Ministry continues support for Ukraine ambassador
Foreign Ministry also supports President Zeman’s calls for sending supplies to Kurds
Prague, Oct. 16 (ČTK) – The Czech Foreign Ministry insisted that the embassy in Kyiv does not send untrue information about the situation of expatriates in Ukraine to Prague, the ministry’s spokeswoman Johana Grohová told ČTK today in reaction to a statement by President Miloš Zeman on Wednesday.
However, if the opposite were proven true, the ministry would take necessary measures, Grohová added.
Zeman said he would like Ukraine Ambassador Ivan Pocuch to be replaced if it showed that he provided false information on the Czech expatriates’ repatriation application.
Zeman said he was recently deeply dissatisfied with the work of the Czech embassy in Kyiv in connection with the request of 232 Czech expatriates for repatriation, and said the office does not have a good attitude to the Volhynian Czechs.
He said the embassy only informed Prague about the application of three families for repatriation, while the Presidential Office later received a request from 232 expatriates.
“I did not demand his (Pocuch’s) replacement. On this the Foreign Minister (Lubomír Zaorálek) is completely right. Nevertheless, if it proved true that he misled both the foreign minister and the interior minister, that he provided untrue information and even exerted pressure on Czech expatriates, urging them not to apply for repatriation, I would definitely ask him to take such a step,” Zeman told ČTK on Wednesday.
Pocuch told ČTK on Wednesday that he would not react to any statements because he is on holiday now.
“The statement we made two weeks ago is still valid. We do not have any information proving that our diplomatic mission provides untrue information. If anything like this were proved, we would take corresponding measures,” Grohová said today.
She said the ministry bases its assessment of the expatriate situation in Ukraine not only from the embassy’s reports, but also on other sources, which she did not specify.
“The information is identical,” Grohová said.
In addition, the ministry said it supports Zeman’s call for arms supplies to Iraqi Kurds fighting fundamentalists from the Islamic State movement, Grohová said.
Zeman also said on Wednesday the Czech Republic should provide weapons for Kurds in addition to ammunition to defend themselves against the Islamists.
Arms have been sent only by Czech firms with business contracts so far.
“We are in favor of further supplies being done through commercial contracts,” Grohová said.
The Czech government approved the supply of ten million rounds of ammunition for Kalashnikov assault rifles, eight million rounds for machine guns and 5000 for rocket-propelled grenades along with 5000 hand grenades, 500 tons of military materiel in total.
In September, the consignment was transported to Iraq aboard the Canadian military’s C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft.