Czech President Vaclav Havel said during his three-day visit October 10-12 to Turkey that he is ready to act as a mediary between Cypriot Turks and Greeks. Havel said he hopes there is still a chance to find a democratic, mutually acceptable resolution of the conflict.
At Bilhent University in Ankara, where Havel received an honorary doctorate, he praised Turkey as a place of cohabitation of Islamic and Western cultures. The last day of the visit Havel discussed issues of human rights with a group of intellectuals, among them Kurdish activist Akin Birdal.
Before leaving home Havel also met with the Turkish enterpreneurs at the Czech-Turkish Trade Forum and unveiled a memorial plaque for Alexander Dubcek, once the Czechoslovak ambassador to Turkey.

Prime Minister Miloç Zeman met British Prime Minister Tony Blair October 11 during his one-day visit in the UK. The meeting, which Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan also attended, dealt with bilateral and European issues.
Blair declared his support for enlarging the European Union by the year 2004, Zeman expressed his hope that British investments in Czech industry will increase in the next years.
In particular, the Czech energy sector was discussed. As to the ongoing Austrian protests against the Czech Temelin nuclear power plant, Zeman said the Czech Republic is paying the price for its decision to join the EU sanctions against Austria when the ultra-nationalist Joerg Haider's FPO party entered the Austrian government.