Czech govt TOP 09 criticises PM´s view of Dalai Lama, Pussy Riot

The presidium of the government party supported today the opinion of Karel Schwarzenberg, its chairman and foreign minister, who criticised Necas´s words on Monday already.

Necas made the statement at the 54th International Engineering Fair in Brno on Monday. He also said support to human rights must remain of crucial importance in Czech foreign policy, however.

Necas said among others "we must prevent some fashionable political signs that objectively have an impact on our export."

He warned about a false adoration of lack of taste that the Pussy Riot activists showed.

He said support to the Dalai Lama is tantamount to the adoration of a regime that would not probably have a democratic, but rather "semi-feudal, theocratic character with strong authoritarian elements."

Schwarzenberg told Lidove noviny before today´s TOP 09 presidium meeting that he is shocked by Necas´s stand.

"We apply Chinese propaganda to the issue of Tibet...This statement is a bow to the regime," he told the paper.

"However, I still hope no Czech foreign minister will ever bow to superpowers where human rights are concerned," Schwarzenberg said.

The opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) also criticised Necas´s words.

CSSD foreign political expert and party deputy chairman Lubomir Zaoralek said foreign policy cannot be reduced to an instrument of the intra-political struggle where Necas is trying to improve his relations with President Vaclav Klaus.

Klaus´s views of foreign political themes differ from Schwarzenberg´s.

Zaoralek said it is detrimental to the

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz