Zeman: Austria could become a mediator between Ukraine and Russia

Czech President Milos Zeman, who will officially step down next week, held a meeting with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen at his residence in Prague Castle on Thursday.

This is reported by ČTK.

It is noted that Zeman thanked his Austrian counterpart for his support of the Czech minority in his country. The sides also discussed the construction of highways and nuclear energy, to which Prague and Vienna have different approaches.

The Czech president also said at the end of the talks that he and Van der Bellen agreed on issues related to Ukraine.

The Austrian president described Czech support for Ukraine in all spheres as impressive, and also noted the Czech Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2022 when Prague was able to demonstrate European solidarity even during a full-scale war in Europe.

"I told the president that Austria's neutrality could, in certain contexts, allow this country to play a mediating role in the case of (negotiations between) Ukraine and Russia," Zeman said, also mentioning the possibility of mediation in the past in the case of China or Serbia.

For his part, Van der Bellen noted that Austria sticks to military neutrality, but neutrality does not mean indifference. He noted the importance of the EU sticking together and not allowing itself to be divided.

Author - Olena Madiak, 02/03/2023