US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1558

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001558 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IR, PHUM, PREL, PTER, EZ, EUN 
SUBJECT: CZECH GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S 
SPEECH; PLANS FOR VISIT OF PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION 
 
REF: STATE 199225 
 
1. (SBU) Polec officer delivered ref A demarche on October 31 
to Miloslav Stasek, director of the Middle East and Africa 
Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Stasek agreed 
that the inflammatory remarks by Iranian President 
Ahmadi-nejad were unacceptable.  He added that he also met 
with the Charge d'Affaires of the Israeli Embassy and his 
department is looking at additional ways that the Czech 
government can react to the statement.  Minister of Foreign 
Affairs Cyril Svoboda also issued a statement on the MFA 
website condemning the Iranian President's remarks, calling 
the remarks uncivilized.  Svoboda said that the right of 
Israel to exist is undisputed and that such a verbal attack 
can threaten stability in the entire region. 
 
2. (SBU) At the same time, we have learned that the Vice 
Chairman of the Czech Parliament's Foreign Relations 
Committee Vladimir Lastuvka (CSSD) has invited an Iranian 
parliamentary delegation to the Czech Republic.  The 
delegation will consist of eight Iranian parliamentarians 
(names not yet known to the MFA) and will be in Prague 
November 22-27.  The Iranian delegation requested a meeting 
with Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, however the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the delegation will 
most likely be received by Stasek.  The Lastuvka's invitation 
reciprocates for a visit he and other Czech Deputies made to 
Tehran earlier this year.  Post will attempt to learn more 
about the delegation's program. 
CABANISS