Prague, April 25 (CTK) – The White House talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Czech President Milos Zeman, originally scheduled for April, have been postponed due to the North Korean crisis, but they may be held later this year, new Czech Ambassador to the USA, Hynek Kmonicek, said yesterday.
A new date of Zeman’s visit to Washington is being negotiated about, Kmonicek, who handed his credentials to Trump on Monday, told the Czech Television (CT) national public broadcaster.
Kmonicek said his meeting with Trump was very short since the president talked to 11 ambassadors within one hour. During his meeting, Kmonicek mentioned that Trump invited Zeman to the White House in a phone call they had last December. This visit was originally scheduled for April.
Until recently, Kmonicek headed the foreign affairs section of Zeman’s office.
Two weeks ago, Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said the visit might take place in May. Zeman’s office dismissed the view that no meeting would be held after all.
Kmonicek told CT that the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) is currently dealing with Zeman’s visit.
Referring to the talks he had with General Keith Kellogg from the NSC on Monday, Kmonicek said practically only affairs related to North Korea are included into Trump’s programme. The North Korean crisis dominates Trump’s schedule at the moment, he added.
Kmonicek did not want to comment on the month in which Zeman’s visit is likely to be held.
Both Trump and Zeman will take part in a NATO summit in Brussels in May.
Kmonicek said he received a written statement from Trump, which praises the Czech Republic. He said the statement recalled the path of Czech society from a totalitarian to a democratic regime, it thanked the country for its military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, and put an emphasis on the Czech role in Syria.
He said Trump thanked Czech diplomacy for its assistance in the release of an American citizen in Syria.
Kmonicek said this was connected with the fact that the Czech embassy in Syria also represented U.S. consular affairs, including the protection or rescue of U.S. citizens. He said Czech diplomacy has never published information on this released U.S. citizen. He said the case occurred some time ago.
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