Overleg Merkel en Topolánek voor aanvang EU-top (en)

Czech Prime Minister and President of the European Council Mirek Topolánek i held bilateral talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel i in Berlin before the G20 meeting.

They discussed the Community contribution to the European Economic Recovery Plan, which, according to the European Commission, should enable to use € 5 billion from the EU budget as an immediate economic assistance in the areas of infrastructure and energy.

According to Mirek Topolánek, projects financed under this chapter of the Recovery Plan must respect the principles of financial balance, fair geografical balance and clearly increase EU energy security. Angela Merkel reiterated that the Community aid should not replace private sector investment.

The Czech Prime Minister informed the Chancellor about the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty in the Czech Republic and the complicated situation in the Chamber of Deputies accompanying the process. Both politicians also talked about further integration of the Western Balkans into European structures, mainly Montenegro and its application for EU membership.

contact: Jirí František Potužník, Spokesman of the Prime Minister for the Czech EU Presidency Tel.: +420 224 002 497; GSM: +420 725 818 435; E-mail: potuznik.jiri.frantisek@vlada.cz