Rarefied Air

Czech President Klaus to pay working visit to United States


Czech President Vaclav Klaus leaves on Monday for a working visit to the United States during which he will be presented with two decorations for freedom promotion and meet some local politicians and businessmen, according to his web page.

He will visit the cities of Portland, Seattle and Phoenix during the visit from which he will return to Prague on October 4.

In Portland, Oregon, Klaus will attend the presentation of his book Blue, not Green Planet, in which he criticises the alleged provoking of panic over global warming that will be issued in a second edition in the United States.

In Seattle, Klaus will be presented with Columbia Award that has been bestowed on him by the Washington Policy Centre (WPC).

Its winners include former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, current president's brother Jeb Bush and former New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani.

In Seattle, Klaus will also meet managers of Microsoft company.

On Thursday, Klaus will be presented with Barry Goldwater Award for Liberty in Phoenix.

Its winners include Reagan, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and economist Milton Friedman.

The award, called after former Republican senator Barry Goldwater, is awarded by Goldwater Institute for an exceptional contribution to the development of human freedom.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Klaus has visited the United States many times since he became Czech president for the first time in 2003, but has never been there on an official state visit.

Three years ago President Bush, however, received him in the White House.

Last year Klaus welcomed Bush in Prague where Bush promoted the U.S. plans for the stationing of elements of the anti-missile shield in Central Europe.

And the words community organizer are nowhere to be found in his curriculum vitae.

Via ČeskéNoviny