Czech Minister of Defence Vlasta Parkanova during her two-day visit to London met with her British counterpart Des Browne and handed over awards to Czechoslovak World War II veterans.
On 22 June 2008 shortly after her arrival she met with Czechoslovak World War II veterans at the residence of the Czech Ambassador in London. She coferred the Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence to Major General Ivan Schwarz, Colonel František Kaplan and Lieutenant Colonel Arnošt Polák. "Every time I meet the Czechoslovak veterans I feel enriched and full of energy. What an unbeliavable strength irradiates this generation of servicemen despite their difficult war na post-war personal history. Their personal strenght, loyalty and unadulterated patriotism I hold in high esteem," Mrs Parkanová said.
The next day Mrs Parkanova laid a bunch of flowers to the Czechoslovak servicemen memorial at the Westminster Abbey.
Later on, Minister Vlasta Parkanova met with Secretary of Defence Des Browne at the Lancaster House in London. They discussed the institutional reform of NATO, missile defence strategy, current ESDP issues, joint service of Czech and British troops in Afghanistan, as well as the upcoming Czech Republic´s EU Presidency.
Before her departure, Mrs Parkanova met with Sir Nicholas Winton, the former British diplomat who saved lives of 669 mostly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in 1939 before World War II, since he arranged their transport to the British Isles.
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Posted: July 2, 2008
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