Prague: We owe it to Serbia

The Czech government says it is "in no hurry to recognize Kosovo", reports say. The province unilaterally declared independence Sunday, but Belgrade rejects it as illegal. Prague: We owe it to Serbia Now the Czech authorities admit they feel they are "historically indebted to the Serbs", who stood by the Czechs when Hitler, with the blessing of the Western powers, tore their country apart in 1938. Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told today's Hospodarske Noviny daily that the government in Prague is "waiting to see how the Kosovo authorities will behave and whether there will be outbreaks of violence," but also added other reasons, saying that the Serbs stood by the Czechs many times in their history. "Whenever we went through hard times, such as in 1968, Yugoslavs, and more specifically Serbs, treated us in the proper manner. This is why voices are so strong here against the recognition of Kosovo," he said. The minister also warned he is having a "hard time" in the Foreign Policy Council on this issue. "The secession of Kosovo is in the Czech Republic compared to the Munich Agreement," Schwarzenberg said. The Western powers in 1938 allowed Hitler to annex Sudetenland, a sovereign Czech territory inhabited by a German minority, in the hope of appeasing him. The Second World War broke out a year later. "After the war we did not treat Germans nicely, but before the war no one threw them out of their homes, as was the case with Kosovo Albanians," he noted. "Unfortunately, when you lose a war, you most of the time also lose territory," Schwarzenberg concluded. He spent the day yesterday explaining to the Committee that the government had decided to recognize Kosovo so as "not to lose influence within the EU to help Serbs and Albanians". But the Committee, as he said, "gave him a hard time" over this. "I am in no hurry on this matter, but we cannot exclude ourselves from the European trends," Schwarzenberg said, and added he expected a "negative reaction from Belgrade." "In their place, I would do the same," the minister said. Schwarzenberg added he will investigate a fake telegram allegedly sent by his ministry to the Pristina authorities. The document claims that Prague will demand that Serbia "be punished over the Kosovo Serbs' demonstrations" in the north of the province.

Prague: We owe it to Serbia

Now the Czech authorities admit they feel they are "historically indebted to the Serbs", who stood by the Czechs when Hitler, with the blessing of the Western powers, tore their country apart in 1938.

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told today's Hospodarske Noviny daily that the government in Prague is "waiting to see how the Kosovo authorities will behave and whether there will be outbreaks of violence," but also added other reasons, saying that the Serbs stood by the Czechs many times in their history.

"Whenever we went through hard times, such as in 1968, Yugoslavs, and more specifically Serbs, treated us in the proper manner. This is why voices are so strong here against the recognition of Kosovo," he said.

The minister also warned he is having a "hard time" in the Foreign Policy Council on this issue.

"The secession of Kosovo is in the Czech Republic compared to the Munich Agreement," Schwarzenberg said.

The Western powers in 1938 allowed Hitler to annex Sudetenland, a sovereign Czech territory inhabited by a German minority, in the hope of appeasing him. The Second World War broke out a year later.

"After the war we did not treat Germans nicely, but before the war no one threw them out of their homes, as was the case with Kosovo Albanians," he noted.

"Unfortunately, when you lose a war, you most of the time also lose territory," Schwarzenberg concluded.

He spent the day yesterday explaining to the Committee that the government had decided to recognize Kosovo so as "not to lose influence within the EU to help Serbs and Albanians". But the Committee, as he said, "gave him a hard time" over this.

"I am in no hurry on this matter, but we cannot exclude ourselves from the European trends," Schwarzenberg said, and added he expected a "negative reaction from Belgrade."

"In their place, I would do the same," the minister said.

Schwarzenberg added he will investigate a fake telegram allegedly sent by his ministry to the Priština authorities. The document claims that Prague will demand that Serbia "be punished over the Kosovo Serbs' demonstrations" in the north of the province.