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Deputy Foreign Minister Petříček opened a conference on the future of transatlantic relations
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Deputy Foreign Minister Petříček opened a conference on the future of transatlantic relations

 

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia and the establishing of diplomatic relations with the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the international conference on “The Future of the Transatlantic Bond” held in the Great Hall of the Czernin Palace on 13 September 2018. The conference explored the future of transatlantic cooperation.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Tomáš Petříček noted that transatlantic relations had been fundamentally important to the Czech Republic and to the whole of Europe. “The US-Europe bond has never been a mere coalition of the willing. It has been founded on convergent interests, but also on belief in shared values: those of freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights and market economy,” explained the Deputy Foreign Minister. He added that the United States has been Europe’s most significant and key partner in times when Europe has been facing various challenges including Russia’s power ambitions, migration, terrorism, and China’s growing influence on the international scene. “All of these can be tackled far more effectively if both sides of the Atlantic pull in the same direction,”emphasized Petříček.

US Ambassador Stephen King recognized a long-standing partnership between the Czech Republic and the United States. In his speech, King focused on the relations that have been based on friendship, security cooperation and trade relations. He also stressed the importance of the Czech-American alliance in the fight against terrorism.

During panel discussions, participants also addressed the values ​​of transatlantic cooperation, the EU-NATO partnership and the economic aspects of transatlantic cooperation.

The conference, which was part of the 100th anniversary that marks the founding of Czechoslovakia and the establishing of diplomatic relations with the USA, was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Association for International Affairs, supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the US Embassy in Prague.

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Opening statement by DMFA Tomáš Petříček 140 kB pdf (Adobe Acrobat document) Sep 20, 2018

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Deputy Foreign Minister Petříček opened a conference on the future of transatlantic relations

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