US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returns to the land of her birth Sunday to honor one of its founding fathers -- but not, she insists, to plan her return as Czech president.
Published:
5 March 2000 y., Sunday
But despite her reluctance, Czech President Vaclav Havel at least is expected to ask about her presidential plans when the two meet at his Prague castle residence.
Albright, born Marie Korbelova in 1937 in what was then Czechoslovakia, will spend three days in the Czech Republic notably paying tribute to the first Czechoslovak President Tomas Masaryk who died in 1937 aged 87.
Speculation that the trip in fact marked the start of a bid to succeed Czech President Vaclav Havel reached fever pitch last month after a report in the US magazine Time.
The report, citing unidentified officials, said Albright was considering the possibility of running for the Czech presidency once the second Clinton term is over at the end of this year.
But, after a series of denials by her spokesman, Albright appeared to kill the speculation stone dead on the eve of her arrival.
"I am very flattered by the speculation that I might be considered a serious candidate in the future for the presidency of the Czech Republic," she said in a statement released via the US embassy in Prague.
"However, I am not and will not be a candidate for that high office, for which I am sure there will be no shortage of highly-qualified Czech men and women," she added.
Among those most disappointed by Albright_s comments will be 63-year-old Havel.
Šaltinis:
Agence France Presse
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Militants in the Philippines have killed a head teacher from this school in Jolo. An official from the army said the man was beheaded.
more »
Ruca is no ordinary police dog. Instead of sniffing out drugs and explosives, he puts his nose to fighting the piracy industry.
more »
Afghans vent their anger on the streets of Kabul. They accuse American troops of burning a copy of Islam's holiest book, the Koran, during a raid in Maidan Wardak province last week.
more »
73% of Europeans consider poverty to be a widespread problem in their country while 89% want urgent action by their government to tackle the problem.
more »
Parliament adopted three urgent resolutions on the need for the EU to impose sanctions further to the violent repression of a demonstration in Guinea Conakry, the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, and access for humanitarian organisations to the 250,000 civilians displaced by the civil war and held in camps in Sri Lanka.
more »
The award ceremony of the Lorenzo Natali Prizes for Journalism took place today during the 2009 European Development Days.
more »
The European Parliament's 2009 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to Russian civil rights defence organization Memorial, and their three representatives Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, as well as all other human rights defenders in Russia.
more »
Taking into account changes on domestic money markets AB DnB NORD Bankas, a member of international financial group shall change individual and corporate time deposit rates from October 22.
more »
Wild birds know no borders, so the conservation of endangered species requires trans-frontier cooperation.
more »
New safety standards for children's sleeping items - including duvets, baby sleeping bags and cot mattresses - which should help to prevent many cot –related accidents, were given a green light today by EU Member States.
more »