Prime Minister Attends Two Summits in New York
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka will attend two international summits held in New York on 28 and 29 September 2015. The events are dedicated to the fight against the Islamic State and to U.N. peacekeeping operations. During his working visit to the city, the Czech premier will symbolically pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001 at the 9/11 Memorial.
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
- 1.00 p.m. (GMT +2) Arrival of the Prime Minister with a delegation at the airport in Prague Kbely.
- 10:00 p.m. (GMT -4) Departure of a special flight transporting the Czech prime minister from New York to Prague.
- 3:30 p.m. (GMT -4) During a bilateral meeting, Premier Sobotka wished his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi much success in fighting the ISIL and assured him that his country can continue to rely on the Czech Republic's support.
- 3:00 p.m. (GMT -4) Meeting of Premier Sobotka and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden; the meeting was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lubomír Zaorálek. Vice President Biden expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the Czech Republic in the fight against the Islamic State.
- Press release for the meeting with the Vice President Biden
- 10:30 a.m. (GMT -4) Prime minister's attendance at the summit against the Islamic State and violent extremism.
- 8:45 a.m. (GMT -4) The prime minister laid flowers at the 9/11 Memorial to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001, including Czech nationals Alena Sešínová and Lukáš Rambousek. "The act resulted in thousands of casualties among people from dozens of countries around the world and foreshadowed one of the principal threats of the current century. The terrorist attack in New York as well as those perpetrated in Washington, London, Madrid, Paris, Copenhagen, and many other places around the globe, have shown that security, freedom, democracy, tolerance, and respect for human rights and human dignity do not happen as a matter of course and need to be collectively defended," said the prime minister.
- Press release for the visit to the 9/11 Memorial
Monday, 28 September 2015
- 5:45 p.m. (GMT -4) Premier Sobotka delivered a speech at the U.N. Peacekeeping Summit.
- Speech delivered by Premier Sobotka at the U.N. Peacekeeping Summit
- 3:00 p.m. (GMT -4) Beginning of the U.N. Peacekeeping Summit hosted jointly by President Obama and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for a coalition of approximately 50 selected countries that participate in U.N. peacekeeping missions.
- 12:00 p.m. (GMT -4) The Czech government's airplane landed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
- Present on board of the aircraft was Corporal Brychta who has been wounded in Afghanistan and travelled to the U.S. for medical consultations.
- 7:15 a.m. (GMT+02) A special aircraft carrying the Czech prime minister departed from Prague to New York.