Prague, Nov 22 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman will not take any steps in connection with the wrong information about the absence of U.S. ambassador Andrew Schapiro from the October 28 national holiday celebration at Prague Castle he received from his protocol, his spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said yesterday.
He said Zeman has talked about the mistake with protocol head Jindrich Forejt.
Zeman apologised to Schapiro earlier this month.
Zeman said on November 9 Schapiro was “almost the sole ambassador” not to have attended the celebrations of the national holiday at Prague Castle.
The U.S. embassy dismissed the claim. It said Schapiro was at the ceremony in the Vladislav Hall, which was proved by photographs in the media.
Schapiro’s presence at the Vladislav Hall was also confirmed by German ambassador to the Czech Republic Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven, who was sitting next to Schapiro.
The Presidential Office first did not deem it necessary to apologise. “There is no need to apologise to the invisible,” Ovcacek said on November 10.
On the next day, Zeman apologised for the mistake.
Schapiro was appointed by incumbent U.S. President Barack Obama. He assumed the post at the end of September 2014.
During his term, Schapiro had a dispute with Zeman over the latter’s participation in the 70th anniversary celebrations of the end of World War Two in Moscow last year. Most European statesmen did not go to Moscow because of the Russian annexation of Crimea and the conflict in the east of Ukraine.
Zeman reacted saying that the door to Prague Castle is closed to Schapiro. However, Schapiro attended official events at Prague Castle later.
Schapiro is likely to leave his post as soon as president-elect Donald Trump replaces Obama in January.
Zeman said he believes that relations between the Czech Republic and the United States will improve after Trump’s election.
They will not be burdened by “certain misunderstandings, for instance, the not fully professional approach of current U.S. ambassador Schapiro, who gives uncalled-for advice to the president of the republic on where he should, or rather should not go,” Zeman said.
Trump’s former wife Ivana Trump, who comes from the Czech Republic, has shown interest in the post.
Zeman has spoken to her by phone and said the United States cannot send a better ambassador to the Czech Republic.
