Brussels, May 12 (CTK correspondent) – The Czech Republic, along with Hungary and Romania, blocked the preparation of a joint EU statement critical of the forthcoming relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in the past days, diplomatic sources disclosed to CTK today.
Czech Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Michaela Lagronova told CTK today that the Czech Republic could not see any reason of why the EU should now repeatedly adopt a stance on the topic.
On Monday, the USA will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The move is based on the December decision by the U.S. President Donald Trump, welcomed by the government of Israel.
However, this has outraged Palestinians who are preparing protests, arguing that Washington cannot be an impartial broker of peace talks any longer.
President Milos Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek has confirmed the blocking by the Czech effort.
Ovcacek said Zeman had taken part in the preparation of the blocking procedure along with Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Foreign Minister (both ANO).
The EU is of the view that the establishment of two states is the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Jerusalem as the capital of both of them.
The position was confirmed by EU heads of state in December.
The Czech Foreign Ministry referred to the conclusions of the December summit today.
“The position was clearly formulated by means of the conclusions of the European Council. The Czech Republic cannot see any reason of why the EU should repeatedly speak about the topic,” Lagronova said.
President Milos Zeman has repeatedly stood up for the Czech Republic following the U.S. example and moving its embassy to Jerusalem, too,
In May, the Czech Republic will open its honorary consulate in the town.
The Romanian government, too, is planning the relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem.