Prague: former NATO general petr pawel was sworn in as president of the Czech Republic on Thursday and stressed the importance of unity in supporting war-torn Ukraine.
“The single voice of central Europe will be vital if we want to help Ukraine win,” he said at the ceremony at Prague Castle, vowing to raise his country’s prestige abroad “to a new level”.
Powell Ukraine can serve as a model because it has “shown us and our partners that unwavering resolve far exceeds an aggressor’s advantage and strength”.
The 61-year-old was elected in January, defeating billionaire populist former prime minister Andrej Babis in a run-off.
Powell will replace divisive, outspoken veteran politician milos zemanWhose last five-year term ended on Wednesday.
While the role is largely ceremonial, the Czech president names the government, chooses the central bank governor and constitutional judges, and serves as commander of the armed forces.
In addition to continued support for Ukraine, Powell has also pledged to promote closer ties with the European Union and NATO, and to foster ties with the United States.
A military university graduate and an elite paratrooper, Pavel was decorated as a hero in the Serbo-Croatian War when he helped liberate French troops from the war zone.
He became Chief of the Czech General Staff and also headed NATO’s Military Committee in 2015–2018.
Hundreds of people cheered and waved flags and later chanted “Long live Pavel” when Pavel arrived at Prague Castle on Thursday.
Also on Thursday more than 100 motorcyclists set out on a ride through the historic center of Prague, which was inaugurated with an event called “Highway to Hrud (Castle)”, a reference to the ACDC hit “Highway to Hell”. .
Pavel owns a dual-sport BMW motorbike and is a passionate rider.
For his first official foreign trip as president, Pavel is planning a two-day visit to Slovakia on March 13.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova For their part arrived in Prague on the day of the polls to congratulate him on his election victory.
The two countries formed Czechoslovakia until their peaceful split in 1993.
“The single voice of central Europe will be vital if we want to help Ukraine win,” he said at the ceremony at Prague Castle, vowing to raise his country’s prestige abroad “to a new level”.
Powell Ukraine can serve as a model because it has “shown us and our partners that unwavering resolve far exceeds an aggressor’s advantage and strength”.
The 61-year-old was elected in January, defeating billionaire populist former prime minister Andrej Babis in a run-off.
Powell will replace divisive, outspoken veteran politician milos zemanWhose last five-year term ended on Wednesday.
While the role is largely ceremonial, the Czech president names the government, chooses the central bank governor and constitutional judges, and serves as commander of the armed forces.
In addition to continued support for Ukraine, Powell has also pledged to promote closer ties with the European Union and NATO, and to foster ties with the United States.
A military university graduate and an elite paratrooper, Pavel was decorated as a hero in the Serbo-Croatian War when he helped liberate French troops from the war zone.
He became Chief of the Czech General Staff and also headed NATO’s Military Committee in 2015–2018.
Hundreds of people cheered and waved flags and later chanted “Long live Pavel” when Pavel arrived at Prague Castle on Thursday.
Also on Thursday more than 100 motorcyclists set out on a ride through the historic center of Prague, which was inaugurated with an event called “Highway to Hrud (Castle)”, a reference to the ACDC hit “Highway to Hell”. .
Pavel owns a dual-sport BMW motorbike and is a passionate rider.
For his first official foreign trip as president, Pavel is planning a two-day visit to Slovakia on March 13.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova For their part arrived in Prague on the day of the polls to congratulate him on his election victory.
The two countries formed Czechoslovakia until their peaceful split in 1993.
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