Prague - New Czech President Milos Zeman plans to appoint senior diplomat Hynek Kmonicek as head of the foreign relations department of the president's office.
Kmonicek, who currently serves as Czech ambassador to Australia, has already asked Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg to release him from his post. "It is a standard, undramatic way (of leaving a diplomatic post)," said Kmonicek.
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Kmonicek said that this does not mean that he is leaving the diplomatic service altogether. "I have asked for an unpaid leave for the duration of my employment at the president's office. I am and will be a professional diplomat," Kmonicek said in an interview with Aktualne.cz.
"I expect the new team's diplomacy to be very active, because we have a deep understanding of the Foreign Ministry. I have worked there for almost 20 years," he said.
Kmonicek said though that at this moment he is not planning to bring more people from the Czech diplomatic service into the new president's foreign relations team.
Before being posted to Australia, Kmonicek served as deputy to two Social Democrat (CSSD) foreign ministers, Jan Kavan (1998-2002) and Jan Kohout (2009-2010). The CSSD is currently in the opposition. Kmonicek is also known for having quite complicated relations with current minister Schwarzenberg (TOP 09).
"I am sure we will get along well with Mr Minister. Regardless of our often diverging political opinions, we have always had correct personal relations," said Kmonicek about Schwarzenberg.
Kmonicek explained that at his new post, he will be responsible for all the issues related to the new president's foreign relations, including handling foreign visits to the Czech Republic, communication with other presidents' foreign relations departments, cooperation with the Czech diplomatic service and "active help for Czech economic diplomacy", said Kmonicek.
