Speech of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Mirek Topolánek given on the Occasion of the National Holiday of the Czech Republic

Dear ambassadress, dear ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen, dear guests,

Let me give you a warm welcome to the reception on the occasion of the national holiday of the Czech Republic. It is being held two weeks in advance; nevertheless, better sooner than never.

The Czech Republic has been memorializing the date of establishment of Czechoslovakia – 28th October 1918. This state does not exist any longer; nevertheless, we profess its traditions and values.

We incessantly profess the first Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. It was just him who won support of the American president Woodrow Wilson for the idea of Czechoslovak statehood.

We incessantly profess legacy of the second president of Czechoslovakia, Edvard Beneš, co-founder and chairman of Community of Nations, a precursor of the United Nations, in the premises of which we are just now.

Perhaps I need not remind you the first Czech president Václav Havel, who became a symbol of the return of former communist satellites among free and democratic countries.

I remember also the second Czech president Václav Klaus, who demonstrated that a country can be peacefully divided preserving its democracy.

I remembered here these four men not because of them themselves. I remembered these concrete names in order to prove faithfulness of the Czech Republic to four great values of the world community: Right to self-determination, international cooperation, freedom and democracy. We are a small country but we are proud of being active participants of the global fight for freedom, security and prosperity.

To fight against tyranny and terrorism, against various regimes and groups which threaten the others we regard as a priority task of the world community. We support peace and humanitarian missions of the UN and efforts of the individual countries to establish justness, security and order.

We are also aware of the fact that the planet of the Earth is not consisted just by a single culture, a single civilization. Promotion of values of freedom, democracy and human right, which I firmly believe in, must not become a dictate of a stronger to a weaker.

Nevertheless, in particular in the sphere of human rights there exists a clear etalon given by the UN Charter and by the General Declaration of Human Right, and we must not make any compromises in their promotion. Each member state is obliged to contribute to the observance of these documents.

We identify ourselves with the UN mission - to try to avoid conflicts; the role of the UN Security Council regarding this is indisputable.

The international law must protect those who are decent; it must be a guarantor of justness and stability. It must not protect tyrants; it must not become a reason for abandonment of action in the time when such an action is necessary for human rights and lives protection.

We are fully aware of the fact that peace cannot be maintained just by power. The long-term stability is accompanied by prosperity. The Czech government fully supports fulfilment of the UN millennium development objectives.

Peace and prosperity were two principal values of the European Coal and Steel Community. Half a century of the economic successful European development without wars proves that these values can be implemented even there where religious and nationalist fights used to be raging. It requires will and consistency.

Now, after some 90 years after establishing our modern state, we are lucky to be member of a peaceful and prosperous community. I also believe that it can be achieved globally. We wish good fortune to the others, as well. It will be a long way, but we are obliged to follow it.

As you certainly noticed, I am not talking about the history of the Czech Republic now, but I am rather heading to the tomorrow's election to the UN Security Council. I cannot deny that my presence here has connection with it.

I want to thank here those countries, which expressed and which are expressing their support. In case the Cech Republic is elected, and I firmly believe in it, we are ready to be fully involved in the dialogue on topical issues.

You will perhaps pardon this small lobbying of mine. As a kind of excuse, please accept this selection of traditional Czech cuisine. I also wish you nice cultural experience in presenting remarkable Czech singer and violinist Iva Bitová.

Thank you for your attention and enjoy yourselves.