A diplomatic incident with unknown outcome has occurred between Greece and the Czech Republic after the provocative statements made against Greece by President Milos Zeman. As consequence to Zeman’s statements, the Greek Foreign Ministry ordered its its Ambassador to the Czech Republic to return back to Athens “for consultations” as it is nicely said in diplomatic language. The Czech President has recently expressed his disappointed “because Greece has not exit the Eurozone yet.”
Speaking to Slovak news agency TASR on December 15h, President Milos Zeman said that he was “extremely disappointed that the summer negotiations between Greece and creditors did not ultimately lead to Greece’s exit from the euro area, although it looked quite possible.“
He added that “the Czech Republic will join the euro area on the first day after Greece departs the eurozone.“
Right after Zeman’s statements, the Czech Ambassador to Athens was invited by the office of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias for a protest note and a “diplomatic chat” during which the Greek side expressed its discomfort about the unacceptable statements of the highest Czech official.
The Greek Foreign Ministry reminded the Czech Republic that it was also Greece that had approved its entrance to the European Union.
The Czech Republic was given four days time to refute its President’s statements but Prague decided to insist on the tough line against Athens.
The Greek diplomacy could not but proceed to the next step which was to “call its ambassador for consultations.” In practice this means, that Ambassador Panayiotis Sarris has been withdrawn from the Czech Republic and he will remain in Athens until the issue is solved.
“We have requested our ambassador to return to Athens for consultation. This is in relation to the unacceptable statements made by the Czech president,” Konstantinos Koutras, spokesman of the Greek Foreign Ministry told dpa, adding that the Czech Republic had become a member of the European Union in 2004 thanks to Greece‘s backing among others.”
Milos Zeman -once a Communist, always a …’taliban’
For better understanding of the “ambassador’s withdrawal”, note the similar incident in May 2010, when Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel after the assault of Mavi Marmara vessel where several Turkish citizens lost their lives.
PS sad to see the Czech Republic never joining the Euro Zone….
Danube sucks anyway, only a pee into it is possible, therefore in Athens winter-swimming is much more fun and there is sun, not depressing grey like this East European Hades.
This – “The Greek Foreign Ministry reminded the Czech Republic that it was also Greece that had approved its entrance to the European Union.”
The Czechs wanting to dictate now. Hahaha! What a laugh? What a complete laugh? During the last war started by the people the Czechs now grovel to, they put up absolutely no fight whatsoever and even went meekly to be executed when their names were published on bulletin boards. At least Greece put up a gallant fight for such a small nation.
Put a mustache on a Czech and you can see that he’s a Mongoloid.