Vaclav Klaus Congratulated U.S. President Barack Obama, Inviting Him To Prague

Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus congratulated new U.S. President Barack Obama on his inauguration and invited him to Prague in a letter, released on the Presidential Office's website.

Klaus stressed in the letter that the United States is for many Czech citizens a symbol of freedom and optimism, democracy and economic success, patriotism and international solidarity.

On this occasion Klaus also recalled the U.S. contribution to the establishment of the first independent Czechoslovak Republic in 1918.

This is why it is natural that both countries started to cooperate intensively after the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, and became allies in NATO ten years ago, Klaus wrote in his letter.

Obama was inaugurated as the 44th U.S. president on Tuesday, replacing George W. Bush after eight years.

Czech diplomats indicated they would like to welcome Obama in Prague in early April ahead of the NATO summit.

The Czech Republic as EU president in the fist half of 2009 would like to organise the first summit of the EU 27 and Obama in Prague.

Klaus in his letter also expressed hopes that he would have a chance to welcome Obama at Prague Castle, the presidential seat, and that Czech-U.S. bilateral relations would keep developing dynamically during Obama's presidency. Author: ČTK

Original Letter

Blahopřejný dopis Baracku Obamovi k inauguraci do funkce prezidenta USA

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21. 1. 2009, Praha

Prezident republiky Václav Klaus zaslal ve středu dne 21. ledna 2009 blahopřejný dopis Baracku Obamovi k jeho inauguraci do funkce 44. prezidenta Spojených států amerických.

Vážený pane prezidente,

dovolte mi, abych Vám jménem občanů České republiky a jménem svým poblahopřál k inauguraci do funkce 44. prezidenta Spojených států amerických. Jsem přesvědčen, že pod Vaším vedením se Spojené státy vyrovnají s úkoly, které před Vaší zemí stojí.

Česká republika si váží tradičních a hlubokých svazků, které ji pojí s Vaší zemí. Pro mnoho našich občanů jsou Spojené státy symbolem svobody a optimismu, demokracie a ekonomického úspěchu, vlastenectví a mezinárodní solidarity. Navíc Spojené státy významně přispěly ke vzniku našeho moderního státu po 1. světové válce. Proto je pro nás přirozené, že po pádu železné opony obě naše země začaly intenzivně spolupracovat a před deseti lety se staly spojenci v rámci Severoatlantické aliance.

Vážený pane prezidente, doufám, že Vás budu moci přivítat osobně jménem celé naší země zde na Pražském hradě, a že během Vašeho prezidentství se budou vztahy mezi našimi zeměmi nadále dynamicky rozvíjet. Dovolte mi, abych Vám při výkonu Vaší náročné funkce popřál mnoho úspěchů a také pevné zdraví a štěstí Vám i celé Vaší rodině.

S úctou

Václav Klaus

Vaclav Havel Is Making Progress, Risks Remain

Prague - The health condition of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, who is hospitalised with pulmonary troubles, has slightly improved again, but the risk of infection has not been definitively averted, public Czech Television (CT) reported today, referring to doctors.

TV cites Martina Pelichovska, head doctor of the anaesthesiological-resuscitation (ARO) clinic in the Prague-Motol Teaching Hospital, where Havel is being treated.

She said it is still hard to say whether Havel's condition cannot deteriorate again. This is why she refused to anticipate when Havel would leave the ARO.

Havel, 72, underwent a minor surgery to remove inflammation in the throat last Monday.

His post-operative recovery was complicated by phlegm in the right lung lobe. The inflammation then spread to the left lung last Friday.

Havel's right lung lobe got clogged last Saturday, but an intensive rehabilitation helped treat the problem. However, the complications recurred on Monday morning, afflicting the right lung lower lobe that got partially clogged.

Havel's condition improved thanks to intensive rehabilitation and inhalation as well as the administration of another type of antibiotics.

Havel is being treated by a team of dozen medical experts from various fields and hospitals.

Pelichovska told CT that the former president undergoes breathing rehabilitation regularly.

Havel has had health problems for many years. In December 1996 he had a malignant tumour removed from his lung.

In 1998 his life was threatened for some time after a colon surgery.

Havel, a former chain-smoker who had an untreated pneumonia when he was imprisoned as a dissident under the previous regime, has suffered from chronic bronchitis and heart problems.

Last time he was hospitalised about one year ago. He was treated for an acute bronchitis complicated with heart arrhythmia in the Prague Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) at the turn of January and February 2008.

Havel, playwright, thinker and former anti-communist dissident, was Czechoslovak president from the fall of the communist regime in late 1989 until mid-1992 and Czech president from 1993 until 2003.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz