Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations
The Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations (PCTR) was established in November 2009 as an internal research, education and advisory facility of CEVRO Institute.Recent Activities
What Should Central Europe Expect from the Biden Administration? A Debate with Phil Reeker
The Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations hosted an expert briefing with European and Eurasian Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Philip T. Reeker on April 21.
Phil Reeker has a unique insight into the transition process from Trump to the Biden administration.
Three Countries, Three Different Paths: The Social and Political Impact of the Pandemic on the Czech Republic, Germany and Israel
A debate with Peter Liese, Tommy Steiner and Miroslav Singer about the different paths of three countries (the Czech Republic, Germany and Israel) and about the social and political impact of the pandemic.
Biden, Europe and Us: New Policy or Just New Rhetoric?
A discussion about Biden Administration’s foreign policy towards Europe took place on the 12th of April 2021.
The opening remarks were made by Veronika Kuchyňová Šmigolová, Assistant Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Non-European Countries and Zdeněk Beránek, DCM, The Czech Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The Czech Defense and Security Policy: Where Did It Disappear?
More than twenty key figures of the Czech defence, security, and intelligence communities gathered to convey their opinions on the Czech defence and security system’s pressing challenges.
Opening remaks:
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Martin Povejšil and Deputy Minister of Defense Jan Havránek
Challenges and Opportunities for European Security and Defence
Alexandr Vondra and Tomáš Pojar participated in the conference organized by The Portuguese Presidency of The Council of The European Union on security and defence issues. Alexandr Vondra had the opportunity to discuss the actual challenges of the transatlantic relationship with João Gomes Cravinho, Minister of Defence of Portugal.
The Storm Before The Calm with George Friedman
His latest book The Storm Before The Calm (2020) was translated into Czech as Klid před bouří (Tomáš Krsek Publishers) only a few months after being published in the United States and was the main topic of the discussion.
The debate with George Friedman took place on March 11. The debate was opened by Alexandr Vondra and later discussion moderated by Tomáš Pojar.
Message from the Chairman of the PCTR Board
By joining NATO In 1999 the Czech Republic has gained the best security guarantees in its modern history. It does not mean that we are to idly sit with our hands folded in our laps and do nothing. Security cannot be taken for granted. The quality always depends on our will to do something for it and make sacrifices. This fact is applicable not only for us at home but also for cooperation with our allies. The world is not a safe place; security threats of today are less predictable and therefore potentially more dangerous.
Message from the President of CEVRO Institute
Joining Euro-American security and political structures was one the most prominent goals of the Czech Republic’s post-Communist reform policy. Achieving NATO membership was an important step in meeting this goal. Along with this achievement, however, there is also a permanent duty to infuse the Czech Republic’s membership in the Alliance with concrete and meaningful content addressing the reality of the ever-changing international security environment.
Principles
- The preservation and the strengthening of the ransatlantic link represent a key contribution to Czech and European security.
- As the future of transatlantic relations is increasingly questioned, it is desirable that academic institutions in the new NATO member states devote a part of their research capacities to help solve the challenges facing the transatlantic agenda.
- Scepticism toward cooperation with the United States has been on the rise in the Czech Republic and some other Central European countries. It is important to prevent the recent difficulties in US–Central European relations from growing into a refusal of the very idea of transatlantic alliance.
- The concept of transatlantic relations should not be limited to NATO. In fact, transatlantic relations include a much wider range of issues spanning politics, security, economy and culture. In particular, US–EU relations are gaining special prominence.
Goals
- Conduct systematic research in the area of transatlantic relations with a special emphasis on US–Central European relations.
- Develop practical solutions to problems in transatlantic relations and produce analyses and policy recommendations that can be used in decision-making processes in the Czech Republic and in other countries of Central Europe.
- Join the Czech, European and US debates on the challenges that transatlantic cooperation faces.
- Put on the agenda those topics related to transatlantic relations that have been neglected in the Czech and in the Central European foreign policy debates.
- Cooperate with European and US research institutions and thereby introduce Czech perspectives on transatlantic relations to a wider audience abroad.
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