Czech president criticizes government for Kosovo recognition
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - May 28, 2008 Wednesday

Text of report by Czech newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes on 24 May

[Statement by President Vaclav Klaus on Czech Government's recognition of Kosovo written "exclusively" for Mlada Fronta Dnes: "How I Was Ashamed, President Entitled His Text"]

It is quite well known that I strongly disagree with the Czech Government's recognition of Kosovo. However, I was very disquieted by the statement of Serbian Ambassador Veres, who told me that the Serbs did not take it personally when Kosovo was recognized by countries such as Finland, Holland, or Germany, but that they had been very upset by the Czech Government's step. I was also emotionally touched, when during the conversation the ambassador then recalled some significant moments in the history of our two countries. For instance, that:

- during World War One T. G. Masaryk travelled around the world (and founded an independent Czechoslovakia) with a Serbian passport, after the Austro-Hungarian authorities took his passport away;

- in the course of World War Two the ambassador's grandfather was arrested in Yugoslavia by the Gestapo for being a supporter of the ideals of Masaryk and Benes [Czechoslovak president];

- after the war the ambassador's father studied in Prague and, after 1948, was sent home by our authorities, because he refused to denounce his own President Tito in favour of Stalin;

- in August 1968, when our country was attacked by the Warsaw Pact, Yugoslavia was the only country to mobilize its armed forces. And now the ambassador is leaving for Serbia on Sunday [May 25] morning because Serbia, abandoned by almost all its friends, cannot come to terms with the Wednesday [May 21] step taken by our government.

I thought that by my quick invitation of the Serbian ambassador, before his undesired departure, I would send at least a small signal to people both here at home and also in Serbia that nothing is changing in the relations between Czechs and Serbs. I was glad when he told me that he enormously appreciated it that I was the only president to do such a thing. However, I did not expect that I would also have to be ashamed.

Source: Mlada fronta Dnes, Prague, in Czech 24 May 08
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