Speaker of Czech parliament emphasizes economic ties with Korea

In her recent visit to Seoul, speaker of the Czech parliament emphasized a growing proximity in security and economic ties between the Eastern European nation and Korea, especially their common goal to ensure that the horrors of the war in Ukraine...

Marketa Pekarova Adamova, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia, second from front left; Gustav Slamecka, Czech ambassador to Korea, third from front left; and members of her parliamentary delegation to Korea and students majoring in the Czech language view an exhibition on sustainable development organized by the Czech Cultural Center and the Korea Foundation in Seoul last month. [PARK SANG-MOON]

In her recent visit to Seoul, speaker of the Czech parliament emphasized a growing proximity in security and economic ties between the Eastern European nation and Korea, especially their common goal to ensure that the horrors of the war in Ukraine are put to a stop and not repeated in other parts of the world.

“I think China is very carefully watching what’s going on in Ukraine and how Russia is trying to succeed,” said Marketa Pekarova Adamova, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech parliament, during her three-day visit to the country leading a group of Czech business leaders, ministers and members of the parliament.

Adamova was responding to a question from the press during her tour of an exhibition on sustainable development goals organized by the Czech Cultural Center and the Korea Foundation in Seoul last month.

“But Russia is not successful,” she said. “Putin thought they will win the war within a few weeks, but it’s not happening. The Ukrainians have been very brave and committed, and they have been able to strategically go through the war and show that with our support they can succeed.”

Adamova met with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo in Seoul, before flying to Taiwan to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Legislative Yuan President Yu Shyi-kun.

Her trip to Taiwan, protested by Beijing, was another high-level visit to follow that of Senate President Milos Vystrcil who visited in August 2020.

The war in Ukraine has not only united much of Europe, but also called forth a need for stronger partnerships with like-minded countries in Asia, said the speaker.

“The response from the free democratic world to the Russian aggression to Ukraine was very clear, with all the members of the European Union responding in kind,” she said. “This is a great response not only to Russia but also to China, because we would like to protect not only our members, members of NATO or the EU, but all the countries who are of the same mind when it comes to freedom, democracy and international law.”

Marketa Pekarova Adamova, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia, third from right; Gustav Slamecka, Czech ambassador to Korea, fourth from right; Kim Ki-hwan, director of Korea Foundation, second from right; and students majoring in the Czech language at an exhibition on sustainable development goals organized by the Czech Cultural Center and the foundation in Seoul last month. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Closer cooperation between Europe and Asia on security issues was a welcome move, including the participation by the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Four at NATO summits. President Yoon Suk Yeol took part in the summit last year, marking the first time that the head of state of Korea was represented at the forum, and was invited by the secretary general of the organization again this year.

The speaker and the parliamentary delegation also met with a group of students in Korea studying the Czech language during their visit, and discussed areas for people-to-people cooperation between the two countries.

“It was fascinating to learn that the international water shortage problem was one of the top global governance priorities of the Czech government,” said Kim Kyu-hak, a second-year student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies majoring in the Czech language. “I believe that this is an issue that no country is safe from, and will require global cooperation to address.”

The exhibition, “Towards the Day After Today” featured a series of photographs by Czech artist David Tesinsky that were taken around the world to showcase the stark existence of poverty, environmental pollution, and climate change effects, and also incorporated graphic design with augmented reality, presenting information on sustainable development goals.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]