CTK
Updated 14 minutes ago
The Czech Republic is interested in deepening relations with Italy in defense, energy security, culture or space technologies. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said this at a press conference after Wednesday’s meeting in Prague with Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni. Meloniová praised Czech solidarity with refugees from Ukraine attacked by Russia.
“We discussed the international situation, strategic cooperation for the future, our positions on European legislation,” said Fiala. With Meloniová, they discussed, for example, the Euro 7 standard, migration, security-strategic issues, defense cooperation and energy.
According to the prime minister, Italy is one of the largest trading partners of the Czech Republic, last year mutual trade reached a turnover of almost 18 billion euros (over 420 billion crowns). According to Meloniová, roughly 3,000 companies have invested in the Czech Republic, and Czech companies are increasingly investing in Italy.
Fiala recalled that the Czech Republic recently organized a presentation of companies from the defense industry in Rome for representatives of the Italian armed forces and the Italian Ministry of Defense. “We see a number of opportunities for the development of cooperation in the field of unmanned vehicles, radars, electronic warfare systems, ammunition,” stated the Prime Minister.
The topic of the meeting was also the reform of the European asylum and migration policy. According to Fiala, Meloniová is coming up with a number of proposals in the European institutions that have the support of the Czech Republic. During last year’s Czech presidency of the Council of the EU, it was possible to make progress in the negotiations on the migration pact, but it is necessary to arrive at solutions quickly, because the situation is serious, according to Fiala.
“We have to take preventive measures. One of the things that also has a wider humanitarian dimension is a more active and vigorous fight against people smugglers, traffickers, those who take advantage of the difficult life situations of these people,” the prime minister added. According to Meloniová, it is also necessary to face the issue even before the borders of the European Union. He also considers it important to guarantee the right to more favorable living conditions for people fleeing their countries.
