Czech Deputy Prime Minister Havlicek Calls For Preserving Trade Relations With Russia

Faizan Hashmi Published April 20, 2021 | 02:59 PM

Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Karel Havlicek called on Tuesday for preserving trade relations in Russia amid the diplomatic row

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Karel Havlicek called on Tuesday for preserving trade relations in Russia amid the diplomatic row.

"Thousands of our companies are doing trade with Russia. It is important to prevent the trade and industry relations from sustaining heavy losses. There is no goal of torpedoing someone again and again. I would like the situation to calm down instead of keeping 'exchanging fire'," Havlicek said.

The senior official expressed the belief that Russian diplomats expulsion and Moscow's reciprocal measure were a "very serious thing."

"We excluded [Russian nuclear corporation] Rosatom from the tender for the Dukovany NPP, that was quite a harsh response.

It would be bad for us to compete to see who implements tougher measures," Havlicek stressed.

Meanwhile, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek said Prague was not ruling out new measures.

"The Russian side's reaction [to the expulsion of 18 diplomats from Prague] was very harsh. We take this into consideration and we will discuss how to act further within the government. We will discuss all the possibilities that we have, including the possibility to have relations based on the principle of reciprocity," Hamacek said.