Meeting of the Government of the Czech Republic with the European Commission

Date: 7.1.2009 — 7.1.2009
Venue: Prague - Czech Republic
Category: Other Meetings
Theme: Others

Key topics discussed by Czech Prime Minister and J. M. Barrosso included two priority topics of the Czech Presidency.

At the opening of the press conference in the new press hall of the Straka Academy, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek remarked that the start of the Czech Presidency had been more rapid than anyone had anticipated. The first key topic of the meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission concerned energy, which is one of the three priorities of the Czech Presidency. Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek confirmed that on 8 January the European Union would discuss the dispatch of an international monitoring mission that should monitor the supplies of Russian gas via Ukraine to Europe. According to the Prime Minister, the immediate restoration of gas supplies to Europe is the priority. “All other issues may be solved subsequently” stated Mirek Topolánek.

At the same time, he confirmed that for 12 January the Czech Presidency convened an extraordinary Energy Council to Brussels. “So that ministers of European countries may solve the problem in case the transit supplies are not restored”, stated the Prime Minister while emphasising expectations of a turn for the better. President of the European Commission J. M. Barroso addressed the dispute between the Russian Federation and Ukraine by stating that unless the gas supplies are resumed immediately, both countries will lose their credibility.

Original recording of the press conference in Czech and English >>

Photographs from the events can be found here.