A strongly anti-Russian EU country restores ambassadorial relations with Moscow

The Czech Republic has decided to appoint a new ambassador to Russia after recalling its diplomatic representative from February 2022.

Czech Embassy in Moscow, Russia. (Source: APA)

The official website of the Czech Foreign Ministry announced that former Deputy Defense Minister Daniel Kostoval will become the diplomatic representative in Moscow for this anti-Russian European Union (EU) country from the beginning of 2025.

Mr. Kostoval worked at the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from 1998-2002.

Mr. Kostoval was assigned to the Czech Embassy in Moscow from 2003–2006 and to the Czech Embassy in Washington from 2009–2011.

In 2013, he became Deputy Minister of Defense for Strategy, International Relations and Planning, and then for Weapons and Procurement.

Mr. Kostoval will replace his predecessor, Vitezlav Pivońka, who left Moscow on February 24, 2022, after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. However, Prague only officially downgraded diplomatic relations with Russia on May 5. The Czech Embassy in Russia is currently headed by a charge d'affaires.

However, relations between the Czech Republic and Russia have deteriorated since 2021, with both sides cutting the number of each other's diplomats. The Czech Republic was put on Russia's list of unfriendly countries.

In March, Czech President Petr Pavel hinted that in the long term, the country would need ambassadorial representation in Russia, but he was not sure whether the situation would be suitable then, noting that the procedure for appointing a new ambassador "will take a long time."

In February 2023, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that although diplomatic relations between his country and Russia were "at a minimum level", "this relationship should not be completely abolished".

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/mot-nuoc-eu-chong-nga-manh-me-khoi-phuc-quan-he-cap-dai-su-voi-moscow-290426.html