 | |
 Czech Republic |  United States |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C. | Embassy of the United States, Prague |
| Envoy | |
| AmbassadorMiloslav Stašek | AmbassadorBijan Sabet |
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Relations between theCzech Republic and theUnited States were officially established in 1918, but has been cut throughout the history, exactly between 1948–1989 when the Czech Republic (at that time as Czechoslovakia) was under the soviet influence.
Since transitioning into ademocracy in 1989, joiningNATO in 1999,[1] and theEU in 2004, the Czech Republic has gradually become a close economic partner and formal military ally of the United States, drastically improving bilateral ties in the years since through increasingly extensive cooperation in areas ranging fromcounterterrorism tocultural exchanges.
According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 39% ofCzechs approve of the job performance of the U.S. leadership, with 26% disapproving and 35% uncertain.[2]Both countries are also observer states of theBSCE.
U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson and theUnited States played a major role in the establishment ofCzechoslovakia on October 28, 1918. President Wilson's 14 Points, including the right of ethnic groups to form their own states, were the basis for the union of the Czechs and Slovaks.Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the father of the state and its first President, visited the United States during World War I and worked with U.S. officials in developing the basis of the new country. Masaryk used theU.S. Constitution as a model for the first Czechoslovak constitution.
AfterWorld War II, theCzechoslovak government-in-exile returned. Normal relations continued until 1948, when thecommunists seized power and relations froze rapidly. TheSoviet invasion ofCzechoslovakia in August 1968 further complicated U.S.-Czechoslovak relations. The United States referred the matter to theUnited Nations Security Council as a violation of theUnited Nations Charter, but no action was taken against the Soviets.
Since theVelvet Revolution of 1989, bilateral relations have improved immensely. Dissidents once sustained by U.S. encouragement andhuman rights policies reached high levels in the government. PresidentVáclav Havel, in his first official visit as head of Czechoslovakia, addressed the U.S. Congress and was interrupted 21 times bystanding ovations. In 1990, on the first anniversary of the revolution, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush, in front of an enthusiastic crowd on Prague's Wenceslas Square, pledged U.S. support in building a democratic Czechoslovakia. Toward this end, the U.S. Government has actively encouraged political and economic transformation.
The U.S. Government was originally opposed to the idea of Czechoslovakia forming two separate states, due to concerns that a split might aggravate existing regional political tensions. However, the U.S. recognized both the Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1, 1993. Since then, U.S.–Czech relations have remained strong economically, politically, and culturally.
In 2003, the Czech Government sent a small contingent of elite anti-chemical weapons warfare experts toKuwait to support the then-impending U.S. led2003 invasion of Iraq.[3] Despite governmental support for the war, an overwhelming majority of Czechs opposed the U.S. led invasion of Iraq throughout the lead up to the war and immediately following the invasion. A public opinion poll conducted in March 2003 found that over 70 percent of the population opposed the war even with a UN mandate while 83 percent of Czechs were against the war in Iraq without a mandate. Furthermore, the same poll found that 82 percent of Czechs believe that the U.S. bases its foreign policy "according to its own power and economic interests.[4]" Czech opposition to the war did not amount to the level of massive visible street demonstrations such as those seen in other cities around the world. On February 15, 2003, 1,500 people attended a rally against the war in Wenceslas Square in Prague.[5]
Amissile defense system was planned to be installed atBrdy part of the Czech Republic.[6] It would have been anX bandradar system that would work with a missile site inRedzikowo,Poland.[7]
In August 2008, the CzechSecurity Information Service (BIS) published the report for the year 2007, in which it says that Russian secret agents (spies) have been from the beginning highly influencing the public opinion against the building of U.S. radar in Czech republic.[8] In September 2008 Czech Military Counter-intelligence confirmed the report of BIS.[9] "BIS claims, that the Russian espionage is currently at high intensity and level." Russians secret agents mainly influence the people, that can have a great influence on public opinion. After Barack Obama was elected the President of the United States, there were speculations that he might stop the project. The final decision to scratch the plans was announced on 17 September 2009 by a phone call from Obama to Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer.[citation needed]
In June 2011,Alexandr Vondra, a Czech defense minister, told the U.S. that his country was withdrawing from the European missile defense system, stating: "We will seek other opportunities for the Czech Republic to participate in the Alliance system in the future; but this does not change anything about our support for NATO missile defense."[10]
In January 2014, the Czech government approved of the sale of 28 sub-sonic L-159 military planes in a deal worth up to $25.8 million to the United States.[11]
As of February 2012, due to the escalatingSyrian civil war, the U.S. Embassy inSyria closed down. After thePolish embassy also closed, theCzech Republic in its stead assumedprotecting power responsibility for the United States.[12]
All U.S. citizens needing help are directed to go to the Embassy of The Czech Republic inDamascus. The US State Department's travel tips include "The Government of the Czech Republic, acting through its Embassy in Damascus, serves as Protecting Power for U.S. interests in Syria. The range of consular services the Czech Republic provides to U.S. citizens is extremely limited, and those services may require significantly more processing time than at U.S. embassies or consulates outside of Syria."[13]
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see also:Foreign relations of Czechoslovakia | ||
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