While EU Elitists Kvetched About Ireland

ČR to help east during EU presidency
The Czech Republic will focus during its EU presidency in the first half of 2009 on such development aid priorities as a better use of renewable energy sources in developing countries, Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Kohout told journalists Thursday.

The Czech Republic will also seek an increase in the EU aid to the countries eastward of the EU eastern border, Kohout said, adding that at present, the EU rather puts an emphasis on southern countries, mainly Africa.

Kohout Thursday met Stefano Manservisi, European Commission's Director General for Development, who welcomed the Czech presidency priorities after the meeting.

Hmmm. Desiring to increase the amount of EU largesse to former Soviet slave states while criticizing the EU's focus on Africa, Kohout and Manservisi can expect to be categorized by the Leftisphere as . . . well, you know . . . racists.

The two officials discussed the preparation of the Czech six-month EU rotating presidency.

A "good governing" in poor countries is also one of the priorities, Kohout said.

Monservisi added that the Czech Republic could be a good inspiration for these countries because it has the experience of the transition period from communism to the market economy and a civic society.

According to last year's information, the EU earmarks more than 40 billion euros [US$62,487,293,261 ed.] for development aid a year and in 2010 it should be 20 billion euros more.

The Czech Republic is one of the most generous contributors to the development aid among the new EU countries.

The Czech Republic has so far defined eight priorities for the development aid programme. It focuses on Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yemen, Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia and Montenegro, Vietnam and Zambia.

In addition, it also finances big projects in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Czech Republic allotted 3.6 billion crowns [US$232,973,063 ed.] for development aid in 2006, 300 million [US$19,403,475 ed.] more than in 2005.

Of course, that isn't enough.

Czech non-governmental organisations criticised the government for its insufficient aid to poor countries.

ČeskéNoviny via The Prague Monitor