Interview with Alicja Knast, General Director of the National Gallery Prague

The House delegation supported the award-winning

Czech pavilion at EXPO 2020

Text: M. Zisso; Photo: Archive

The delegation, led by the Speaker of the Chamber Markéta Pekarová Adamová, took part in the Czech National Day at the EXPO 2020 World Exhibition in Dubai. The program also included a meeting with the chairman of the UAE legislature, participation in a business forum, the signing of a memorandum on inter-university cooperation, and a visit to the Ukrainian pavilion.

„The barbaric war waged by Vladimir Putin‘s dictatorial regime in Ukraine sharply contrasts with the basic idea of a general world exhibition. It consists in the belief that states should inspire each other and look for ways to improve the quality of life of all people without distinction,“ said Markéta Pekarová Adamová, head of the delegation and speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The main aim of the work program of the House delegation at the World Expo 2020 was actively participating in the opening ceremony of the National Day on Monday, March 21st - the fi rst day of spring. This was entirely symbolic, because the national pavilion of the Czech Republic is called Czech Spring. The introductory speeches were followed by a cultural program, which presented traditional Old Bohemian costumed folk dances accompanied by members of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic. They later played the domestic national anthem directly in front of the Czech pavilion and – as an expression of moral support to millions of war-torn Ukrainians - also performed the Ukrainian national anthem. The chairwoman also visited the Ukrainian pavilion, where she underwent a guided tour.

„At the EXPO exhibition, I most often encountered two types of exhibits. One type seeks to present their country as an ideal tourist destination and attracts visitors through colorful excursions into their own national history. The second, on the other hand, aims to present the technological progress achieved in the chosen fi eld since the last world exhibition, and to educate visitors in a non-intrusive way. The Czech Republic has chosen the second approach, and I think it has chosen very well. This is evidenced not only by the award of a prestigious silver medal from renowned experts, but above all by the continuing interest of the general public,“ said Markéta Pekarová Adamová, head of the delegation and speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

In addition, the Speaker of the House met in person with her United Arab Emirates counterpart in Dubai – President of the Federal National Council Saqr Gobash. One of the topics of their joint working meeting was the issue of energy self-suffi ciency and ensuring stability in world energy markets. The chairwoman also launched a business forum dedicated to Czech smart solutions in the fi eld of sustainable energy and clean mobility. Another integral part of the delegation was a group of 17 Czech entrepreneurs, who are trying to penetrate the local UAE market and establish new business connections there.

EXPO Houses

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LAWYER by training, AMBASSADOR by fate

Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive

The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands, the average yearly temperature is 26.6 °C, and its list of spoken languages reaches the number of 182. Sounds quite diff erent from what we are used to in the Czech Republic, so how does a Filipino perceive our country when they arrive? “My fi rst impression of the Czech Republic was one of a prosperous, industrialised country. Of course, I was not mistaken - for indeed, it is,” says the Philippine ambassador Ombra T. Jainal and goes on to explain how he became a diplomat, what the current state of the Czech-Philippine relations is, and what signifi cant milestone awaits our two countries next year.

Can you tell us about yourself and your path to being an ambassador?

I am the eldest child of a lowly farmer and fi sherman in the southernmost island municipality of the province of Sulu where education, including basic education, is very hard to avail of. Married to Elsie Escandar Jainal, a nurse, who also comes from the same island municipality, we have nine grown-up and professional children, six of whom are already married. We have four grandchildren. So, you can imagine that in my free time, aside from exercising and reading, I often talk to my children and grandchildren by video call.

I became an ambassador by a stroke of fate. I am a lawyer by training, and never did I dream of becoming an ambassador. However, in 2016, when our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assumed offi ce, he made it known that he needed well-meaning people to join him in government. The rest is history.

When I hear “the Philippines”, an image appears in my mind of long beautiful beaches combined with an ongoing economic boom. What about your impression of the Czech Republic?

This is now my 4th year in the Czech Republic, and I will be ending my tour of duty on June 30th this year. My fi rst impression of the Czech Republic was one of a prosperous, industrialised country. Of course, I was not mistaken - for indeed, it is. It is also a beautiful country; with Prague as its capital, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. My children and grandchildren simply love the place, and travelling to some of the most beautiful places in the country is certainly a good adventure that I shall always remember. Aside from trade and commerce, tourism is one industry that has a big potential between the two countries.

What is the strangest or the most diffi cult issue you have faced here?

Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic can be weird. Despite my age, in order to minimize the risk of infection, I climb the stairs instead of using the elevator. At 73, I am not supposed to climb the stairs, right?

Besides that, and modesty aside, I did not really fi nd any diffi culty to deal with. In fact, I have truly enjoyed doing my job as an ambassador, serving my country, helping the Filipinos in the Czech Republic, and in the process, meeting so many good people and making friends. It is my hope that bilateral meetings in various fi elds, e.g., political, defence, and economic, which were temporarily held off due to the pandemic, would fi nally resume this year and continue to be held in the upcoming years.

What is the current state of the Czech-Philippine relations?

The current state of the Philippine-Czech relations, I believe, is on a high note. Despite the physical distance between the two countries, and the challenges brought about to all of us by the COVID-19 pandemic, we still managed to enhance bilateral relations. When I started my tour

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of duty as an ambassador in July 2018, there were just a little more than a thousand Filipinos in the Czech Republic, but, today, despite the pandemic, there are already more than 3,500 Filipinos in the country. Czech companies value the contribution of Filipino workers towards their high productivity rates, which in turn contribute to the growth of the Czech economy.

There is also a steady number of Filipino students in the Czech Republic as a result of the academic cooperation agreements between Philippine and Czech universities.

This interview is on your national day. What do you wish your country on this special day? And what to the Czech Republic?

The Philippines obtained its independence on 12th June 1898; thus, we will be celebrating 124 years of independence this year. We have many reasons to celebrate, even amidst the challenges of the pandemic. First, we are close to attaining the 70% target of fully vaccinating our population; second, our economy is back on track and is expected to grow by 6% to 7% this year; and third, we just held our national and local elections – a free and democratic exercise that allowed Filipinos, whether in the Philippines or abroad, to select our new leaders for the next six years.

As they are to reach an important milestone next year, that is, 50 years of diplomatic relations, I wish the Philippines and the Czech Republic will continue to enhance their economic relations, putting more emphasis on the complementarity of their available resource endowments that both could benefi t from in terms of trade and investments. For example, the Czech Republic is a landlocked country while the Philippines, being an archipelago, is surrounded by large bodies of water. We recognize the strengths of the Czech Republic in natural sciences, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technical sciences. This means that there are plenty of opportunities to explore aside from the traditional trade in goods and services, such as investments in marine science, technology, and innovation; research and educational exchange on conservation and preservation of water and marine resources; infrastructure related to connectivity; and maritime security.