The incumbent foreign minister, Karel Schwarzenberg, is convinced that the Czech government promotes human rights resolutely. "I'd like to emphasise, nevertheless, that I prefer an approach that could really contribute to the development of human rights," Schwarzenberg has told CTK via his spokeswoman. Svoboda, who now heads the Government Legislative Council, said the previous Czech governments approached the human rights issue more resolutely. "The [current] government should take a tougher position," Svoboda, Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) foreign minister in 2002-2006, said. The Amnesty International organisation, too, says the Czech government could act more resolutely in this respect. "We are glad that Czech foreign policy continues sticking to human Donor conference for Georgia may be held by end 2008-Czech ForMin ...
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Nevertheless, from our viewpoint as an NGO, the government could act more resolutely and not in a selective way," AI Czech Republic's spokeswoman Eva Dobrovolna said. She said placing emphasis on human rights not only benefits a country's reputation but also has real sense. Svoboda said violation of human rights continues in Cuba, therefore there was not reason for the EU to lift sanctions from Havana, Svoboda said, reacting to the EU's lifting of the sanctions in June. "I consider this a mistake," Svoboda said. The Czech Republic was originally against the step but it finally joined the EU's position. Svoboda recalled Prague's initial tough stance toward the Cuban regime, which were in contrast with the soft stance of Spain. He said he hoped it would be Prague who would initiate the reassessment of the EU's position unless the Cuban regime turned more democratic. "As far as Cuba is concerned, the sanctions were in fact suspended long ago, they existed only in writing," Schwarzenberg said in reaction to Svoboda's words. "That is why we, in the EU, had to see another solution and reach a compromise. We have reasons to believe that this will bring about certain progress in the political area," Schwarzenberg (unaffiliated, nominated for the Greens) said. He also reacted to Svoboda's criticism of Prague's plan to promote its diplomatic mission in Iran from the charge d'affaires level to embassy. "As far as Iran is concerned, the question of whether we have an ambassador there is not a matter of human rights but of diplomatic relations. We have ambassadors in many other states where human rights have been violated, we'd have to withdraw many of such ambassadors [if human rights were the criterion]," Schwarzenberg. According to Svoboda, the Czech Republic should continue using its unique position in the human rights area that it managed to attain after the fall of communism. Promotion of human rights worldwide is also necessary in context of the threat posed by various radical groups, he said. Svoboda previously said he minded the programme of the upcoming Czech EU presidency only briefly mentioning human rights in a bottom para. However, the issue has been transferred "upwards" within the document at Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's (Civic Democrats, ODS) initiative, Svoboda said.
(Ceske Noviny)
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