New Delhi: Ever since the Russian invasion began, Czech government is one of the first in the world to not only help the Ukraine government but also the Ukrainian refugees, says Mikulas Halas, Communication Manager, Department of External Communication in the Ministry of Finance and a member of Civic Democratic Party of Czech Republic.
Mikulas Halas, who was one of the participants in the Gen-Next Democracy Network programme in New Delhi, told ETV Bharat, “The Czech Republic is very sensitive to the issue because our country was invaded by Russians for a really long time. Not only the Czech government but our people are helping the refugees. It is important for us to help them at this time of crisis,” he said. It is pertinent to note that since the start of the conflict, 412,959 temporary protection visas have been granted to Ukrainian refugees by the Czech Republic.
According to sources, on Monday, the Czech immigration police registered 2,899 refugees. Since the start of the Russian invasion till February, 24, 420,014 have been registered. As of 22 June, according to the Interior Ministry of the Czech Republic, there are 38, 0212 Ukrainian citizens in the Czech Republic who fled the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Over 1,60,000 of these are adult women and another 1,30,000 are children and teenagers.
Mikulas Halas pointed out that Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Falia is the first world leader to have visited Kyiv after the invasion began. ‘We are facing a problem because of inflation and Europe is facing an energy crisis as Russia has decreased its supplies." he added.
Halas along with a delegation of Members of Parliament, consisting of Marie Alexandra Tania Diolle, Joanna Marie Bérenger, Soobeersingh Dhunoo, Subhasnee Luchmun Roy, Muhammad Ismaël Rawoo, and Dhananjay Ramful, were attending the Gen-next Democracy Network Programme in India that concluded today. The program is an initiative of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), being held in the context of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating the 75 years of India’s independence and her glorious history, culture, and achievements.
As part of this program, India has been hosting young emerging leaders of 75 and more democracies around the world to visit India to get a brief but comprehensive overview of the country’s democratic traditions, cultural heritage, and developmental initiatives.
Young delegates including members of political parties, entrepreneurs, and rising leaders, from five countries namely Paraguay, Uganda, Thailand, Czech Republic, and Mauritius participated in the fourth batch of the program from 08 August to 17 August 2022.
