go to the original language article
Prague – The Czech Republic is interested in deepening cooperation with Germany in energy, science, research and development, digitization and cyber security. After today’s meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Prague, this was stated by his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel. According to him, Germany is a strategic partner.
According to Pavel, the countries are economically, historically, culturally intertwined, and on the level of interpersonal relations. Nearly a third of Czech exports go to Germany, which is also the third largest investor in the Czech Republic. “We are interested in further developing these relations and moving from today’s predominantly subcontracting role to more of a partner and innovator role,” Pavel noted.
In addition to deepening cooperation in energy, science and research, digitization and cybersecurity, one of the main goals is also greater infrastructural linkage of the Czech Republic with Bavaria and Saxony, Pavel believes.
According to Steinmeier, relations between the Czech Republic and Germany have never been better than now. In times of upheaval, the relationships of like-minded states are more important than ever, he says. Steinmeier also noted that a strategic interest for both countries and the whole union is the expansion of the EU. Germany supports the accession to the bloc of Western Balkans countries, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. The Czech Republic has long held the same stance.