Czech Republic to conclude its EU presidency

Czech Republic’s EU presidency: Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s director-general for multilateral affairs, Rezlan Ishar Jenie (right), congratulates Swedish Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Anders Backman (left) and Czech Ambassador to Indonesia Pavel Rezac (center) during a reception to mark the end of Czech Republic’s European Union (EU)’s presidency, which will end on June 30, at the Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta, on Tuesday night. The reception was hosted by the Czech Republic. Sweden will take over the presidency on July 1 from the Czech Republic. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

The Czech Republic is poised to end its six-month European Union (EU) presidency smoothly, despite domestic problems, Czech Ambassador to Indonesia Pavel Rezac said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"During the mid-term of our presidency, we had a new government in the Czech Republic. Luckily, it didn't affect *our work* much," Rezac told The Jakarta Post during a reception to mark the Czech presidency of the EU at the Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta.

During the reception, Rezac symbolically handed over a baton to the incoming EU presidency's representative (the Swedish Embassy's Charge d'Affaires Anders Backman) with a caution.

"Don't forget that until June 30, the Czech Republic is still holding the EU presidency," Rezac told Backman jokingly.

Most of the European ambassadors have praised Rezac's work.

"The work of the Czech ambassador was very serious. I need to mention his work when the European Union Commissioner in Myanmar, who is an Italian, comes to Jakarta," said Italian Ambassador to Indonesia Roberto Palmieri.

"The presidency went very well. When any directive came from the Working groups of Brussels or from the Czech presidency, the ambassador shared the information with us at our monthly meetings.

It is very difficult for small states like us or the Czech Republic to take presidency of the EU because we have small embassies, but Ambassador Rezac did a great job," said Belgian Ambassador to Indonesia Marc Trenteseau.

The reception - largely attended by Indonesian officials such as the Foreign Ministry director-general for multilateral affairs Rezlan Ishar Jenie and director general for protocol and consular affairs Lutfi Rauf, as well as European diplomats - was lively with tasty European cuisine. Various dishes of European origins were served to guests.