Sunday, April 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) President Hamid Karzai met yesterday with Petr Necas, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic to discuss issues of mutual interest.
At the meeting held in the presidential palace, the two sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas.
Welcoming Prime Minister Necas, President Karzai called the Czech Republic an old friend of Afghanistan, as it had friendly relations with Afghanistan since distant past.
President Karzai asked the Czech prime minister to convey his good wishes and gratitude to the people of Czech Republic for their assistance with Afghanistan.
Petr Necas then said that it was his first trip to Afghanistan, expressing pleasure over existing bilateral relationship and cooperation between the two countries.
The Czech prime minister reassured that his country would remain committed to continue, military presence under NATO and its cooperation through bilateral relations with Afghanistan beyond 2014.
He added that the Czech government was interested in having regular discussions with the Afghan side on how to expand relations and cooperation between the two countries.
Pointing to the well-known educational institutions in the Czech Republic, the president requested Prime Minister Necas to provide educational opportunities for Afghan youth in areas of medicine and engineering financed by the Afghan government.
Responding positively to the request of president Karzai, Prime Minister Necas reaffirmed the availability of good educational opportunities in his country.
At the meeting, the Czech Ambassador to Kabul was assigned to facilitate in collaboration with Afghanistan’s Minister of Higher Education, the educational opportunities for Afghan students in the Czech Republic.
The Czech prime minister said that his country was seeking enhanced cooperation and relations with Afghanistan, adding that they are keen to invest in various fields including transport mining and other areas.
President Karzai instructed government officials, who also attended the meeting to soon take all required actions in cooperation with the Czech Embassy in Kabul to pave the way for Czech investments in Afghanistan.
