Prague, June 27 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen discussed economic cooperation, migration and nuclear energy at their meeting today, they told journalists.
This was the first meeting of the two heads of state.
Zeman openly supported Van der Bellen’s rival candidate Norbert Hofer from the populist Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) before the presidential election last year.
The Czech Republic is Austria’s last neighbour visited by Van der Bellen.
“Not mountains, but people meet one another. People should talk to one another. We found a number of topics on which we absolutely agree,” Zeman said.
They agreed on economic issues. They discussed mutual investments, trade, a motorway between Prague and Vienna and railway connection between the two countries.
Van der Bellen said there were only few topics on which “he and Zeman agreed that they do not agree.”
Their views differ on nuclear energy.
Austria strongly protested against the completion of the Temelin nuclear plant in south Bohemia.
“There is the consensus in Austria that nuclear energy has no future. But we accept the fact that this is a question of national sovereignty,” said Van der Bellen, a former leader of the Austrian Greens.
He said they had briefly speculated about the situation in Austria if its referendum on the closure of the nuclear plant in Zwentendorf had turned out differently.
“I told him what would have happened if the referendum had ended by half a percent to the benefit of nuclear energy,” Zeman said.
“If he were sitting opposite me today, he would not be a Green, because Austria would have a large, functioning nuclear plant. If I had Alpine rivers in my country, perhaps I would not be an advocate of nuclear energy,” Zeman said.
On Monday, Van der Bellen met Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.
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