.
The Czech Republic also wants to provide economic cooperation, humanitarian and development aid and assist in dealing with issues related to illegal migration.
The projects for Sahel are to focus on food sources, nutrition, climate change adaptation and fighting draught as well as support for civic society, human rights and democratic governance.
In 2018, the Czech Republic is to spend more than 100 million crowns on aid to Sahel. The Foreign Ministry is to give at least 20 million crowns, other programmes are organised by the interior and defence ministries.
