Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Straka Academy in Prague today. They discussed not only military cooperation but also economic cooperation. According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine offers a great opportunity for Czech industry.
"From the beginning and we have a great understanding of what Ukraine is doing. I have assured the President that the Czech Republic will continue to stand firmly on Ukraine's side." Fiala said at a joint press conference. According to him, Ukraine is not only defending itself, but is defending the security of the whole of Europe.
"We talked about our bilateral cooperation and it is developing not only in the military field but also in the economic field. Cooperation with Ukraine is certainly a great opportunity for Czech industry and the Czech economy," outlined the Prime Minister, according to whom it is visible in the figures. "Exports of Czech companies to Ukraine are growing rapidly. It has increased by a quarter year-on-year to almost CZK 45 billion, while in 2022 it was still around CZK 25 billion," Fiala quantified.
According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine needs supplies of cogeneration units or the completion of the Oriv wind power plant, and other projects are in the pipeline, for example Skoda Tranportation and other companies are planning supplies in the transport sector. "We could also strengthen cooperation on nuclear energy," Fiala added. According to him, Czech companies are ready to play an active role in the reconstruction of key infrastructure.
Regarding military cooperation, the Prime Minister said the Czech Republic is ready to increase its share in the training of Ukrainian soldiers, specifically Ukrainian pilots could be trained in Náměšt' nad Oslavou. The Czech ammunition initiative is also progressing successfully, he said, and will continue to do so.
According to Zelensky, cooperation in the military field is currently developing successfully. "We hope for better results this year than we had last year," said Zelenský.
"We are interested in seeing our bilateral relations develop and have a greater impact on life in both the Czech Republic and Ukraine, and I would like to further emphasize the important initiatives of the Prime Minister and his colleagues," added the Ukrainian President.
"I would also like to mention the Ukrainian community that has formed in the Czech Republic and is successfully working to strengthen contacts and ties between Ukraine and the Czech Republic," Zelenský concluded.
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