Czech PM-designate disagrees with moving embassy to Jerusalem

PRAGUE, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- In reaction to Czech President Milos Zeman's support for the proposal to move Czech embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Prime Minister-designate Andrej Babis said on Friday that he disagreed with this step as no new conflicts should be provoked in the Middle East.

Zeman welcomed the decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem on Thursday, and he called on the Czech Republic and other European Union member states to do the same.

When interviewed by Czech Radio on Friday, Babis said that the idea by President Trump to move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem is not good.

"We are a small country, but the big ones should be striving for peace. We must be fighting against the situations where some conflict is erupting again and where protests will occur, not to mention assassinations," Babis was quoted as saying.

He thought the EU should not support Trump's decision and it is not needed to stir up further conflicts in the region.

Zeman's spokesman, Jiri Ovcacek, said the president respects the opinion of the designated prime minister, but does not share it.

Czech Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it might be considering transferring the embassy of the Czech Republic from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem only on the basis of results of talks with the key partners in the region and in the world.

The outgoing Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said in September that cooperation would be needed, among others with Israel alone, and that Prague was not planning to move the embassy to Jerusalem for the time being. Enditem