During the trip, the 10 junior diplomats had an opportunity to meet and learn from several influential Czech representatives. Some of whom included: Ambassador Martin Povejšil, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU, Mr. Jiří Šedivý, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to NATO, and Mr. Petr Blížkovský, Director of Economic and Regional Affairs of the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU.

The meeting with Mr. Petr Dolejší, the Director of the Mobility and Sustainable Transport of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), proved to be very insightful for many of the Diplomatic Academy’s students. Mr. Dolejší discussed and analysed the importance of early lobbying that can influence drafts of EU legislation. He stressed that to be effective lobbying needed to be both professional and perfectly timed.