Macinka Invited to Prague Castle for Pavel–Babiš Meeting

Czech Foreign Minister Ondřej Macinka said on Sunday in an interview with Czech Television that he had received an invitation to the meeting between President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, scheduled for Monday at Prague Castle. According to Macinka, his attendance was never ruled out — in fact, it was planned from the start.

"My presence wasn't excluded at all — I was even invited," the minister said, adding that he hasn't yet decided whether he will attend in person. "If I have time, I might join. Let's see what they want to discuss. I'll talk it over with the prime minister," he explained.

What the Castle Confirmed

The invitation was confirmed by Prague Castle spokesman Daniel Drake. He said the main topic of the meeting will be coordinating the country's position ahead of the UN General Assembly, and if the prime minister is accompanied by the foreign minister, he will naturally be welcome to attend.

Pavel will lead the Czech delegation to the UN General Assembly session in New York this September, with Macinka accompanying the president on the trip.

First Meeting After a Long Break

Monday's meeting will be the first joint gathering of the country's top officials in a long time. Relations between the president, the prime minister, and especially the foreign minister have grown tense over disputes surrounding the appointment of MP Filip Turek (Motoristé party) as a minister, as well as disagreements over the composition of the delegation to the NATO summit.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz