Prague, March 30 (CTK) – Prominent Chinese and Czech businesspeople took part in the economic forum that was addressed by the presidents of the two countries, Xi Jinping and Milos Zeman, in Prague’s Zofin Palace yesterday.
This was the final stage of previous negotiations about investments that Zeman estimated at 95 billion crowns.
The guests to the event included the richest Czech Petr Kellner, who owns the PPF Group and appears in public only exceptionally, state-run CEZ power utility director general Daniel Benes, Czech National Bank governor Miroslav Singer, Chamber of Commerce president Vladimir Dlouhy, former prime ministers Petr Necas and Jiri Rusnok and investor Jiri Smejc.
Apart from journalists, entrepreneurs and managers of state companies, Petr Nedved, one of the best Czech football players of the last several decades, and Czech Football Association head Miroslav Pelta.
About 30 business contracts were signed at the forum. The signing ceremonies were preceded by speeches by Xi and Zeman.
As there were not enough headphones for journalists, interpreting was not available for them. The Chinese reporters heard Zeman’s address only in Czech, while the Czech reporters listened to Xi’s speech just in its original version.
The event was accompanied by tight security measures and thorough checks of the participants.
Near the Zofin Palace, at the embankment of the Vltava River outside the National Theatre, groups of Chinese waved large flags of their country and a number of opponents of the Chinese communist regime with Tibetan flags protested against the violation of human rights in China.
($1=24.183 crowns)
