Czech Defence News of the Week (20 July – 27 July 2018)

Author: eutmmali.eu|Caption: The Czech force protection detachment of the EUTM Mali headquarters

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to open a Czech diplomatic office in Mali in 2019 - 75-month sentence for two Czechs confirmed in Turkey for their cooperation with the YPG - The Czech Army wants to raise the number of troops up to 30,000 by 2026 - Minister of Defence Metnar has announced he would not offer his resignation over the disputed university thesis.

• The Turkish Supreme Appeals Court has upheld the 75-month prison sentence imposed on two Czechs, Markéta Všelichová and Miroslav Farkas, who were punished for cooperation with the People's Protection Units (YPG), Kurdish militia (considred a terrorist organisation by Turkey), Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Irena Valentová said on 23rd July.

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to open a Czech diplomatic office in Mali in 2019 to support its development and better coordinate humanitarian aid and economic cooperation in the Sahel region. So far the Czech Republic has honorary consular offices in the region. According to the Ministry Mali is a suitable country for a new diplomatic office also because of the Czech military deployment in the European Union and United Nations training and peacekeeping missions there: the EUTM and MINUSMA.

See also: Current Foreign Deployments of the Czech Army

• The Czech Army wants to raise the number of troops up to 30,000 by 2026, from the current 21,000, Deputy Chief of General Staff  Lieutenant General Jíří Baloun said. First the actual units would be completed to 25,000 men, and further 5,000 will join newly formed units. These are to deal with cybernetics, robotics and other technology branches, Baloun said during the exit ceremony of graduates of the University of Defence in Brno.

See also: Force Development: more details revealed

• After a meeting with the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Salzburg Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said he expected migration to be the major issue for the European elections in 2019. according to Babiš the EU should deal with the asylum applications in hotspots outside the territory of the member states, fight the people trafficking smugglers who take migrants from Africa to Europe, reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and make efforts to stabilise the situation in countries of migrants origin.
• Minister of Defence Lubomír Metnar (ANO) has announced he would not offer his resignation to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) over the disputed university thesis. Metnar apologised for flaws in the thesis but insisted it was no plagiarism.
• On 27th July a 26-year old soldier, who had been shot in the head on thursday in Vyškov, South Moravia, died in the Brno University Hospital. He was a corporal from the Vyškov garrison. The Army did not provide any further information, the Military Police is dealing with the case.
• The Minister of Interior (and Minister of Foreign Affairs) Jan Hamáček (ČSSD, Socialists) proposed to send a financial aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina which deals with migrant crisis and needs to improve its border protection, and asked for assistance in June. It is expected that the Government will agree to send CZK 25 million (USD 1.13 million) within the program called „Help in Place“ and will continue to support the Balkan states which face the crisis consequences.

See also: Migrant crisis: Czech Republic to help Bosnia and Herzegovina